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To: Mrs. Don-o

“Because: all men are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights”

That is an American viewpoint, the Indian constitution & the arms of the state are not guided by the belief that rights flow from a “creator”. Those rights, for Indians, flow from the constitution. Considering that Indian religions of Hinduism, Buddhism & Jainism have a strong atheistic streak (Hinduism has the streak, the other two are openly atheistic), most people have much less problem with that than they would in the U.S.


22 posted on 07/29/2014 9:04:38 PM PDT by cold start
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To: cold start
Of course I understand that “All men are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights” is an American viewpoint --- after all, I'm quoting the American founding text -- but its twin roots are a Christian view of human nature, and NaturaL Law. Anyone who accepts this proposition would also reason that it applies to everybody, since we are all human.

There's no doubt that this is debatable, since it has historically sparked great debates through the centuries.

However, as far as I know, all the great religions promote the Golden Rule, at least in its negative form: "Do not do to others, what you would not have them do to you." So, by implication, if you don't want the State to take over some ancient indigenous institution which you revere, without a vote, without compensation--- and which is far older than the State --- redefine it, and then presume tell you the meaning of life (which is what religion does) --- then don't do that to somebody else.

Do you want the State to run your religion? Fine. But others wouldn't be so foolish to subordinate the older, more foundational institution to the necessarily transient gang of guys with guns known at the State.

23 posted on 07/30/2014 5:06:04 AM PDT by Mrs. Don-o ("Without justice, what is the State but a great band of robbers?" - St. Augustine of Hippo)
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