Is the concept of human rights a purely secular invention?
In short: Many believe there is no connection between faith and human rights, citing religious history of violence or indifference. This lecture challenges that suspicion, exploring whether rights have a deeper theological foundation than modern secularism suggests.
Lord Harries explores the tension between the modern international legal framework for human rights—established significantly after World War II—and its potential theological roots. While some view religion as indifferent to rights due to biblical accounts of destruction or medieval doctrines of predestination, Harries argues that the very notion of rights is embedded in the concepts of law and justice.
The lecture examines how duties to respect others imply a corresponding right to be respected. It also addresses the historical irony that foundational secular documents, like the 1776 American Declaration of Independence and the 1789 French Declaration, were authored by individuals who believed rights were endowed by a 'Creator' or 'Supreme Being.' The presentation aims to move beyond the idea that religion only teaches duties, seeking instead a firm theological basis for what is due to us by virtue of our humanity.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Does God Believe in Human Rights? [Pt 1] by Lord Harries, Gresham Professor of Divinity
- Also: Christianity and Public Life: Does God believe in Human Rights?
- Also: 1 The Complimentarity between Secular and Religious Perspectives of Human Rights
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