What are human rights? After having looked at many definitions, believe it or not, Wikipedia gets credit for this one: “Human rights are moral principles or norms that describe certain standards of human behaviour, and are regularly protected as legal rights in municipal and international law. They are commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights “to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being”, and which are “inherent in all human beings” regardless of their nation, location, language, religion, ethnic origin or any other status. They are applicable everywhere and at every time in the sense of being universal, and they are egalitarian in the sense of being the same for everyone.”
While there are fundamental rights that each human is entitled to, it is the personal responsibility of other humans to enable these rights to be lived out in society. We did not need to wait for international courts to tell us these things, basic human behavioral standards were presented to mankind millennia ago by God. They were guidelines, so to speak, of how humankind is to treat one another. God laid out to Moses a simple plan of action on human behavior in the form of the Ten Commandments. The first four focus on our duty to God and the second six focuses on our duty to mankind. They read as follows:
2,000 year old scroll depicting part of the Ten Commandments.
I am the Lord thy God, thou shall not have any gods before me.
You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything.
You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God.
Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
Honor your father and your mother.
You shall not murder.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s house, wife, or property.
These guidelines are not that hard to understand or embrace. They are simple and straightforward. Notice, though, that each one requires human responsibility. While times and cultures do change and differ from one another, the human behavioral responsibility was never intended to change. The implementation of human rights is indeed a human responsibility and sometimes even the simplest of commandments take a great deal of effort to live by.
Throughout time, certain people have been empowered to influence the lives of others. Biblical examples of Moses and the Prophets, the Kings of Israel, and even a Jewish carpenter from Nazareth, named Yehoshua (Jesus), come to mind. The words of these people have continued to influence and encourage humanity to live in excellence for generations.
Putting aside theological differences between Jews and Christians we can learn good things from one another. The Jewish carpenter, also called Jesus of Nazareth, gave an incredible sermon while sitting on a hillside next to the Sea of Galilee. In the New Testament book of Matthew, Jesus begins a lengthy sermon on key elements of human behavior. It begins this way:
One of the stone pathway markers at the Roman Catholic Church in Israel where many believe Jesus gave the sermon that included the Beatitudes.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Mat. 5:3-10)
He goes on to say:
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Mat. 5:13-16)
In life with every action, there is a re-action. The blessing comes after the initiative. If we want to experience the blessing of living in a world where human beings respect the rights of one another, we must take the first initiative. If we don’t, the cycles of injustice will continue to go round and round. The challenge: Lay down our differences, respect one another’s right to life and religious conviction, and choose to let the light of decency and dignity shine from our hearts so that the world can see.
