Human Rights and Religion

 In speaking of ‘religious human rights’, two different ideas come to mind. First, there is the idea of what is commonly called ‘ religious liberty’, i.e., the duty of society to respect and protect the right of every human person to worship any god of his or her choice and no God at all (as long as the exercise of that right is not disruptive of the secular order of that society). In other words, one of the primary duties of the society is to protect the rights of religious liberty along with other human rights. But second, there is the idea of what one could call ‘the religious foundations of human rights’, that is, religious rights are source of all other rights.

 

Encyclopedia Britannica explains Religion as the   relation of Human beings with God, or to whatever they consider sacred or, in some case merely supernatural. Archaeological evidences suggest that religious beliefs have existed since the first human communities. They are generally shared by a community, and they express the communal culture and values through doctrine, rituals, values and myth. Worship is probably the most basic element of religion, but moral conduct, right belief, and participation in religious institutions also constitute elements of religious life.

  

 Religion attempts to answer the basic questions intrinsic to human condition (Why do we suffer? Why is there evil in the world? What happens to us when we die?) through the perception of true nature of reality, or through the relationship to the sacred or supernatural. Some Religions are outwardly focused and some are inwardly focused.

 Most of human history and in much of the world still today, ethical norms are rooted in religious orientations.

The establishment of relationship between human rights and religions is important because of the following reasons-

 

a.      The concept and need of human rights will be better appreciated by the common masses if it is viewed as an inherent value of religions.

 

b.     Evaluation and understanding of all religions of the world will provide a base for universalistic ethical norms that will be ideals for all human societies.

 

c.      Ancient wisdom can provide food for thought to the modern thinkers for evolution and institutionalization of human rights.

 

d.     The modern universalistic ethics needs to be defended from contemporary challenges-philosophical, sociological, and religious in order that, as an ethical norm, human rights may full be actualized in societies.

 

e.      Religions supportive of human rights may flourish among all peoples.

 

Distorted and ambiguous interpretations of religious teachings, which have been rooted deep in the minds of the people, may be viewed in the new rational and sensitive light.