Chapter I: An Introduction to Human Rights and the UDHR
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, or the UDHR, was officialised by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 10, 1948. The text was adopted with the intention of creating a universal document that would define the rights of every person, in every country, no matter their race, sex, religion, culture, or otherwise distinguishing features. However, many Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), claim that the UDHR is “an attempt to impose Western values on everybody else” . According to the American Anthropological Association, “by claiming human rights are universal, we ignore and undermine the cultural differences that exist between societies in different parts of the …show more content…
In these specific instances, the UDHR and the Bible work in cooperation to promote the values and ideals expressed. For instance, Leviticus 19:15 and Article 6 and 10 of the Bible and UDHR, respectively, agree on the matter of law and trial. According to Leviticus, “You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor” . The UDHR’s Article 6 states “Everyone has the right to be treated equally by the law” , and Article 10 says “Everyone has the right to a fair and public trial” . While it is true that this verse does not exactly mimic the UDHR’s Articles 6 and 10, they do share the similarity of supporting law that is unbiased and equal, and condemn judicial injustice. This shows an instance where the Bible and the UDHR show continuity. Another occurrence of this is once again in Leviticus 19, this time in passage 33 and 34, and Article 3 and 29 of the UDHR. In Leviticus: “When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt” . Articles 3 and 29 of the UDHR, “Everyone has the right to life and to live in freedom and safety” and “Everyone must respect the rights of others” , respectively, support this passage from the Bible. They both support and require that you should respect others, and allow them to live in safety, without doing him wrong or harming him. In these ways, the UDHR and Bible work in coincidence with each other, to create a world where equality, safety, and fair trial are rights that we must all respect and live by. However, there are many more places where the UDHR doesn’t agree with the Bible than where it does, and these are what make the UDHR an
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, or the UDHR, was officialised by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 10, 1948. The text was adopted with the intention of creating a universal document that would define the rights of every person, in every country, no matter their race, sex, religion, culture, or otherwise distinguishing features. However, many Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), claim that the UDHR is “an attempt to impose Western values on everybody else” . According to the American Anthropological Association, “by claiming human rights are universal, we ignore and undermine the cultural differences that exist between societies in different parts of the …show more content…
In these specific instances, the UDHR and the Bible work in cooperation to promote the values and ideals expressed. For instance, Leviticus 19:15 and Article 6 and 10 of the Bible and UDHR, respectively, agree on the matter of law and trial. According to Leviticus, “You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor” . The UDHR’s Article 6 states “Everyone has the right to be treated equally by the law” , and Article 10 says “Everyone has the right to a fair and public trial” . While it is true that this verse does not exactly mimic the UDHR’s Articles 6 and 10, they do share the similarity of supporting law that is unbiased and equal, and condemn judicial injustice. This shows an instance where the Bible and the UDHR show continuity. Another occurrence of this is once again in Leviticus 19, this time in passage 33 and 34, and Article 3 and 29 of the UDHR. In Leviticus: “When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt” . Articles 3 and 29 of the UDHR, “Everyone has the right to life and to live in freedom and safety” and “Everyone must respect the rights of others” , respectively, support this passage from the Bible. They both support and require that you should respect others, and allow them to live in safety, without doing him wrong or harming him. In these ways, the UDHR and Bible work in coincidence with each other, to create a world where equality, safety, and fair trial are rights that we must all respect and live by. However, there are many more places where the UDHR doesn’t agree with the Bible than where it does, and these are what make the UDHR an