Human Dignity and Human Rights
Introduction
As we commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, issued by the UN General Assembly in 1948, the church sees an opportunity to proclaim anew its conviction that ALL human beings—created by God and redeemed by Christ—must be recognized and treated with respect and love due to their inalienable dignity.
Song: How can anyone tell you, you are anything less than Beautiful. Shaina Noll
Material for Reflection
The following reflection is not a direct quote from the document, but is based upon the message of the document.
I want to share 3 main aspects of facets of the concept of dignity:
Ontological dignity, the most basic and essential aspect: This is a human being’s dignity by virtue that they exist, that they are willed, created and loved by God and called to love others. (inherent, inalienable dignity)
Moral dignity, the 2nd aspect: Those who commit unmeasureably profound acts of evil against others, seem to have lost any trace of humanity and moral dignity, however, their dignity based on being created and loved by God, can never be annulled or lost. There is always the possibility of repentance and conversion.
Social dignity, the 3rd aspect: This is the quality of a person’s living conditions where the situation in which they are forced to live contradicts their inalienable dignity.
Let us pray for all those whose dignity as human beings is not supported, recognized or respected.
Quiet Reflection
Intentions
The following intentions are based on grave violations of Human Dignity:
Human trafficking must be counted among the grave violations of human dignity. For those who are caught in the web of Human Trafficking where the situation in which they are forced to live contradicts their human dignity and basic rights as human beings, we pray.
The profound dignity inherent in human beings in their entirety of mind and body also allows us to understand why all sexual abuse leaves deep scars in the hearts of those who suffer it. For those who suffer sexual abuse in the home, at work or in an educational setting, we pray.
While the qual dignity of women may be recognized in words, the inequalities between women and men in some countries remain very serious. For women whose very person, work and/or abilities are not valued as highly as men’s, we pray.
Loving God, in the face of so many violations of human dignity that seriously threaten the future of the human family, we pray for the promotion of the dignity of every human person. We do this with hope, confident of the power that flows from the Risen Christ, who has fully revealed the integral dignity of every man, woman and child. We pray through Christ, our Risen Savior. Amen.
Reflection
Song
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