Section D: Rights, Equality & Responsibilities
Human Rights
Right to liberty: The right to be free, do lawful business without interference
Right to equality before the law: entitled to equal protection of the law without discrimination
Freedom of Religion: Person’s right to follow or not follow a religion
Freedom of opinion: Person’s right to hold an opinion they choose
Freedom of speech: Freedom to speak freely without censorship
1. Christians
· All humans are related à everyone receives same Human Rights
§ “Adam named his wife Eve, because she was the mother of all human beings”
· Jesus was concerned à went out of his way to help the rejected
§ Good Samaritan
§ Lepers, tax collectors
· Needed in order to preach their religion freely
· INDIVIDUAL: ARCHBISHOP DESMOND TUTU
§ Speak out against colour discrimination
· ORGANISATION: ACAT
§ Fight human rights abuse
2. Atheists
· Allow them to not follow a religion or they will be forced
Women’s role
Gender bias: Treating men / women more favourably
1. Traditional view
· Men in charge (leaders in family & society), women support men
§ Jesus’ disciples were all men
§ Eve was created as Adam’s companion
§ “Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives and treat them with respect as the weaker partner”
2. Liberal view
· Men and women treated equally
· Bible was written ages ago in a male-dominated society
· Principles of equality apply to gender
§ “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus”
· Unfair to limit people’s opportunities
3. Roman Catholics
· Equal but different
§ “in perfect equality as human person; on the other, in their respective beings as man and woman”
4. Atheists
û Physical disadvantage à sedentary jobs
û Women more intelligent
û Take care of children
û Men have been providers traditionally e.g. hunting
ü Equal status, discrimination unfair
Ø Gained the right to vote, be educated, equal employment opportunities
Ø Equal Pay Act, 1970, illegal to discriminate in pay and conditions for the same job
Ø Sex Discrimination Act, 1975, unlawful to treat a person less favourably than a member of the other sex in employment
Ø Church of England allow female vicars
Ø Catholic Church doesn’t allow
§ Priest represents Jesus
§ Bishops are descendants of Jesus’ apostles
§ Pope is successor of Peter
Equality
1. Everyone is of equal value, different doesn’t mean worse
· Everyone was made in the image of God
2. Love
· Important to love & treat others well
3. Justice
· Bible shows importance of social justice regardless of race / position in society
4. Sanctity of life
· God gave humans a special status in life
· Everyone is sacred à treated accordingly
5. Not judging
· Only God has the authority to judge
· None of us are perfect
Disability: a physical / mental impairment that has substantial effect on a person’s abilities to carry out daily activities
Disability bias: Treating the disabled less favourably than others
1. Christians
· Jesus’ healing ministry à view sick & disabled as equals in need of help than pity
§ The paralysed man
§ Healed the blind, deaf, lepers
Ø Donate money / volunteer for charities that serve the disabled
Ø ORGANISATION: Livability (run care homes for rehabilitation for brain injury sufferers)
Ø 1970 Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act: provide for disabled
Ø 1995 Disability Discrimination Act: in employment, education, services
Ø 2010 Equality Act: unified all previous discrimination legislation
Multi-ethnic Society: many different races and cultures living in one society
ü Experience different cultures à interesting
ü More tolerant towards other cultures / ideas
ü Might have things in common e.g. religion
û Over-populated à lack of jobs
û Lack of community cohesion & identity as a community
û Language barriers
û Racism: the belief that some races are superior than others
Ø 1976 Race Relations Act: illegal to discriminate / use threatening & abusive language in public that could cause racial hatred
Ø 2001 Race Relations Amendment Act: person can challenge in court
Ø 2007 Equality and Human Rights Commission: government body improve rights
Racial Harmony: People from different races living together peacefully and happily
1. Christians
· Jesus treated all people of different races equally
§ Helps everyone despite their personal beliefs / identity
§ Perfect example for humans
§ Aligned himself with unpopular groups e.g. tax collectors
· God does not show favouritism
§ God created all humans equally, same in his eyes
§ Cares for all his believes despite differences
· Bible
§ “From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth”
§ we all have the same origin
§ Men of every nation are the same
· Church
§ Shouldn’t be racist if following Jesus’ teachings (love)
Ø ORGANISATION: RESTORE — help refugees and asylum seekers
§ Raise awareness, speak out for them
§ Organise social activities
Ø INDIVIDUAL: Desmond Tutu
Ø Priests
§ Encourage people to mingle, no discrimination
§ Welcome families into society
§ Read quotes from the Bible
§ Interfaith dialogues
Multi-faith society: different religions living together in one society
1. Exclusivism (Evangelical): only Christianity has complete truth, avoiding people following other religions
· Christians: believe that their religion is the only way to reach God
§ “ ‘I have been given all authority in heaven and Earth. Go then, to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples’ ”
§ Tell people to convert to Christianity
§ Others have got the wrong approach à excluded from heaven
§ Duty to tell others about Christianity
û Forcing them to change
û Offending other religions
2. Pluralism (Liberal): all religions are equal, no religion has whole truth
· Christians: all forms of religion will lead people to God
§ Everyone is free to follow the religion that suits them best
§ Religion is an accident of birth (Europe – Christianity)
§ All religions are good, right to exist alongside each other
§ “In my father’s house there are many rooms”
3. Inclusivism (Catholic): there’s truth in all religions, Christianity has complete truth, other religions have partial truth
· Christians: all religions can help reach God but Christianity has the complete answers
§ Respect other religions
§ Right things is to explain the Christian path to them
§ If you practise the right things in another religion à might be saved
Interfaith relationships in practise
· Sharing places of worship
· Interfaith forums
§ Promote understanding & cooperation between people of different faiths
· Multi-religion charities
§ Global warming
§ Both religions teach that humans should take care of earth
· Interdenominational churches
§ No particular denomination
§ Strives to incorporate different practises
Relationships between rich and poor
1. Christians
· Charity
§ Story of the rich young man (give all his money away)
§ “You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor”
§ A way of storing up riches in Heaven
· Compassion
§ Duty to show agape
§ People will be judged on how they treat others
§ Parable of the Good Samaritan
§ Parable of the Sheep and the Goats
§ “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep”
§ “Love one another as I have loved you”
· Equality
§ All come from same roots à deserve same things
· Justice
§ God is a lover of justice, followers are encouraged to do justice
§ The unjust are condemned
§ World’s resources are created for all people to share equally
ORGANISATION: ChristianAid (end poverty, strive for social justice & equality)
§ Educate communities
§ Climate justice, tax justice
§ Provide disaster relief
2. Atheists
ü Unfair for the rich to have luxuries when the poor lack essentials
ü People are lucky to be rich (born into developed country)
ü All wealth comes from God à show compassion to the poor
û The rich have worked hard for it & deserve to keep it
û Donating encourages some people to not work
û Nice if people choose to donate but not a duty
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