RELIGIONS THE BASIS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS? Have religious beliefs enhanced or impeded Human Rights?
Aug 12, 2015
RELIGIONS THE BASIS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS?
Have religious beliefs enhanced or impeded Human Rights?
THE BASIS OF HUMAN RIGHTS
Where do these ideas come from?
What is the basis for Human Rights?
How have they been implemented?
Can they be rescinded?
ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA
Urukagina of Lagash created the first legal code in history (24th century BC) to curb power of elite priests and nobility
The Code of Ur-Nammu is the oldest known law code surviving today c. 2100–2050 BC
The Code of Hammurabi 1772 BC
ANCIENT IRAN The Cyrus cylinder from 6th century BC
called the world's oldest human rights document
Cyrus freed many people held captive by the Babylonians and arranged for them to return to their homelands
W.J. Talbott, an American philosopher: "perhaps the earliest known advocate of religious tolerance" and suggests that "ideas that led to the development of human rights are not limited to one cultural tradition.“
Princess Ashraf Pahlavi"the heritage of Cyrus was the heritage of human understanding, tolerance, courage, compassion and, above all, human liberty".
ANCIENT GREECE
Idealisation of Athens by modern Humanists, Secularists, Atheists
Hannah Arednt traces Freedom to Greek ideas of Democracy, Citizenship
Eleutheiria was Goddess of Liberty
Parrhesia: In Assemblies, Courts and Theatre freedom to speak without limits
Cynicism believed simple life would endow freedom
Pericles 431BC: "If we look to the laws, they afford equal justice to all in their private differences; if no social standing, advancement in public life falls to reputation for capacity, class considerations not being allowed to interfere with merit; nor again does poverty bar the way"
PAX ROMANA
Difference between Free and Slave but all had rights in Law
Stoics taught that all men were manifestations of the same universal spirit, and thus by nature equal
Libertas the goddess of Liberty
Slaves freed at Temple of Feronia
Saturnalia saw masters serve slaves
Republic’s Senate seen as precursor to Democracy
MEDIEVAL EUROPE
Magna Carta limited power of King
Magna Carta gave habeas corpus
Forunner of Parliament: Althing, Anglo-Saxon Witenagamot, Manx Tynwald, Irish tuath
ANGLOSPHERE PHILOSOPHIES
Bill of Rights in England 1689 checked royal absolutism
Paved Way for Glorious Revolution
1779 Virginia Bill of Rights inherent right to rebel against Inadequate Government: "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, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
FRENCH REVOLUTION
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen 1789: “Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions may be founded only upon the general good.”
General Will and Social Contract of Rousseau
1794 “All men, without distinction of colour, residing in the colonies are French citizens and will enjoy all the rights assured by the Constitution.”
Abolition of Feudalism
Guarantees of Equality
Church Replaced by Cult of Reason
DEFINITION
What if Religion?
What is Culture?
How are Secularism, Atheism, Humanism different?
RELIGION CAN ONLY COME FROM CULTUREDeep Spirituality and Complex Cosmology of Native Australians, Americans, etc
Is Text needed for belief?
Where is the dividing line?
ORIENTALIST BIASProtestant Reformation views on what is ‘Religion’Enlightenment dichotomy of Profane and SacredModernist bifurcation of ‘Religion’ and ‘Culture’
DEFINING RELIGION
In Latin ‘religio’ originally meant an obligation to the gods, something expected by them from human beings or a matter of particular care or concern as related to the gods
Cicero uses cultus deorum, "the proper performance of rites in veneration of the gods.“
Not Faith but Correct Practice
Mos Maiorum: "ancestral custom"[or "way of the elders," plural mores, was the unwritten code from which the ancient Romans derived their social norms
Neglecting the religiones owed to the traditional gods was Atheism
Religion synonomous with custom and therefore culture
MORALITY AND ORDER
Confucius: "What you do not wish for yourself, do not do to others.“
"If the people be led by laws, and uniformity sought to be given them by punishments, they will try to avoid the punishment, but have no sense of shame. If they be led by virtue, and uniformity sought to be given them by the rules of propriety, they will have the sense of the shame, and moreover will become good.“
Instils sense of Duty, Honesty and Natural Morality
Tao is the ‘Way’
Sun Tzu: "The Tao causes the people to be fully in accord with the ruler.”
Laozi: "That which is meddling, touching everything, will work but ill, and disappointment bring."
DHARMA
Max Muller: religion mean piety, reverence for gods, what Cicero called ‘Diligence’
Muller found that many other cultures around the world, including Egypt, Persia, and India, as having a similar power structure
Religion was similar to ‘Law’
Dharma said to mean Religion
But can also mean Law, Duty, Conduct, Virtues and ‘‘Right way of Living’’
Dharma essential for justice, social harmony, and happiness
In text such as Dharmashatra but also in Custom and Tradition
Competing Texts
RTA
Principle of Natural Order which Regulates and Coordinates the operation of the Cosmos and all its ingredients
Upheld by injunctions known as Dharma
Operated by Actions known as Karma
‘RELIGION’ AS DHARMA
Me: dictated Sumerian social mores as decreed by the gods
Maat: ancient Egyptian concept of truth, balance, order, law, morality, and justice to keep equilibrium of the universe
Asha: Iranian concept of Truth, Cosmic Order
Moirai: Greek concept of What is Ordained and cannot be changed even by the gods
Germanic Wrd and Norse Uror
ORIENTAL DESPOTISM
Zen priest Suzuki Shosan (1579 – 1655), former samurai against individualism and said that one existed for lord and society
Neo-Confucianism provided the idea of ri or cosmic order of obedience
Samurai warrior caste
Eta were untouchables
Order and Harmony the primary focus of Confucian socieities: Japan, China, Korea, Japan
CASTE
Dharma and Karma blamed for Caste and Untouchability
Manusmirti blamed for Poverty and Inequality
Has Hinduism impeded India’s Development Politically, Socially and Economically?
But then what is ‘Hinduism’
There is no separate Hindu culture and Religion
Post-Enlightenment terms inapplicable
Religions do not rise from nothing
Texts are not Revelations but Codify ideas at a certain juncture in history
BASIS OF TOTALITARIANISMSparta ritually killed off Helots
Pre-Modern Societies were Slave Owning and Hierarchical
Roman Amphitheatre enforced ideas of Order and Chaos
Totalitarian secular ideologies owe much to Plato, Atlantis, Caesar
Athenians warned that Democracy could become Mobocracy and Tyranny
FAILED UTOPIA
Atheists, Secularists, Humanists blame Religion for human rights abuses and oppression
French Revolution descended into Terror
Twentieth centuries witnessed worst crimes against humanity
Nazi Germany and USSR were ‘Scientific’
Class and Race replaced any god in human centred ideologies
Loyalty to Proletariat/Nation/Volk/Race/Class
Non–existent or ambiguous morality
Idealism and Sincerity severely warped
Communism and National Socialism secular and anti-religious in creating the “New Man”
No god to restrain excesses
Disillusionment with heaven on earth revolution meant retreat into lowest common denominator, that of race, ethnicity, and volk
RELIGIOUS CONTRADICTIONSQuakers and Evangelicals pushed for Abolition of Slavery
Southern Baptists formed in Support of Slavery
Dutch Reformed Church supported Apartheid
WCC declared against Apartheid
Ram Rajya Parishad supported Caste System
Modern Hindu Movements against Caste System
Prevalence of Anti-Semitism in Islamic countries
Si Ali Sakkat and Khaled Abdul-Wahhab saved Tunisian Jews from Holocaust, Albelhamid Ben Badis counteracted pied noir Fascism, Si Kaddour Benghabrit saved Jews in Paris, Albania sheltered Jewish refugees
SECULAR FAILURES
Slavery ended due to Capitalism
Free Market Dogma led to Irish Potato Famine
Marxist Dogma claimed Freedom but led to Oppression, Starvation and Genocide
UK Society is bemoaned for being out of control
Children brought up by parents who themselves trapped in perpetual adolescence
Family breakdown increase
Lack of any sense of responsibility
Egotism rules in warped sense of human rights
Bombardment with images of sex, needless consumer products, extra finance
Gang culture, MTV, voyeurism, Big Brother, X Factor, addictions provide new structures for disillusioned Generation X
DYSTOPIAN VISIONS, AND MODERN INFANTOCRACYHuman Sacrifice as Demographic Control
Climatic Impact on Civilisation: Mayans, Indus-Saraswati, Mini Ice Age
Black Death, Plague, Ebola
Materialist Roman rapaciousness
Science Fiction warns that Progress can become Nightmare
Social Breakdown will Reform the Tribe
Dharma and Rta are ‘Religious’ tools of making sense of Chaos and Complexity
IMPEDIMENT OR ENHANCEMENT TO HUMAN RIGHTS?Theories, Scriptures, Practises embody Ideas at a certain point in History
Impact of Environment, Disease, Demographics
Custom, Tradition, Folklore as important as Text
Secular Ideologies are dogmatic because at source they are ‘Religious’
History and Time is Cyclical (Mahakaal) not linear
RELEVANCE OF DHARMA TO HUMAN RIGHTSEmphasis on Behaviour and Conduct rather than just Belief
Understand Consequences of actions
Act according to available and accurate information
God is not dictating to humanity but is humanity and lies within each of us: Our Conscience
Conscience has its foundation in humility, compassion and love for all
Dharma is context specific, so morality is not compromised, neither is it made irrelevant
Brain is rationality, Heart is Bhakti
Sanatana Dharma is therefore eternal because rules, responsibilities and living in harmony with others and nature can never be dispensed with
Idea of Samskaras make the Infantocracy an anathema and irrelevant
GURU NANAK Dharma is the son of compassion
GOSWAMI TULSIDAS Compassion is the root of Dharma, ego the root of sin
FINAL WORDS OF WISDOM FROM CONFUCIUS
Adept Kung asked: "Is there any one word that could guide a person throughout life?"
The Master replied: "How about 'shu': never impose on others what you would not choose for yourself?“