Buddha said: "Hatred does not cease by hatred at any time: hatred ceases by love."
And again: "Let us live happily, not hating those who hate us."
In the Talmud occur the following Jewish anticipations of Christian morals:
Love peace, and seek it at any price.
Remember that it is better to be persecuted than persecutor.
To whom does God pardon sins?—To him who himself forgives injuries.
Those who undergo injuries without returning it, those who
hear themselves vilified and do not reply, who have no motive
but love, who accept evils with joy; it is of them that the
prophet speaks when he says the friends of God shall shine
one day as the sun in all his splendour.
It is not the wicked we should hate, but wickedness.
Be like God, compassionate, merciful.
Judge not your neighbour when you have not been in his place.
He who charitably judges his neighbour shall be charitably judged
by God.
Do not unto others that which it would be disagreeable to you
to suffer yourself, that is the main part of the law; all the
rest is only commentary.
From the Old Testament come such morals as:
Let him give his cheek to him that smiteth him (Lam. iii. 30).
Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself (Lev. xix. 18).
He that is of a lowly spirit shall obtain honour (Prov. xxix. 23)
The meek shall inherit the land (Ps. xxxvii 11).
History and ancient literature prove that Christianity did not bring a new moral code, did not inaugurate peace, nor purity, nor universal brotherhood, did not originate the ideal human character: but checked civilisation, resisted all enlightenment, and deluged the earth with innocent blood in the endeavour to compel mankind to drink old moral wine out of new theological bottles.
Three of the greatest blessings men can have are freedom, liberty of conscience, and knowledge. These blessings Christianity has not given, but has opposed.
It is largely to the ancient Greeks and Romans, to the Arabs and the Indians, to patriots, heroes, statesmen, scholars, scientists, travellers, inventors, discoverers, authors, poets, philanthropists, rebels, sceptics, and reformers that the world owes such advance as it has made towards liberty and happiness and universal loving-kindness.
This advance has been made in defiance of Christian envy, hatred, and malice, and in defiance of Christian tyranny and persecution. After fighting fiercely to defeat the advance of humanity, after slaying and cursing the noblest sons and daughters of the ages, the defeated Christians now claim to have conquered the fields they have lost, to have bestowed the benefits they have denied, to have evolved the civilisation they have maimed and damned.