Stop and think about that one for a moment.
How much of society do you think lives with underlying assumptions like this?
How many of us are guilty of thinking this way sometimes?
I think part of the cause of this is the Western world's over-emphasis on "rights." We live in a culture that emphasizes "rights" more than "responsibilities." This has taken us so far that we rarely consider the fact that it is almost impossible for us to exercise our "God-given right[s]" without us infringing on someone else's.
How do you see this truth (assuming that it is true; feel free to argue) displayed in the world around us?
Check out the United Nations "Universal Declaration of Human Rights" . Below I have included Article 25, point 1.
Article 25.(1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family [my emphasis], including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.
I think, as North Americans as a whole, we have replaced "adequate" with "superfluous" ... and maybe we could add, "and the right to remain blissfully ignorant of the consequences of us exercising our 'rights'; which are really mostly wants." Or maybe that's just me.
But enough of me rambling off on my (possibly ill-founded) opinions.
What would be a Biblical basis for human rights?
Just to start us off, I think the foundation for human rights needs to come from Genesis 1:27:
So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them. (ESV)
What other scriptures can you think of that pertain to this whole discussion of human rights and needs vs wants?
5 comments:
And even if you can't think of any corresponding scriptures please feel free to comment on any of your thoughts coming out of this post or the previous one.
I think this post is so deep that it makes it hard to come up with something that won't be trite. It's scaring people away man.
One thought that came to mind for me is the relativism that is brought into play with the whole language of rights. It's exactly what you were saying when you talked about how we have replaced adequate with superfluous.
For example, the whole right to the pursuit of happiness...it pretty much leaves the door wide open to everyone for them to define for themselves what 'happiness' means, and then to just do whatever it takes to chase after their 'right' to this happiness...
Just a thought.
But yeah, this whole topic is hugely influential as far as how it's trickled down through the years into our subconscious.
How about, "You have the right to remain silent. Everything you say can, and will be used against you in a court of law..." or something to that effect. I'm sure that's Biblical.
Sorry, I've been out of the blog circle for a week or I would have commented earlier.
What about, "Thou shalt not murder." That seems to be a basic human "right" in that humans deserve to not be killed, yet some people think that it is their right to kill. I don't know if that's what you're talking about at all, but it seems right to me!
Wait, when we say it's a "human right," who's rights are we talking about? Because isn't it partially a point of view thing? According to the "Universal Declaration of Human Rights" I have a right to eat, but according to the law and the Bible I don't have a right to steal. So if I'm dying of starvation and I steal a loaf of bread, I'm within my rights but I'm taking away from those who have the right to charge money for that bread. Oh, this is so complicated!
I find Phil. 4 very challenging. It took years before I connected the verse, "I can do all things through him who gives me strength" (4:13) with finances, as it is in this context.
Paul's rights had been violated with imprisonment, and then it appears he went through a time when Christians forgot about his needs.
Then he says, "I rejoice greatly that at last you have renewed your concern for me...I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength."
He had learned contentment in spite of his rights being violated, and in spite of his needs not being met at times. Pretty challenging!
Post a Comment