1. RELIGIONS THE BASIS FOR
HUMAN RIGHTS?
Have religious beliefs
enhanced or impeded
Human Rights?
2. THE BASIS OF
HUMAN RIGHTS
Where do these ideas come from?
What is the basis for Human Rights?
How have they been implemented?
Can they be rescinded?
3. ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA
Urukagina of Lagash created the first legal code in history (24th
century BC) to curb power of elite priests and nobility
The Code of Ur-Nammu is the oldest known law code surviving today
c. 2100–2050 BC
The Code of Hammurabi 1772 BC
4. ANCIENT IRAN
The Cyrus cylinder from 6th century BC
called the world's oldest human rights
document
Cyrus freed many people held captive
by the Babylonians and arranged for
them to return to their homelands
W.J. Talbott, an American philosopher:
"perhaps the earliest known advocate of
religious tolerance" and suggests that
"ideas that led to the development of
human rights are not limited to one
cultural tradition.“
Princess Ashraf Pahlavi"the heritage of
Cyrus was the heritage of human
understanding, tolerance, courage,
compassion and, above all, human
liberty".
5. ANCIENT GREECE
Idealisation of Athens by modern Humanists,
Secularists, Atheists
Hannah Arednt traces Freedom to Greek ideas of
Democracy, Citizenship
Eleutheiria was Goddess of Liberty
Parrhesia: In Assemblies, Courts and Theatre
freedom to speak without limits
Cynicism believed simple life would endow
freedom
Pericles 431BC: "If we look to the laws, they afford
equal justice to all in their private differences; if no
social standing, advancement in public life falls to
reputation for capacity, class considerations not
being allowed to interfere with merit; nor again
does poverty bar the way"
6. PAX ROMANA
Difference between Free and Slave but all
had rights in Law
Stoics taught that all men were
manifestations of the same universal
spirit, and thus by nature equal
Libertas the goddess of Liberty
Slaves freed at Temple of Feronia
Saturnalia saw masters serve slaves
Republic’s Senate seen as precursor to
Democracy
7. MEDIEVAL EUROPE
Magna Carta limited power of King
Magna Carta gave habeas corpus
Forunner of Parliament: Althing, Anglo-
Saxon Witenagamot, Manx Tynwald, Irish
tuath
8. ANGLOSPHERE
PHILOSOPHIES
Bill of Rights in England 1689 checked
royal absolutism
Paved Way for Glorious Revolution
1779 Virginia Bill of Rights inherent right
to rebel against Inadequate Government:
"We hold these truths to be self-evident,
that all men are created equal, that they
are endowed by their Creator with certain
unalienable Rights, that among these are
Life, Liberty and the pursuit of
Happiness.”
9. FRENCH
REVOLUTION
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and
of the Citizen 1789: “Men are born and
remain free and equal in rights. Social
distinctions may be founded only upon
the general good.”
General Will and Social Contract of
Rousseau
1794 “All men, without distinction of
colour, residing in the colonies are French
citizens and will enjoy all the rights
assured by the Constitution.”
Abolition of Feudalism
Guarantees of Equality
Church Replaced by Cult of Reason
11. RELIGION CAN
ONLY COME FROM
CULTURE
Deep Spirituality and Complex Cosmology
of Native Australians, Americans, etc
Is Text needed for belief?
Where is the dividing line?
13. DEFINING
RELIGION
In Latin ‘religio’ originally meant an
obligation to the gods, something expected
by them from human beings or a matter of
particular care or concern as related to the
gods
Cicero uses cultus deorum, "the proper
performance of rites in veneration of the
gods.“
Not Faith but Correct Practice
Mos Maiorum: "ancestral custom"[or "way of
the elders," plural mores, was the unwritten
code from which the ancient Romans derived
their social norms
Neglecting the religiones owed to the
traditional gods was Atheism
Religion synonomous with custom and
therefore culture
14. MORALITY AND
ORDER
Confucius: "What you do not wish for
yourself, do not do to others.“
"If the people be led by laws, and uniformity
sought to be given them by punishments,
they will try to avoid the punishment, but
have no sense of shame. If they be led by
virtue, and uniformity sought to be given
them by the rules of propriety, they will have
the sense of the shame, and moreover will
become good.“
Instils sense of Duty, Honesty and Natural
Morality
Tao is the ‘Way’
Sun Tzu: "The Tao causes the people to be
fully in accord with the ruler.”
Laozi: "That which is meddling, touching
everything, will work but ill, and
disappointment bring."
15. DHARMA
Max Muller: religion mean piety, reverence
for gods, what Cicero called ‘Diligence’
Muller found that many other cultures
around the world, including Egypt, Persia,
and India, as having a similar power
structure
Religion was similar to ‘Law’
Dharma said to mean Religion
But can also mean Law, Duty, Conduct,
Virtues and ‘‘Right way of Living’’
Dharma essential for justice, social harmony,
and happiness
In text such as Dharmashatra but also in
Custom and Tradition
Competing Texts
16. RTA
Principle of Natural Order which Regulates
and Coordinates the operation of the
Cosmos and all its ingredients
Upheld by injunctions known as Dharma
Operated by Actions known as Karma
17. ‘RELIGION’ AS
DHARMA
Me: dictated Sumerian social mores as
decreed by the gods
Maat: ancient Egyptian concept of truth,
balance, order, law, morality, and justice
to keep equilibrium of the universe
Asha: Iranian concept of Truth, Cosmic
Order
Moirai: Greek concept of What is Ordained
and cannot be changed even by the gods
Germanic Wrd and Norse Uror
18. ORIENTAL
DESPOTISM
Zen priest Suzuki Shosan (1579 – 1655),
former samurai against individualism and
said that one existed for lord and society
Neo-Confucianism provided the idea of ri
or cosmic order of obedience
Samurai warrior caste
Eta were untouchables
Order and Harmony the primary focus of
Confucian socieities: Japan, China, Korea,
Japan
19. CASTE
Dharma and Karma blamed for Caste and
Untouchability
Manusmirti blamed for Poverty and
Inequality
Has Hinduism impeded India’s
Development Politically, Socially and
Economically?
But then what is ‘Hinduism’
There is no separate Hindu culture and
Religion
Post-Enlightenment terms inapplicable
Religions do not rise from nothing
Texts are not Revelations but Codify ideas
at a certain juncture in history
20. BASIS OF
TOTALITARIANISM
Sparta ritually killed off Helots
Pre-Modern Societies were Slave Owning
and Hierarchical
Roman Amphitheatre enforced ideas of
Order and Chaos
Totalitarian secular ideologies owe much
to Plato, Atlantis, Caesar
Athenians warned that Democracy could
become Mobocracy and Tyranny
21. FAILED UTOPIA
Atheists, Secularists, Humanists blame
Religion for human rights abuses and
oppression
French Revolution descended into Terror
Twentieth centuries witnessed worst crimes
against humanity
Nazi Germany and USSR were ‘Scientific’
Class and Race replaced any god in human
centred ideologies
Loyalty to
Proletariat/Nation/Volk/Race/Class
Non–existent or ambiguous morality
Idealism and Sincerity severely warped
Communism and National Socialism secular
and anti-religious in creating the “New Man”
No god to restrain excesses
Disillusionment with heaven on earth
revolution meant retreat into lowest common
denominator, that of race, ethnicity, and volk
22. RELIGIOUS
CONTRADICTIONS
Quakers and Evangelicals pushed for
Abolition of Slavery
Southern Baptists formed in Support of
Slavery
Dutch Reformed Church supported Apartheid
WCC declared against Apartheid
Ram Rajya Parishad supported Caste System
Modern Hindu Movements against Caste
System
Prevalence of Anti-Semitism in Islamic
countries
Si Ali Sakkat and Khaled Abdul-Wahhab
saved Tunisian Jews from Holocaust,
Albelhamid Ben Badis counteracted pied noir
Fascism, Si Kaddour Benghabrit saved Jews in
Paris, Albania sheltered Jewish refugees
23. SECULAR
FAILURES
Slavery ended due to Capitalism
Free Market Dogma led to Irish Potato
Famine
Marxist Dogma claimed Freedom but led to
Oppression, Starvation and Genocide
UK Society is bemoaned for being out of
control
Children brought up by parents who
themselves trapped in perpetual adolescence
Family breakdown increase
Lack of any sense of responsibility
Egotism rules in warped sense of human
rights
Bombardment with images of sex, needless
consumer products, extra finance
Gang culture, MTV, voyeurism, Big Brother, X
Factor, addictions provide new structures for
disillusioned Generation X
24. DYSTOPIAN
VISIONS, AND
MODERN
INFANTOCRACY
Human Sacrifice as Demographic Control
Climatic Impact on Civilisation: Mayans,
Indus-Saraswati, Mini Ice Age
Black Death, Plague, Ebola
Materialist Roman rapaciousness
Science Fiction warns that Progress can
become Nightmare
Social Breakdown will Reform the Tribe
Dharma and Rta are ‘Religious’ tools of
making sense of Chaos and Complexity
25. IMPEDIMENT OR
ENHANCEMENT TO
HUMAN RIGHTS?
Theories, Scriptures, Practises embody
Ideas at a certain point in History
Impact of Environment, Disease,
Demographics
Custom, Tradition, Folklore as important
as Text
Secular Ideologies are dogmatic because
at source they are ‘Religious’
History and Time is Cyclical (Mahakaal)
not linear
26. RELEVANCE OF
DHARMA TO
HUMAN RIGHTS
Emphasis on Behaviour and Conduct rather
than just Belief
Understand Consequences of actions
Act according to available and accurate
information
God is not dictating to humanity but is
humanity and lies within each of us: Our
Conscience
Conscience has its foundation in humility,
compassion and love for all
Dharma is context specific, so morality is not
compromised, neither is it made irrelevant
Brain is rationality, Heart is Bhakti
Sanatana Dharma is therefore eternal
because rules, responsibilities and living in
harmony with others and nature can never be
dispensed with
Idea of Samskaras make the Infantocracy an
anathema and irrelevant
29. FINAL WORDS OF WISDOM FROM CONFUCIUS
Adept Kung asked:
"Is there any one word that
could guide a person
throughout life?"
The Master replied: "How
about 'shu': never impose
on others what you would
not choose for yourself?“
