Society seems thick with the topic of rights these days. What is or is not the right of an individual, and who, if anybody, wants to deprive a person of his/her rights. As varied as these proposed rights are, so are the lengths people are prepared to go in defense of them. Why are our rights so important to us? Is it wise to allow ourselves to become defined by something so primitive as a right?
Where do your rights come from? I'm not talking about the rights you believe you share with others around you. Not the rights of your neighbors or other family members. Not the rights of people in your community. Just you. Where do you get the rights you hold to be so dear? I believe to really examine such things, we should take stock of where rights originate.
Quite often, people associate the ownership of one's rights with the workings of government. Lawyers, politics and courtroom dramas are other things often connected to the rights of an individual or group.
No matter where your opinions fall, all of these things have one finite theme in common. They are all creations of mankind. As such, they are flawed in many ways. No matter the intent, humans are not capable of creating anything that is so perfect that it is devoid of a downside. Just as every medication comes with a side effect, every law written to protect someone will inevitably offend another person. Even our society's attempts at being charitable to those in need are often turned into systematic abuse by a great many people. Something as inorganic as money, when put into human hands, can become a powerful weapon of destruction. From one example to the next, we cannot escape the fact that we are programmed to be imperfect. How then can it be that our rights, something so visceral, so essential to who we are, are derived of something so flawed and even potentially dangerous as a law or government? Should a total stranger be able to revoke our rights by signing a piece of paper? By the same token, can someone I have never met give me more rights? Religion is another big offender. In the name of religion, wars are fought to defend rights. In the name of religion people are judged, devalued and deprived of dignity. Meanwhile, almost any study of the vast majority of religions reveals a culture that requires surrender of one's own rights.
No human, no government, no law, can add to or take away your rights. At best, they offer trades. Yes, some better than others, but trades nonetheless. I challenge you to think of anything these people can offer you that will not require you to give up something in return.
Beware of anything given to you by such people, it is not a right if it comes with strings attached. Conversely, do not fret if they take something away from you. Anything they can indeed take, you really don't need and likely never had to begin with. As you consider the source of your rights, please also remember this: The things you want, are not the same as the things you need. Is it more important to have these precious rights to protect your wants, or needs?
Shouldn't something as important as our rights come from a source of perfect justice and limitless generosity?
Maybe they do.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Your argument is that there are inalienable rights. These are rights we are born with. They're given to us by God and as such they're already ours. We don't have to be given these rights by others. Either these others accept that these rights are ours or they don't. When they don't accept it, then they've declared essentially that they are already our enemies.
Post a Comment