http://www.zenit.org/article-24523?l=english
Where do human rights come from? It’s difficult for us to judge a broad question, but many have attempted to do so. Some people claim that human rights are natural while others claim that human rights only exist because we acknowledge them. Yesterday, the world celebrated the 60th anniversary of the passage of the Declaration of Human Rights and the Pope let everyone know how he felt about the occasion.
He claimed that the rights we all have are natural rights written within us by God. Refusing to acknowledge this puts their existence on fragile ground, said the pontiff. He also said that the occasion marked an opportunity for world leaders to evaluate their commitment to human rights around the world.
I think the Pope’s claim to evaluate the world’s stance on human rights was the biggest argument he made in his statement yesterday. We are looking, today, at many problems around the world that concern human rights and little is being done to promote them. We might consider slavery in its many forms today, or the treatment of women, or just the health of the world due to starving to see the abuse of human rights.
The pontiff's argument is that while this is a festive occasion, more must be done to achieve the ends that the document intended. More than celebration, this occasion forces us to take a sober look at our current situation. Many advocates for human rights are frustrated with the lack of enforcement and a statement like the one the Pope made seems to echo those sentiments.
The fact that the Pope claims rights through God is inconsequential for the secular person. We all ought to acknowledge that the abuses against human rights are wrong and that we ought to act in ways that are more effective to stop them. This is the Pope’s argument.
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I think the Pope makes a compelling argument, whether you are secular or religious. It is irrelevant where the Human Rights come from or how we obtained them. The important thing is that everyone recognize these rights and do all they can to make sure that these rights are not being violated in any way, shape or form. Some may be turned off to the Pope's argument as they might see it as only a religious one, however, it is much more than that. I would encourage and hope that people could set aside their difference of religion and come together to uphold the value of Human Rights around the world.
While the Pope’s call to further the recognition of human rights could help eliminate grievous acts of violence and cruelty, I do not agree that the divine origin of these universal rights asserted by Pope Benedict XVI can be termed “inconsequential.” Although a solid basis for human rights could help ensure the protection of these rights, I think equating human rights with a certain religion would set a dangerous precedent that would in fact limit the extension of these rights. For instance, Morone in Hellfire Nation argues that religious morality throughout American history has led to certain divisions of “us vs. them”, a division that led to acts of oppression and discrimination. Basing the source of human rights on a certain religion could create this same divide, potentially paving the way for the continued denial of basic human rights simply due to religious differences. With this danger, the origin of human rights is in no way irrelevant, as asserting a religious origin of human rights could potentially undermine the recognition of these rights.
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