When Rights Clash - Part the First

I was asked about this and so, as I drink my tea, thought I'd pen some initial thoughts:

The world, like the sea, is full of 'ebb and flow' moments when it come to the minefield that is 'rights' as the history books clearly show.

Black rights - Women's Rights - Animal rights - Gay rights - Welfare Rights - Human rights - Asian rights - Women's Human rights - Civil Liberties - Vegetarian rights - Christian rights and more besides.

In many of them the previously oppressed 'minority groups', having experienced the low tide of life acting against them, sees the tide come in such that we have the ridiculous situation of 'positive discrimination' (here's a clue - if it has the word 'discrimination' in it, positive or negative, it is wrong!) and in some sort of bloodguilt response, society 'makes allowances' or treats them differently such that they oppress those who are assumed to have been the oppressors.

I've been in situations where a vacancy was destined to be filled by someone from a previously oppressed group and I have struggled with this, especially when a less able candidate was chosen because they were ...... (insert category).

I've been in workplace situations where disciplinary action was abandoned due to the offender being a member of a minority group. In fact the group they belonged to suddenly found that rather than be oppressed they were placed in the driving seat and whatever they did was largely ignored because of fear of looking anti whatever they were.

Whenever a group exerts a right that denies, demeans or degrades a member of another group then this is wrong. Whenever a group is showed favouritism or given privileges because of fear of condemnation, or even action, because they were once oppressed, then they do themselves, and their group, no justice.

I meet many who extend the rights of groups into the realm of nation groups and in this etting approve, and applaud, the actions of nations and ethnic groups who have been oppressed who take 'pre-emptive' action and disregard humanitarian and moral codes because of their 'sorely abused' or 'under threat' status.

The Bible calls us to act justly. To show mercy and most of all, to act with humility (that is living as one who sees all as equals) rather than puffing ourselves up and seeking only what we desire regardless of the cost.

So there you are, my thoughts (as requested) - now we need to look at the religious side (which will be another day soon - as another busy week this end of the wire (hallelujah!)

pax