Religion, Human Rights And Social Justice Flashcards
How do religious believers support human rights?
. Campaigning for fair pay for men and women
. Opposing racial prejudice
. Seeking social justice
Why is freedom of religion is an important human right?
. Included in the UNDHR
. Religion = fundamental part of a person’s life, allows people to practise their faith
. Prevents you from being forced to believe in something, cannot be ordered by law to believe something
What are religious beliefs about being wealthy
Buddhism:
. ‘Riches ruin the foolish… through craving for riches, the foolish one ruins himself.’ (Dhammapada)
. Monks + nuns are not allowed to have wealth.
. Can be seen as a hindrance to spiritual growth, form of attachment.
. Buddhists need to earn wealth by following moral precepts
Christianity:
. Most Christians recognise that wealth is a gift from God
. ‘Wealth and honour come from you…we have given you only what comes from your hand’ (1 Chronicles 29:12&14)
. Wealth should be used appropriately e.g. in support of one’s family or to help others
What are religious beliefs about people-trafficking?
. People-trafficking breaches Human Rights
. All are forms of abuse, violence involved
. Treats people as objects and families in their homelands are threatened
. Many people suffer wrongful deaths + can never pay back the fee.
Buddhism:
. Involvement in people trafficking would result in bad karma
. Not Right Action, Right Intention, Right Livelihood, Karuna (compassion) or Metta (loving kindness).
Christianity:
. All humans should be given equal respect as all are made in the image of God
. Christians should ‘Love your neighbour as you love yourself’ (Leviticus 19:18)
Should positive discrimination be used to help end racial discrimination? - intro
. It recognises there has been injustice in the past and society accepts that it was wrong
But
. All discrimination is wrong and favouring certain groups is unjust
Should positive discrimination be used to help end racial discrimination? - paragraph 1
. Support
. All religions believe in the importance and dignity of human beings, positive discrimination promotes this
. All religions promote ideas of justice, equality and compassion
. Supported by positive discrimination of groups previously discriminated against.
. Allows people who have been discriminated against due to race to have a fair chance in gaining jobs, housing, equal wages etc.
. Human rights say that all humans are born free and equal in dignity, positive discrimination reinforces this
. Humans are created by God and are therefore equal and so should be treated fairly, positive discrimination goes some way to addressing the unfairness in society.
Should positive discrimination be used to help end racial discrimination? - paragraph 2
. Do not support
. Could mean that well qualified people are not employed because they do not fit criteria.
. May lead to resentment and prejudice
. Where does it stop?
. Who decides when the imbalance in representation of a particular group is balanced?
. Buddhism teaches that discrimination leads to suffering so it is wrong, should be avoided.
. Teaches that human beings are fundamentally the same and equal in their potential to become enlightened
. “We all want to avoid suffering and achieve happiness” (Dalai Lama)
. Only by respecting others can an individual have respect for themselves.
. Christianity teaches all are made in the image of God, therefore equal before God
. ‘Love your neighbour as you love yourself’ sets the standard for how a person should be treated
. ‘So there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female for you are all one in Christ Jesus’ (Galatians 3:28)
. Affirms the equality of all humans and therefore affirms the right to be treated with respect.
Should positive discrimination be used to help end racial discrimination? - conclusion
. No
. Buddhism Teaches that human beings are fundamentally the same and equal in their potential to become enlightened
. In most religions any form of discriminatory is wrong
