A right is a
1) a moral concept
2) a moral principle
3) a prerogative
4) a sanction to independent action
defining proper relationships between individuals in an organized social context.They are the moral requirements of man in a social context.
The logical validation of individual rights can be proven through an appropriate process of reduction without referring to God or the Bible.Each of man's natural rights has a specific source in a rational objective ethics, which rests on an objective view of the nature of man as a rational being, which rests on a rational objective metaphysics and epistemology.
When this is done, the only rights that are formulated in terms of broad abstractions and resting directly on universal ethical principles are the same as those that are God-given: life, liberty, property, and the pursuit of happiness.
That’s all fine. The pursuit of happiness to one person is having sexual relations with another man. It’s not harming the continuity of society if most of society is not partaking. And since, by even the most liberal numbers only 10% of the population is partaking, that is not “most” so society and civilization will be unharmed.
Just playing a little devil’s advocate here.
I agree, with one pretty significant caveat.
All principles of human rights can be logically derived IF you accept one first principle: All men are created equal.
The problem is that I don’t think it is possible to derive that principle itself without reference to a higher power.
WHY are all men created equal?
All men are equal because God created them so.
Men are simply not equal in any other sense. We are equal because we are all equally children of God, and therefore equal brothers and sisters.
One of the most eloquent expressions of the contrary view is from John Calhoun in 1848. I happen to disagree with him, but he expresses himself very well indeed.
http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/document/oregon-bill-speech/