Free Republic
Browse · Search
Bloggers & Personal
Topics · Post Article

To: xzins; James C. Bennett; betty boop
but your line above simply makes the point that there is no way for an atheist to prove the validity of human rights or even an imperative favoring human rights

Human rights are a human invention, xzins, not some tangible entity. It is an idea that the current world is willing to embrace based on the principles of the Golden Rule.

The proof you demand is meaningless. There is no validity to prove; it's a convention, and agreement, among the peoples of the world and it is based on the most primitive and oldest 'morality', that precedes all religions, namely the Golden Rule.

While you can argue with my faith in God, you cannot disagree that a metaphysical route is the only way to get to a universal right to life.

Metaphysics has nothing to do with human rights, xzins. Human rights is a human idea based on the realization that that is everyobne's world and that you and I have equal birthrights to be here.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights."

Where does the Bible say that, xzins? We know that we are all created equal, by virtue of our biology (the union of two haploids), and that, by convention we acknowledge something we call the "birthright." But that is not something that 'exists' in the universe. It is a human idea that we have accepted as universally applicable to all human members of the homo sapines species, by convention.

It is notable that not even the people who coined that memorable and historic phrase continued to treat some people as not created equal. And that the society founded on that frase did not give women the right to vote (a basic human right!) for more than a century. Sometimes we are just in love with an idea but not necessarily in carrying it out. I suppose it's easier to be a Christian in theory than in practice.

2,332 posted on 06/09/2011 1:27:14 PM PDT by kosta50
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2305 | View Replies ]


To: kosta50; James C. Bennett; Alamo-Girl; betty boop; P-Marlowe
human rights is a human idea

Your comment above is another sign that there is no moral compass that goes with atheism. I would assert, of course (and correctly), that God Himself is the author of human rights.

2,337 posted on 06/09/2011 1:58:09 PM PDT by xzins
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2332 | View Replies ]

To: kosta50; xzins; James C. Bennett; betty boop

Kosta ~ the Bible does say that we are not to treat anyone as inferior so yes God does defend all human rights and yes it does take Christians [and any civilizations] a long time to change course.

Also Paul [in 2nd Cor 11:5] said “But I do not think I am in the least inferior to those other apostles.” while in another place said he was the least among sinners.


2,390 posted on 06/09/2011 4:00:29 PM PDT by BrandtMichaels
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2332 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Bloggers & Personal
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson