*theme F: human rights & social justice Flashcards
(30 cards)
what does fair mean?
something which is free from bias, fraud, or injustice
what does prejudice mean?
to judge before having all the facts - it is an idea or feeling which one person holds & which affects another person
discrimination happens when…
people act on their prejudices and treat another person unfairly
what is the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights?
- drawn up in 1948 in response to abuse of basic human rights during WWII (e.g. Holocaust)
- listed 30 rights which it considered inalienable (couldn’t be taken away from someone)
- first right listed is “all human beings are born free and equal”
- second is “everyone has the right to life, liberty and freedom from fear & violence”
what are human rights?
the basic guarantees for every human being to be able to achieve happiness & self-respect
what is the Cairo Declaration of Human Rights?
similar to UDHR, but places Sharia law above human rights - rejection of “Westernised” UDHR
what does the Parable of the Good Samaritan teach Christians about equality & racism?
- most famous teaching about racism in Bible is this one
- in story a man attacked by robbers, he’d passed by by both a priest/Rabbi & a Levite; eventually a Samaritan stops and helps him
- Jesus’ listeners would’ve been Jews; Jesus knew they hated Samaritans and considered them racially inferior
- message of the parable is that everyone is their neighbour (“Love thy neighbour”)
who are some key Christians who worked for social justice and why?
William Wilberforce, Elizabeth Fry, Lord Shaftsbury, Martin Luther King - because Jesus treated everyone equally
what do some Christians believe about the poor?
that they should help themselves - get a job, an education, work more, etc
how do Muslims help the poor?
Muslims who have certain levels of wealth give Zakah - religious obligation to help those in need - normally 2.5% of yearly wealth
what did the philosopher John Rawls suggest?
suggested that we should start making laws behind “a veil of ignorance”, where no one knew if they were going to be rich or poor
what do Christians believe about racism (previous instances of racism)
- although Bible condemns racism, Christians haven’t always lived up to its teachings
- 1948: SA introduced apartheid; system of apartheid supported by the local Dutch Reformed Church
- in early 1980s the World Alliance of Reformed Churches condemned the Dutch Reformed Church. in 1994 apartheid abolished in SA
- USA has long history of slavery & segregation. Martin Luther King Jr. was a black Baptist minister who challenged system of segregation & brought about change in law; but was assassinated in 1968
what are Christian attitudes towards gender?
- Christian Church often accused of sexism, e.g. referring to God as “He” & historically only ordaining men as priests
- some take literal interpretation of “God made Man in his own image”
- St Paul also wrote that women should take subservient role in Church: “Women should remain silent in the churches.” 1 Corinthians 11:3
- but Jesus showed great respect towards women
- he had women followers among his disciples; in Mark’s Gospel, it is to women that Jesus appeared first after resurrection
- CoE now allows women to be ordained priests
- RCC doesn’t allow women to be ordained
what are the statistics for people’s religious beliefs around the world?
Christian: 33%
Islam: 21%
Hinduism: 13%
Buddhism: 6%
other: 12%
non-religious: 14%
(majority of world’s pop. belongs to a particular religion)
what are attitudes towards other religions for Christianity & Islam (and other religions too)?
- some religions don’t think it’s necessary to make new converts, e.g. Judaism & Hinduism
- Christianity & Islam are proselytising religions (proselytise = to make converts)
- Christianity believes in “evangelisation” (evangelise = to spread the Good News, e.g. Jesus’ death & resurrection)
what are Islamic attitudes towards gender & sexuality?
- all are seen as spiritually equal, and as practically equal by some
- women may have different practical rights than men, e.g. can only have one spouse & they inherit less
- homosexuality strictly forbidden in Islam
what are Islamic attitudes towards race & religion?
- teaches to allow freedom of expression e.g. “people of the Book” (bible - Jews & Christians)
- apostasy a major crime in many Islamic viewpoints
- Muslims generally against polytheistic belief systems & freedoms of expression
what is Amnesty International?
- founded 1961
- world’s largest voluntary body working for human rights today
- independent of any gov, politics, ideology, economic interest, or religion
what are Amnesty International’s aims?
- to seek release of all prisoners of conscience
- obtain a fair & prompt trial for all political prisoners detained w/o charge or trial
- abolish torture & death penalty in all cases
- although it’s not a religious organisation, many Christians approve of actions & are members
why do Christians believe in missionary work?
- they believe it’s important to spread Jesus’ message
- Jesus commissioned his disciples: “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them… and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” Matthew 28:20 (Great Commission)
- believe they have a duty to spread Jesus’ message to others (might go to Hell if not Christian, need to save them)
what is missionary work like today?
- Christian missionaries still go out to developing countries today
- some Protestant evangelical churches still think it’s important to make converts to save souls
- for majority of mainstream denominations, e.g. RCC, CoE, etc, the emphasis not so much making converts but helping countries to develop
- CAFOD & Christian Aid good examples
what does the word evangelism mean?
spreading the good news (the Gospel)
what do Gideons International do?
distribute free copies of Bible & New Testament to schools, prisons, hospitals & hotels (evangelical organisation)
what does the Salvation Army do?
believe it’s their mission to help the poor and disadvantaged in a practical way by setting up shelters & soup kitchens
