Comments on Life, the Universe & Everything.: Human Rights

I'm not at all worried your imaginary god bloke is...

2008-05-07T03:47:00.000Z

I'm not at all worried your imaginary god bloke is going to do anything.

That's not the God of the Bible, so you must be talking about the god (or in your case non-god) that you've made in your own image.

Oh and er... I'm not at all worried your imaginary...

2008-05-05T06:33:00.000Z

Oh and er... I'm not at all worried your imaginary god bloke is going to do anything.

That's your opinion. I don't see why permanence ha...

2008-05-05T06:32:00.000Z

That's your opinion. I don't see why permanence has anything to do with it.

Besides, we are agreed Christianity proveds no basis for human rights.

Rights aren't really worth much unless they are pe...

2008-05-04T19:50:00.000Z

Rights aren't really worth much unless they are permanent.

Nevertheless, I think I understand your real concern. You're concerned that God is going to let the wretched, evil people into heaven while he overlooks all your good works and sends you to Hell.

But if it's based on Christianity, there isn't any...

2008-05-03T16:21:00.000Z

But if it's based on Christianity, there isn't any standard of any sort. Because you can be a genocidal dictator and (as long as you repent timely) get away with it. Meanwhile, someone who has acted peacefully towards his fellow man will go to Hell (if he doesn't).

Christianity does not require people to care about human rights. All they have to care about is repenting.

But, even though Christianity doesn't provide one, why do we need some rigid standard?

Morals change. 500 years ago it was ok to cut people open for common amusement. It was ok to torture animals for common amusement. 50 years ago it was against the law to be gay in my country. 2000 years ago in the Middle East it was ok to execute people for being unruly...

By the way, if Jesus was around in the UK right now (instead of 2000 years ago) how would he arrange to get himself killed for our sins?

But if it's based on society, then there really is...

2008-05-03T15:08:00.000Z

But if it's based on society, then there really isn't an absolute standard. It's all relative - and subject to change, right?

I thought everyone knew that.

2008-05-02T13:38:00.000Z

I thought everyone knew that.

So it's society that produces human and animal ri...

2008-05-02T12:31:00.000Z

So it's society that produces human and animal rights?

Every society has a different set of human rights....

2008-05-02T07:33:00.000Z

Every society has a different set of human rights. Certain organisations, like Amnesty International, try encourage an equal standard across all human societies.

Each society has a different stance on animal rights. In the UK we're quite strong on them - hence the recent ban on fox hunting.

Ahh. That clears it up. So, how do you define huma...

2008-05-02T03:48:00.000Z

Ahh. That clears it up. So, how do you define human rights? What "rights" do humans have? And, separately, why don't other species have them (or do they)?

humans

2008-05-01T17:33:00.000Z

humans

Simon: What is the atheist's basis for "human righ...

2008-05-01T02:08:00.000Z

Simon: What is the atheist's basis for "human rights?"

I'd like to point out that you side-stepped all of...

2008-04-30T20:22:00.000Z

I'd like to point out that you side-stepped all of my questions and just fired back with insults (we're still friends though).

Is it less magical to believe that non-life accidentally created life and that it subsequently turned from rudimentary to complex interdependent systems?

The Aborigines were originally mistreated and exploited due to the theory (there's that word again) that they were some kind of missing link. So what you are saying is that every ethnic group of humanity is on the exact same stage of evolutionary development...what a coinkidink.

Gummby, Tim says human rights only make sense if a...

2008-04-30T07:36:00.000Z

Gummby, Tim says human rights only make sense if a god exists. But your god doesn't seem all that interested in human rights.

Dox: "Has evolution ever deemed any other ethnic groups inferior?"

Evolution is not a sentient being so therefore cannot deem anything.

"God says that all men were created in the image of God."

And Flibloob said the nooblib in the noblob.

"Can evolution consistently hold that same standard of equality (i.e. the Aborigines)."

What the fuck are you on about? (and I say that in the nicest possible way)

Are you saying that because in your fairy book all men are created equal that we should dismiss a scientific fact because it's just not fair?

The aborigines and every other brand of humanity are created equal. We are the same species.

Dox, this is the problem with living in a fantasy world - it's means one can struggle to grasp even the simplest concept if it happens to reside in the real world.

Simon: why is that a problem?

2008-04-30T05:10:00.000Z

Simon: why is that a problem?

Its interesting that you mention Hitler. I've alwa...

2008-04-29T21:22:00.000Z

Its interesting that you mention Hitler. I've always wondered what ideology was foundational to his genocide of an "inferior race." I think someone told me once...it'll come back to me.

Has evolution ever deemed any other ethnic groups inferior? God says that all men were created in the image of God. Can evolution consistently hold that same standard of equality (i.e. the Aborigines).

I think this is starting to be a one-ended friendship Simon. You never call, you never write, and I'm always visiting you. You're lucky I'm not sensitive.