human rights and social justice Flashcards
what are human rights?
rights inherent to all human beings, regardless of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, or any other status.
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. 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.
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.
- 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.
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 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.
what is the traditional buddhist response to gender equality?
- traditionally, women are not allowed to become monks, as it is believed that they aren’t a complete entity. Buddhists believe that women are not considered fit to attain enlightenment and become a Buddha.
what is the Buddhist response to gender equality?
- in Mahayana Buddhism, Buddhist women who dedicate their lives to seeking enlightenment can be ordained as nuns, but not full monks.
- in the Buddhist teachings, there is no difference between men and women. both suffer. women are believed to have the same potential as men to gain the wisdom, insight, and compassion necessary for enlightenment.
- both the Mahayana and Theravada traditions mention women who have become enlightened.
what is the Catholic response towards sexuality?
the Catholic Church doesn’t believe that being homosexual is a sin, but rather that homosexual acts are a sin. the Catholic Church asks people to live without sin, therefore ask homosexuals to live without sexual activity. the Catholic Church rejects all forms of homophobia, as we are all equal and can only be judged by God.
Catholics have this attitude because the Bible condemns homosexual activity and states that women are made for men in order to procreate. the magisterium continue this view in their reinterpretations of the Bible, written in the Catechism.
the Catholic Church does teach that people cannot control their sexual orientation, but can control their sexual activity. it is therefore wrong to judge someone for something they have no control over.
what is the evangelical response to sexuality?
- the Bible is God’s word, and it condemns homosexuality, therefore it is wrong.
- the salvation of the Church can remove all sins, including homosexuality.
- hold special prayer meetings to help homosexuals to change their lives.
what is the liberal response to sexuality?
- the Bible needs reinterpreting in the light of modern knowledge, so homosexuality is acceptable.
- Christians are supposed to be honest, refusing rights to gay people leads them to lie and hide the truth, which is a sin.
- people are guided by the Holy Spirit, if it guides them to be gay, it must be okay.
- Jesus teaches us to love and accept everyone, he rules no one out.
what is the Buddhist response to sexuality?
the 5 Moral Precepts teach that sexual behaviours are desires, which are acceptable, as long as you do not follow sexual misconduct.
- Buddhists believe in anatta, in not being attached to your current form. therefore, Buddhists are open to the idea of gender fluidity, as it means the person has realised their detachment from their current body.
however, overall, Buddhists believe that celibacy is preferred to marriage (monks), and the only forms of sexual contact within marriage should be for procreation.
