Sunday 22 November 2015

Re: Religious Faith for Artie

I tend to stick with established definitions. So for "Religious Faith" I'd use the second definition of faith found in Oxford:

2 Strong belief in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual conviction rather than proof.

People that argue a position based on their own personal definition of a word are being dishonest. It strips credibility, hinders communication & risks invalidating their entire point. Words have meanings…people should use them.


Friday 20 November 2015

A rambling take on Refugees, atheism & Human Rights

Preface: I started out with one intent when writing this & it kind if spiraled into something else as I wrote. It may or may not be cogent. 

And sorry for the typos. I tried to catch them all but I'm sure I missed some…I usually do.

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I'm not sure who's more scared, the refugees fleeing a horrendous war, or the people that are scared of the people fleeing a horrendous war.

As an atheist, many might assume I'd be against letting in more Muslims. Islam is, after all, a horribly oppressive & often violent ideology (cue the standard accusations of Islamophobia & bigotry). And of course, atheists supposedly want to ban all religions (or alternately, perhaps you think we only want to ban yours). Truth is, I & most atheists I know, want people to be free. Free to believe as they see fit (but not force those beliefs on others or onto our Secular government), free to question (not ban…question) others beliefs & free to live happy, safe lives. 

Atheists don't believe in "nothing", we actually have many beliefs (although I admit some avoid the word 'belief' like its a radioactive zombie preacher that will turn them into a religious nutjob if they get 'infected' by it) but a belief in gods isn't one of them and not all atheists share the same beliefs outside the God question. Even in that area there can be rigorous debates between atheists, however we never seem to feel the desire to blow each other up over our differences. Weird, I know. I doubt we'll ever see the Great Atheist/Agnostic War.

One of my most cherished beliefs is in Human Rights. Yes, that includes the right to Religious Freedom…but with a caveat: If your Religion interferes in the Human or legal rights of others, your religion loses without question. For example, many religions restrict the rights of gays and women…your religion loses out to their human rights for equality.

With that said, refugees also have Human Rights.

What are these Human Rights? Let's have a look.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
http://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/

Article 1 says, "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights…" & that everyone  "should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood."

In other words, the refugees are your equal. Don't like it? Too bad. Take your bigotry elsewhere.

Article 2 says, "Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind…". 

Did you see that word 'Everyone'? That would include refugees…yes, even 20-something male refugees.

Article 3 says, "Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person."

"Security of person". Maybe…just maybe…these refugees are simply looking to enjoy this basic human right. Maybe. Or maybe they're all evil terrorists hell-bent on destroying our perfect Western World! 

Yeah, somehow I doubt they're all bogeymen.

Please read Articles 4 to 13, but I'll skip ahead to the most relevant article, that being Article 14:
 
(1) Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.
(2) This right may not be invoked in the case of prosecutions genuinely arising from non-political crimes or from acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

What's that? You mean the right to seek asylum from persecution is a Universal Human Right? So by opposing this right, you're opposing human rights. 

Think about that for awhile.

Take all the time you need to let it sink it.

Done? Got it? Good. I'll encourage you to go read Articles 24 through 28. They are also very much applicable.

I think a lot of people shout & holler about wanting to protect Human Rights, but I think a lot of these people have never read the actual document that has been signed & agreed to by the majority of the global community.

Before you go slamming other countries, people & ideologies for restricting or violating the Human Rights of others…you should make sure you're not promoting the restriction or violation of basic Universal Human Rights. 

I fully expect a chorus of responses from well-to-do western crybabies complaining about somehow having their own Human Rights trampled on by these refugees. I welcome anyone to prove how allowing refugees into your country will actually restrict or violate your Human Rights. Not 'possibly' or 'might'. Those words are meaningless fear mongering. Show how your rights will actually be affected. 

Yes, I learned a lot by writing this. Yes, I too need to review my own beliefs & attitudes. We all do & while we do it, we need to beware of the biggest free thought killer known to man: that restricter of rational reasoning is referred to as Cognitive Dissonance. 

"Cognitive dissonance is the mental stress or discomfort experienced by an individual who holds two or more contradictory beliefs, ideas, or values at the same time, performs an action that is contradictory to one or more beliefs, ideas or values, or is confronted by new information that conflicts with existing beliefs, ideas, or values."

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_dissonance

Learn what it is.

Watch for its evil tendrils snaking into your brain.

Be scared of its mind numbing powers.

Kick its ass. Kill it. Destroy it. Never let it win.

Think freely.