Pop Quiz Revisited

Well it's been a busy couple weeks. Sorry I didn't get back to this sooner. Ironically, my motivation for posting that pop quiz question has dwindled, but I'll write about it anyway.

I got in this discussion on Decapolis about "Jesus, Politics, Taxes" and it got directed towards rights.

Rights come from God, or the Creator; it doesn't matter what one calls Him, the point is they come from a higher power. Believing this doesn't even require one to be religious, although I guess it might be a problem for atheists.

The idea is that man has inherent rights, some of them being life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I was quite surprised when someone in this discussion actually argued contrary, that rights come from government. But by definition rights cannot come from government - only privileges can. It was both sad and frustrating that someone believed their God-given rights were created by the government. Government privileges can be revoked; rights cannot.

So anyway, I asked just because I wanted to see what other people thought on the topic.

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View responses or leave your own response

published September 4, 2003

Responses

BurnDark – September 4, 2003
Indded. If rights came from the government, then the government would always be right, as it would be the supreme giver of all rights, so it would give itself the right to never be wrong.

Sheryl – September 4, 2003
I didn't comment before, but I would definitely agree that our rights come from God, not the government. The government didn't create us. How could they give us rights? I have a right to breathe and live, how could that come from the government?

Confused Kathy – September 4, 2003
Hmm but what are our rights? Really what rights do we have at all? Do we have the right to live and breathe? These are serious questions. I'm not saying that we do not have these rights... I'm seriously just asking... I am thinking before we can discuss who gave us our rights and who can take those rights away... we have to define what we're talking about. And honestly I'm not totally sure what rights I have as a human being and a child of God at all. I know for sure we have the right to free will. 'Cause even God can't take that away... well he can take it away... I mean he's God... so is even free will a right. Like I said in my previous response to this question... it's just like what my parents used to say. Growing up we only had the rights they gave us..........................
Ummmmm I'm really starting to get myself confused so I'm just gonna stop. If anyone can make any sense out of my rambling and answer my question... yeah... what are rights anyway?

gwyneth – September 4, 2003
i think that kathy's on to something...but not seeing the whole picture, b/c as children of God we do have rights...i dont' know that the pursuit of happiness is one...that may be an interpretation that the early fathers came up with (thought i'm glad it's in there)...as children of God, we have the right to be treated w/ respect (b/c we are made in his image) by other human beings.

ron – September 8, 2003
I agree. You look at all the religions around us, and you shall see that basic human rights can come down to the diverse expressions of the golden rule