human rights!!!

[tah]

'why do religious beleivers consider human rights to be important???'

tell me your views and thoughts on this.

 

[farside]

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Article 18. Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

Source -- http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html

Kind Regards,
Farside

 

[Arthra]

'why do religious beleivers consider human rights to be important???'

tell me your views and thoughts on this.

My belief is that human rights actually emerged from spiritually enlightened people and the great religions. So the beginning of ethics is found in religion... such as cultivating honesty ...truthfulness ...fairness and helping your neighbor...loving your enemy, etc. All these principles found their origin in religious teachings and principles.. Today we seem to pride ourselves because our civilization has incorporated these principles and many of us have instilled religious value systems but their origin can be found in religious teachings that are thousnds of years old.

We still have much to learn from religious teachings and have yet to incorporate world peace and brotherhood in our hearts.

 

[gaijin178]

I don't think that human rights is specific to any religious teachings. Certainly, there are and were religions who completely disregarded human rights for the sake of promoting their beliefs. Ever wonder why here in California, the best French bread comes from a Vietnamese store?

Every human has the same needs and desires. Food, shelter, things like that. One doesn't have to be spiritual to understand that.

 

[Moros]

"Human Rights" are subjective.

 

[gaijin178]

"Human Rights" are subjective.

Would you care to elaborate on your thoughts?

 

[tocis]

'why do religious beleivers consider human rights to be important???'

tell me your views and thoughts on this.

Religious laws/commandments/whatever aren't universal. If, say, a christian and a muslim collide due to differing commandments they try to follow, who has the right to say "You must obey"? We can't tell. Religious views are per definitionem not provable as they involve the supernatural.
Thus, in everyday life on this planet which features a multitude of different religions and philosophies, we need some kind of a common denominator we can all agree on. Human rights serve this purpose quite well.

 

[arunma]

'why do religious beleivers consider human rights to be important???'

tell me your views and thoughts on this.

The usual Christian (and I assume Muslim) argument for human rights is that humans are the special creation of God, and that we are made in God's image. Therefore, to violate the basic rights of humans is blasphemy of God.

One thing I should note is that I do not believe that the rights that the Divinity affords humans coincides with the rights granted to us by any human document (including the American Constitution). For example, nowhere does God say that humans have the right to life, liberty, and property. In fact, our apostles tell us that God may at any time demand our life of us. As for liberty, the Israelites never had liberty under the Torah of Moses, nor King David, nor the Romans and their puppet king Herod. In fact, under the Torah, one could be killed for blasphemy (no free speech), adultry (legislated morality) and working on the Sabbath (no freedom of religion). Do I think that modern humans should live under such laws? Of course not. I'm just trying to say that human documents give us more rights than God himself does.

 

[Arthra]

Arunma:

I think human liberty though is still acknowledged in Holy Books ... and that the Israelites for xample were oppressed and Moses can be seen therefore as a Liberator... The same with Jesus Christ Who attached more importance to the spiritual life of the people than to the laws and ordinances of the Scribes and Pharisees. So I see it a little differently.

- Art