By the Numbers

Thursday, May 5, 2011

The Danger of Losing Human Rights!

The Danger of Losing Human Rights!


All over the world, we human beings feel we are born with certain rights. We have the right to life, the right to have a family, the right to own land, the right to earn a living at any trade or business we like, and the right to common respect and compassion. We further have the right to say what we believe is honest and true and the right to religious belief and worship in a manner that is productive of these rights. We feel within it's not right to tread us as slaves with no rights.

 We shouldn’t have to live in fear of a secret police taking us away to be killed or never seen again because we exercise our rights. And it shouldn’t matter what gender, color, race, or religion we happen to be--just being a human being gives us these rights. Yet, it seems certain philosophies, religions, or worldviews deny or destroy our human rights. The United States seems to respect human rights more than any other nation, and people risk their lives to go there. But now that seems to be changing. What could it be that is the basis of human rights?   
Is there a Basis for Human Rights in Evolutionary Atheism? Atheists also called humanists, secularists, materialists, anti-theists and naturalists believe there is no God, human soul or anything supernatural. They believe we somehow evolved from the dirt we return to at death and that is the end of us.  Life is cheap and almost worthless when people are regarded no more than soulless dirt. Some places you can sell or buy a  human being for a couple of animals. The only meaning to life then is what you can make of it in the present since there is no future life. There is no ultimate standard of right and wrong, only what you, as an individual prefer to believe.  Without objective universal moral standards, anything harmful can exit and does.
It seems impossible to see any basis for human rights in this view of life. On this basis, how can anyone say robbery, rape, murder, genocide or anything imaginable is really right or wrong or that any human rights exist? Each person then becomes their own god to do as they please or what they can get by with—which often is anything in a meaningless amoral world. In honesty, the atheist, Jean-Paul Sartre said that suicide was the only serious question. Sanity and security disappear as chaos and rebellion appear. So atheists believe in enforcing strong government in which they control and decide what freedoms they will allow and what opposition they must eliminate. The opposition is those ignorant religious people who believe in a higher moral standard and power—a personal ethical God.  
Is there a Basis for our Rights in Islam? Islam means submission. Islam is an upside down pyramid based upon belief in Muhammad’s claim that the angel Gabriel revealed the Qur’an to him. No one but Muhammad was present when this occurred to verify Muhammad’s claim. Even he doubted it at first until convinced by his favorite wife. And since he came after the Jewish prophets and Christian apostles, this made him the seal of the prophets. Anything previously said that different from what he now says is incorrect. Ironically, Joseph Smith Jr. said the angel Moroni spoke to him. And, since he came after Muhammad, wouldn’t Muhammad’s reasoning make Smith the final prophet?
Muhammad was a caravan trader between Egypt and Syria who met Jews and Christians who no doubt told him Bible teachings and stories. He sought to win Jews to his new beliefs but they rejected him as a false prophet because his teaching about the Jewish Tanakh (O.T.) was incorrect. One example is his claim that Abraham would have sacrificed Ishmael instead of Isaac. Muhammad then had his followers bow toward Mecca instead of Jerusalem. Christians also rejected Muhammad as a false prophet because he said Jesus didn’t die on the cross and was not the Son of God. God does not have companions which is blasphemy (shirk). But not only the Bible, but also church fathers and three Christian creeds teach the Trinity centuries before Muhammad.
Muhammad won converts by use of the sword while Jesus said put up the sword and love your neighbor as yourself. The Qur’an says to slay unbelievers who won’t submit to Allah, don’t trust unbelievers as your protectors, and break treaties if it advances Islam. Muslims forbid proselytizing and even slay relatives who convert to other faiths. Moreover, Muslim nations are ruled by secular and religious dictators who allow them limited freedom. They treat their women as low class citizens denying them education, can beat them and deny them sex. Where is the basis for human rights in demanding submission to Islam?
Is there a Basis for our Rights in Pantheism? Pantheists or monists believe everything is spiritual energy that takes different forms and they call it god. Spiritual energy can take the form of a dog in one life and a person in another and in the end is simply united into universal energy. With variations, this is the basis of world religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Christian Science, Unity, and New Age. In India and places where this is believed people suffer great sickness, starvation, and poverty. Compassion is not shown for its believed this would interfere with their karma that would only prolong their suffering. Hospitals and human welfare institutions are found only among Christians. Where is any basis for human rights and concern in pantheism?
Is there a Basis for our Rights in our Common Humanity? People universally have basic moral beliefs. We unavoidably have to make moral judgments. We must have an idea of justice in order to know injustice. Without a standard of moral rightness we cannot say whether we progress or regress. We make excuses when breaking the moral law. We suffer guild to break the moral law. We cannot invent but only discover the moral law. We act contrary to our natural and strongest instinct to survive when we risk our life to save other lives. We find some actions seem wrong such as lying robbery, rape, and murder. We object to such things done to us. Other actions seem right such as human respect, kindness, and compassion. If a behavior is right or wrong for one person, isn’t it for all persons since we are a common humanity? Genetics has now established all persons have descended from one woman and one man located in the same region.
Yet, in spite of all this, we have a dark evil side, want our way above all else, and can find reasons to justify any behavior. So, why not have our flings since it’s an ultimately meaningless world and our lives end in extinction?
Is there a Basis for our Rights in Biblical Christianity? I don’t mean the so-called Christianity of liberalism, but the Christianity of the Bible. True science points directly to the God of Genesis 1:1. That God revealed Himself in our history in many unmistakable supernatural ways. Only a willful prejudice can deny that it’s true. The Bible is plain that God made man directly in His mental, moral, immortal image that gives us great value. We are not just dirt evolved up from the slime. Even apart from the Bible, our perfect Creator has given us universal objective moral standards discussed immediately above in our common humanity. That in itself is a basis for human laws that provides for and respects human dignity and freedom. Yet, God knew this is still not enough. We know it too when we’re honest.
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Knowing our dark sinful propensity, God also gave us His Word to help us further know His perfect will. The Almighty has a great plan; He is carrying it out in our world. We have opportunity to take part in that plan with eternal reward. That’s what makes life meaningful--our every thought, word, and deed counts. Yet, more wonderful, God actually came into our world adding to Himself the nature and body of a man and walked among us. He fulfilled ancient prophecies that foretold what he would be like and do. He did things normally impossible for neither men nor nature. He walked on water, raised the dead, transformed Himself into light, and ascended into Heaven. Best of all, to satisfy God’s justice and demonstrate God’s love, Jesus took our place on the cross paying the price of our sin and opening the door to Heaven for all who believe. And, Jesus arose from the dead proving He is the God-man and that all He said is God’s truth. Jesus said, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32). That’s the only basis of human rights since it's God's truth that makes us accountable to God at the judgment.

Yes, in the Lord Jesus Christ alone we can have dignity, rights, freedom, justice, love, truth, and assurance of life after death. But it’s our choice how we live and where we go—Heaven or Hell. The God of love allows us to have our sinful ways and doesn’t perform a miracle to save us every time we do something stupid. But he pleads with us in love to come to him to be saved. Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly (John 10:10). None of the views above can provide such rights and give such hope.

This may be your opportunity of a lifetime to say YES to the Savior of sinners and become a child of God with all its rights and prospects. Jesus, the God-man died for you and me. I’ve trusted Him to save me. How about YOU? The Lord and Savior pleads with you to come to Him now. Won't you say yes Lord Jesus, I trust in You now and forever as my Lord, Savior, and Guide? If you have now trusted the only Savior of us sinners, won't you link this blog and share it with others? God bless you in your new life and ministry of love, faith and hope.
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