human rights and social justice Flashcards
(94 cards)
what are human rights?
basic rights and freedoms all human beings are entitled to, regardless of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, or any other status.
what is social justice?
- ensuring society treats people fairly whether they are poor or wealthy. protects everyone’s human rights
- trying to protect people’s rights and opportunities so the least advantaged members of society are treated with the same justice and compassion as the more advantaged people
what is the Christian response to human rights?
every human being was created as equal and in the image of God, therefore every human being has equal right and is entitled to equal protection.
what is the Buddhist response to human rights?
- the fundamental moral code of Buddhism is represented by the 5 precepts, which arguably uphold human rights.
why do human rights exist?
- to prevent world wars or other types of conflict.
- to ensure all people are treated equally.
- ensures fairness - in the workplace, housing, education.
- to ensure people’s safety.
is the universal declaration of human rights law?
the universal declaration of human rights was created in 1948 by the united nations, to ensure an event like ww2 never happened again and sets out the rights to which every person should be entitled. it was only made a law by the British government in 1994, but in most other countries, it is not a law, just a strong, well-known declaration.
what must we ensure we do in order to be entitled to our human rights?
- we can only have our human rights if we acknowledge the responsibility to make sure these rights are available
- this includes the responsibility to respect other people’s rights, and the responsibility to help create access to those rights
- e.g. humans have the right to freedom of speech, but the responsibility not to say something that causes offence
how did amnesty international begin?
- started when two men were wrongfully imprisoned for speaking their opinions. Peter Benenson was infuriated by this and set up Amnesty International.
what does amnesty international believe in changing in the world?
- implementing the rights of refugees
- fighting the death penalty and normalised torture
- protects the rights of prisoners, and vulnerable women and children
- campaigns for gender and racial equality
- wants to save lives destroyed by armed violence every year - aims to put a stop to abuse, rape, etc.
- raises the importance of dignity, compassion, mutual respect, no matter a person’s race, gender, race, age, sexuality.
what has amnesty international done, to set their beliefs in motion?
- collects data of abuse from across the globe, and exposes abusers.
- lobbies governments. ensures laws are enforced, and holds governments accountable for their actions and decisions.
- offers education to adults, as well as children, ‘global education’
- have saved many families, children, and communities, and even Aung San Suu Kyi has thanked them for their hard work.
describe the difference between equality and justice?
Equality is where everyone is given the same opportunity, but it doesn’t work for everyone. Some don’t require aid, and some require more. Justice is where some people are given more aid than others when needed, and some aren’t given any or are given very little, as they don’t require it.
e.g. both the poor and the rich are offered school meals for their children, however you have to pay £2 a day. this is equality. rich people, however, can afford this, and poor people can’t. justice is given when the poor are given aid by the government to pay for these school meals, and the rich aren’t given this aid, as they can afford the fees.
what are some examples of social injustice?
- children experiencing poverty
- unfair imprisonment
- homelessness
- women’s/trans rights
- unequal access to education and healthcare
- racial discrimination (police brutality)
describe children experiencing poverty as an example of social injustice:
- children in certain areas of the UK are experiencing poverty, due to no fault of their own, but simply because they were born into this situation.
- they therefore have a lower life expectancy, and overall not have nearly as many opportunities as their wealthier classmates.
what is the Christian response to social injustice?
many Christians believe it is part of their religious duty to help the poor. they follow the example of Jesus, who reached out to the poor in society.
- ‘Do to others as you would have them do to you’.
- ‘God does not show judgement’. people created social injustice out of their own free will, not from God’s will, so they’ll seek to return society to its original, injustice-free state.
- ‘love your neighbour as yourself’
- many Christians living in rich nations feel they have a responsibility towards those in poorer nations.
- they offer practical help to the poor, and include them in their prayers.
finish the Christian quote towards social injustice:
‘Let justice _____________________ and righteousness like a ______________________.’
some Old Testament prophets were quick to condemn injustice and looked forward to a fairer society
- ‘Let justice roll on like a river and righteousness like a never-ending stream’
how might Christians help with cases of social injustice in the community?
- support a scheme to help the homeless.
- be involved in a local church or food bank.
- organise a weekly youth club for less advantaged young people.
what is the Buddhist response to social injustice?
Buddhists aim to solve the problem of social injustice using the 4 noble truths, as injustice can be seen as a form of suffering.
- injustice and suffering is inevitable.
- there is a cause to this suffering/injustice
- by realising the underlying cause, we can put an end to this injustice
- by encouraging all people to follow the eightfold path, we can put an end to this suffering/injustice
describe the difference between discrimination and prejudice:
- discrimination is when you go out of your way to unfairly treat someone based on their sexuality, ethnicity, etc.
- prejudice is when you believe someone is inferior or superior to you without even knowing them - based on first impressions and societal stereotypes.
what is equality?
having equal rights, status and opportunities
what are the general Christian responses to human rights and equality?
- prejudice and discrimination is wrong, it damages human relationships.
- you must love God and others through your words and actions, you must also value others by showing respect.
- ‘Treat others as you would like to be treated’ - the Golden Rule.
- society cannot exist in harmony if people aren’t treated equally.
what is the Catholic view towards gender equality?
- God created men and women at the same time, and both in the image of God. therefore everyone is equal in the eyes of God.
- the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) teaches that we are equal. women can teach and study theology, administer Holy Communion, visit the sick, and host funerals. they can’t however, become priests.
- the CCC teaches that only men can be priests because the apostles were all men, and priests and bishops are descendants of the apostles, therefore they must also be male.
- the CCC teaches that only men can be priests because Jesus was a man and priests represent Jesus.
what is the traditional protestant view towards gender equality?
EVANGELICAL
- St Paul banned women from speaking or teaching in Church.
- St Paul also used the story of Adam and Eve to show that men should be given more rights than women.
- it’s a Church tradition for only men to have leadership rights.
- although Jesus had female followers, he only chose men as his 12 disciples.
what is the modern protestant view towards gender equality?
LIBERAL
- in the Creation Story, God created men and women at the same time and made them of equal status.
- St Paul said that we’re all members of Christ, so we all have equal rights, it doesn’t matter if we’re male or female.
- Jesus treated women as his equals - women were also the first to arrive at his resurrection site.
- there is evidence that there were female priests in the early Church.
- they’re happy to ordain women - they argue that the Church should adapt to reflect the importance of equality in today’s society
what is the quote from St Paul that promotes gender equality?
‘There is neither Jew nor Gentile, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.’