Weekly Thoughts

FATHER MICHAEL’S D

3 NOVEMBER 2023

RIGHTS AND WRONGS

As the conflict between Israel and Hamas drags on we hear a lot about rights: the rights of Israel to defend itself, the rights of the Palestinians, and the right to self-determination and so on.

The modern concept of human rights springs from The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a milestone document in the history of human rights. Drafted by representatives with different legal and cultural backgrounds from all regions of the world, the Declaration was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948 as a common standard of achievements for all peoples and all nations. The aim was to prevent the horrific events of World War II ever happening again; Winston Churchill was among the instigators of this. The Declaration sets out, for the first time, fundamental human rights to be universally protected and it has been translated into over 500 languages. In Europe the European Convention on Human Rights was adopted by the Council of Europe in 1950 and the Court of Human Rights established in 1959. Since 1998 it has sat as a full time court and individuals can apply to it.

The obverse of rights is of course duties. Our Government subscribes to the Convention and this has been found to place restrictions on our freedom of action which some people find irksome and their have been recent calls for this country to withdraw from the convention. But other countries are also subject to the international human rights law. In the case of Israel while Israel undoubtedly has the right to defend its citizens against foreign aggression and terrorism in exercising that right it also has to have regard to the human rights of the aggressors. Human rights are universal, they apply to every human being without exception. We can ask whether the current blockade of Gaza respects the human rights of the Palestinians but equally Hamas has to respect the human rights of the Israelis.

We could ask similar questions about the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Ukrainian response, about China and the Uyghur minority, and about the military dictatorship in Myanmar to name but a few. In short having rights as human beings is one thing, how we exercise them and defend them is another. The concept of human rights reflects our Christian belief that all human being are made in the image of God and should be respected as such. On paper human rights hold out the prospect of an ideal, perfect world, the challenge for us that the reality is far from that.

READINGS AND PRAYERS

5 NOVEMBER - ALL SAINTS SUNDAY (FOURTH SUNDAY BEFORE ADVENT) – Matthew 5.1-12 – the beatitudes – that we may strive to imitate the virtues of the saints

6 NOVEMBER – William Temple, Archbishop of Canterbury, Teacher of the Faith, 1944 – Wisdom 7.7-10,15,16 – all who interpret the Faith today

7 NOVEMBER – Willibord of York, Bishop, Apostle to Frisia, 739 – 1 Corinthians 1.18-25 – the message of the cross is…the power of God – the evangelistic work of the Church

8 NOVEMBER – All Saints of England – John 17.18-23 – that they may be one – for Christian Unity

9 NOVEMBER – Thursday – Luke 25.1-10 – the lost sheep – all who work with those on the fringes of society

10 NOVEMBER – Leo the Great, Bishop of Rome – Teacher if the Faith, 461 – 1 Peter 5.1-11 – tend the flock – all engaged in Christian ministry

11 NOVEMBER – ARMISTICE DAY (Martin, Bishop of Tours, c.397) – Matthew 25.34-40 – you did it to me – all working or peace and reconciliation