Is Secular Humanism Inferior To Mainstream Religions, In Terms Of Human Rights?

The revival of social conservatism in recent years, as a backlash to progressives’ hold on academic circles and the media, has brought about a revival of Christian apologetics in the mainstream, as many now conflate their national identities with the religion held by their forefathers.

The idea that the “civilised world” was built on Christian principles – that their obsolescence would lead to dystopian utilitarianism and imminent societal collapse, is being circulated again on a mass scale. “We need to bring God back into our lives for mass violence to stop”; “The 50s were much better”; “Let’s return to normality (social conventions from decades ago) in order to prosper” etc.

 

Moreover, some argue human rights would not have existed in the absence of religion, as if they could be detached from a general advancement of the human condition.

In order to disprove that, it’s not necessary to look very far.

Human rights have been evolving at a rapid pace in countries where the separation of church and state has allowed for them to be debated freely, as opposed to dogmas, which remain rigid and resist calls for reformation. As a result, the quality of life has improved substantially.

Theocracies aside, there are secluded religious communities nowadays, littering the secularised landscape of first world countries. Between a third and half of the rights listed in the official declaration don’t seem to apply to their members, as they live in highly controlled environments.

Broader religious communities also seem to disregard some of these rights.

The abbreviated list is as follows:

 

Since some meet the same obstructions when it comes to religion, it makes sense to comment on them generally and not individually.

Many religious groups enjoy access to the same living standards and the same technology their secular peers have – unless, of course, they reject even those, like the Amish. But that doesn’t deter them from clinging to outdated, sometimes cruel principles.

When some demand a return to Christianity, it’s not some nebulous notion of an idealised past. If we look at how sects live today, detached from the rest of the world, we get a very clear picture of what that would involve.

Historically, Abrahamic religions have had an appalling record in terms of promoting racial equality; in some parts, that continues to this day, as so-called holy scriptures condone slavery –  if we are to consider them accurate in their entirety, said parts must be accurate as well. The fact that western abolitionists were Christian is trumpeted to this day, although they lived in times when that was simply the enforced norm and not necessarily a sine qua non for their humanitarian drive.

In the US, of course, Bible passages were used in order to defend slavery, which doesn’t improve the case of local apologists. When considering how things evolved overall, one can assess that racial equality was attained not due to religion but in spite of it. It’s not surprising then that bigotry of all sorts is now concentrated in the most religious parts of the US, where secularism is maniacally fought off as an existential threat.

Plus, religious cults are known for using what can be termed as slave labour to this day.

In terms of being considered a person and equality before the law, just watch how quick some Christians are to condone war, therefore dehumanising those they don’t see as their equals. And how quick they are to consider undocumented immigrants non-persons who can be treated in any inhumane way. The same applies to Israel, which is a very religious country, where racism and dehumanising “the other” are part of daily life, ingrained since early childhood, as people who grew up there and abandoned these views recount.

The right to life, although adopted as a cause by Christians in general, was remorselessly abandoned when it came to babies born to nuns in convents, killed and buried in mass graves, such as those found in the Vatican, or children dying from neglect in church-run orphanages.

The right to participate in community activities is denied to those in small “churchy” places who are ostracised for, let’s say, apostasy or any other transgression. Ostracism is extremely common.

The right to marriage and family? Unless you’re gay, of course. And unless you get pregnant out of wedlock and the “shamed” parents force you to give your baby up or have an abortion. Remember mother and baby homes, where unwed mothers were sent to have their babies taken away right after birth and sent abroad for adoption? Of course, we now understand marriage as voluntary, but ask many Muslims, the FLDS or the Moonies, and they’ll tell you forcing underage girls into marriage with older men, or any men chosen by parents or community leaders, is completely fine.

The right to a fair public hearing? Ask anyone brought before a jury in a religious town or country, whose sexual habits are meant to constitute proof of their “immorality” in general, influencing jurors to find them guilty of whatever they are accused of; even murder.

The right to be considered innocent until proven guilty is not upheld by those loving Christians condoning the torture of those suspected of terrorism – most of whom are proven innocent in the end anyway, after years of irreversible physical and psychological damage. Which also breaks the right to freedom from torture and degrading treatment. Mind you, some still argue that “gay conversion therapy” works, which also infringes on this right.

The right to participate in Government? How come people still have to take an oath with their hand on a Bible? There are places in the US where atheists are still not eligible for public office.

The right to education is severely undermined when creationism is taught instead of evolution, and when the Bible is taught as literally accurate. Plus the lack of sexual education, the incrimination of contraception etc.

The right to rest and leisure? Ask a Scientologist – although that is rightfully considered a farcical religion from the start. The truth is many in religious cults are monitored 24/7, with their activities carefully planned in order to keep them busy and brainwashed.

The “freedom from state and personal interference with the above rights” is clearly infringed upon when crucial decisions are made by individuals with the approval of, or at the orders of religious leaders. Take the divorce procedures Muslim or Orthodox Jewish women are subjected to, as well as the women in other religious communities, such as Jehovah’s Witnesses or the Mormons. Other Christian “pastors” are also known to control people to the extent of having them beat their children or starve them to death in hopes of “delivering them from demons” (there was a sickening recent case covered by the media).

 

I have by no means covered everything in this short post, but if you read the rights carefully, one by one, you will find ways in which religions have mandated their infringement in the past, some of it still going on now.

Claiming that there would be no human rights if it hadn’t been for religious leaders pushing for their establishment is simply untrue.