Human Rights Flashcards
Why would religious people disagree with religious extremism?
• interpret the holy books differently
• belief in equality
• against the law
• contrary to Hindu belief about ahimsa
• against human rights
• doesn’t align with a religions values
• against agape and sanctity of life
Extremism
• opposing a society’s values - Ghandi was seen as an extremist but he was non-violent and improved society (celebrated today)
• atheists can also be extremists
• radicalisation = when it happens later in life due to grooming
• ISIS
• religion is used in the name of extreme beliefs but most Muslims reject this
• eg jihadists - use violence in order to create an Islamic state that would be governed in accordance to Islamic Law
Christian message about animal testing
• humans made in the image of God
• therefore it is acceptable to use them for testing as long as they are not harmed
Speciesism
• Peter Singer introduced concept = being human is a good enough reason to award humans with greater moral rights than animals
Chico Mendes
‘I am fighting for humanity’
• worked to protect rainforests and indigenous people
• deforestation advanced and rubber tapping industry collapsed - helped 3 million hectares to be protected
• 1988 - gunned down
Freedom of religious expression
• clothes or symbols - in some countries it is illegal to wear religious symbols to school
• it can sometimes be part of a mission where someone feels the need to evangelise to try to convert people to join their tradition
• some Christians feel a duty to tell others about the Gospel - so they deliver pamphlets and knock door to door
Work: moral and immoral occupations for Christians
• God created Adam to work (look after the world) so work is good
• St Paul taught that people should work and use their talents and not be idle
• Christians would try to work in an occupation which helps people
• might investigate the ethics of the company before they agreed to work to make sure the company doesn’t harm people (because God said to care for the earth)
• Christians have a duty to ensure that their job does not have a bad effect on other (gambling/pornography/prostitution is wrong)
• some Christians might not work with companies which deal in the Arms Trade (weapons) or animal testing because they feel these actions go against their Christian beliefs
• some Christians may have a problem with doing a medical job if it involved abortions or fertility treatment
• some Christians become monks or nuns in order to devote their whole lives to God
• 4th Commandment is to ‘keep the Sabbath holy’ - some Christians believe shopping on a Sunday is wrong, problems for doctors and nurses
Censorship
Article 19 of the United Declaration of Human Rights states that ‘everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression’
• in the UK and Europe people are free to express their views about any religion unless the content is likely to incite violence or discrimination. Should views be censored? This would mean that the publication of certain materials would be prevented
Giving to charity
• Jesus taught that the amount of the money you give is not as important as the way you give it
• parable of the rich man and the poor widow (Luke 21:1-4) shows God appreciates a gift of love rather than the amount - widow gave all she had
• Jesus taught that charity should be done in secret
Is it wrong for a Christian to be rich?
• Bible condemns ‘love’ or ‘lust’ for money as wrong because people are gambling is wrong
• St Paul said, ‘love of money is evil’
• Jesus taught, ‘you cannot serve two masters’ - God must come first
• Parable of the Rich Fool/ talents shows that it is wrong to hoard - we should make good use of our gifts otherwise they will be taken away
• Jesus taught that it was easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to go to heaven
Martin Luther King
• experience conflict between his personal convictions and the laws on segregation in America
• he fought against racism in America because of Christian teachings on equality
• used non-violent methods (following teaching of, ‘turn the other cheek’)
• sit-ins, marches, protests and the bus boycott
• assassinated in 1968
• other examples are Oscar Romero and Mahatma Gandhi
Poverty
• relative poverty - below average wage
• absolute poverty - not enough food, can’t read or write, lack basic necessities
• reasons for poverty: North/South divide, debts of the third world, trade embargos, war, arms race, corrupt governments
• Christianity teaches that caring for the poor is an absolute rule
• not possible to have real Christian love if the poor are ignored
• Mother Teresa’s fourth vow - ‘care for the poorest of the poor’
Christian organisations which help the poor
• Christian aid / CAFOD
• Tear Fund
• Salvation Army
• short term projects are to help out in emergencies
• long term projects - clean water/education/medical facilities
• petition to stop the debts
• teach those in wealthier countries about poverty in the third world
• donate in shops or help run
New Testament teachings on Issues of Human Rights
• John the Baptist taught that we should share
• St Paul taught, ‘it is more blessed or give than to receive’
• Jesus taught, ‘love thy neighbour’
• parable of the Good Samaritan
• Christian love, agape, charity should be in secret
• Parable of the Rich man and Lazarus - if you do not help the poor you will go to Hell
Old Testament teachings
• ‘when you give to the poor, it is like lending to the Lord and the Lord will pay you back’ - (Proverbs 19:17)
• “if you oppress poor people, you insult the God who made them; but kindness shown to the poor is an act of worship’ (Proverbs 14:31)
Christian teachings on equality
• made in the ‘image of God’ - everyone should be respected
• ‘so God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them’ - Genesis 1:27
• St Paul taught that the body is a temple for the Holy Spirit - 1 Corinthians: 6-19
• parable of the Good Samaritan - ‘love thy neighbour as thyself’
• Jesus died on the cross for us
• St Paul said everyone is the same in the eyes of God
What is racism?
• prejudice/discrimination because of the colour of someone’s skin
• not allowed to have a job/rent, experience violence
• people are racist because of how they are brought up, racist jokes being acceptable, wrong ideas from TV about criminals, newspapers talk about ‘spongers’
