Last week the Arizona Republic announced a new specialty license plate design in Arizona. They are having a contest for the design of the new National Guard plate. Did you know that Arizona already has a “ Live the Golden Rule” plate design that benefits Golden Rule education in schools and the community?

In order for a new license plate to be made, a state lawmaker has to propose a bill that pitches the plate. Then, it has to get approved by both houses of the Arizona State Legislature before the bill is signed into law by the governor. This has only happened about a hundred times in Arizona. Part of the funds from sale of the specialty plates in Arizona go to the organization. It’s a way people can support a cause they care about and publicly cheer for that cause. For the Arizona Interfaith Movement, specialty plate funds are used for Golden Rule Education. There are wonderful, free resources for Arizona kids and teachers to help teach and practice the Golden Rule. The history and attributes of the Golden Rule are woven into Arizona Interfaith Movement’s events that are free and accessible to the public.

What better cause to cheer on than the promotion of peace through living Golden Rule? It unites us because most people think treating others how we want to be treated is a good idea inside or outside religious teachings, like this Arizona Driver who is “happy to help.”

Did you know that a form of the Golden Rule appears in every major world religion and many other faith traditions? Here are some examples:

“Blessed is he who preferreth his brother before himself.” Bahá’í 

“Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.” Buddhism 

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Christianity

“Do not do to others what you do not want them to do to you.” Confucianism

“Treat others as you would like to be treated.” Dine (Navajo) Nation 

“Always act so as to elicit the best in others, and thereby yourself.” Ethnic Culture, Humanism 

“You should always be benevolent and kind to others and consider others when doing anything.” Falun Dafa

“Live for the sake of others.” Family Federation for World Peace & Unification

“It is the duty of every living being to perform welfare activities for the benefit of others with his life, wealth, intelligence and words.” Hare Krishna 

“This is the sum duty; do naught to others which would cause you pain if done to you.” Hinduism

“No one of you is a believer until you desire for another that which you     desire for yourself.”  Islam

“A man should wander about treating all creatures as he himself would be treated.” Jainism

“Love your neighbor as yourself.” Judaism 

“Two Rules for Happy Living:1.Be able to experience anything.  2.Cause only those things which others are able to experience easily.” Scientology

“We should conduct ourselves toward others as we would like them to act toward us.” Secular

“Don’t create hatred with anyone as God is within everyone.” Sikhism

“You must see in the heart of another the temple of God.” Sufism

“I am good to the man who is good to me; likewise, I am also good to the bad man.” Taoism

“We affirm and promote respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.” Unitarianism

“Great Spirit, help me to never judge my neighbor until I have walked a mile in her/his moccasins.” (Sioux/Lakota/Plains Indians)

“Do not wrong or hate your neighbor. For it is not he who you wrong but yourself.” (Arizona Pima Indians)

“Whatever befalls the earth, befalls the sons and daughters of the earth. We did not weave the web of life; we are merely a strand of it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.” (Chief Seattle (Salish Nation)

“All things are our relatives. What we do to everything, we do to ourselves. All is really one.” (Black Elk, Oglala/Sioux Elder)

“The hurt of one is the hurt of all; the honor of one is the honor of all.” (Traditional First Nations code of ethics, Assembly of Manitoba (Canada) Chiefs)

“Each should do unto others as he would have others do unto himself.” (Manco Capac, Inca Leader, Peru)

Learn more about the Live the Golden Rule plate.

All of the different plates that are available for purchase can be viewed at azdot.gov/plates and ordered at azmvdnow.gov/plates.