HUMAN RIGHTS SUPERCEDE THOSE OF ANY SO-CALLED GOD

15 May 2008
A special post: BLOGGERSUNITE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

Although I had intended to continue a series of postings concerning the absence of absolute equality and the lack of adequate affordable health care in the United States, which is, in my opinion, a clear demonstration of America's own Human Rights failure. I am compelled to deviate from that and contribute what little I can to the effort of Blog Catalog and Amnesty International, along with thousands of other concerned citizens and people around the world to elevate awareness of the ongoing and inexcusable Human Rights violations being committed on every continent and by every nation on earth.

Nearly all of the topics listed as the focus of today's event, and those listed on the Amnesty International web page are the deceptive fruit upon the branches of one huge ugly tree whose trunk extends from a single root germinated from a seed planted at the beginning of Human civilization. I am, of course, talking about the poisonous tree of Religion, the unnatural worship and subjugation by people to some supposed being, intelligence, or power that is believed to be infinite and supreme.

"But wait," says the religionist, "My religion, my God, my Christ, the Allah or Buddha I believe in, is the source of all that is love and mercy, forgiveness and redemption, salvation and hope." Even those that do not necessarily "believe," "practice," or "support" any particular doctrine or creed still cannot bring themselves to denounce or deny the the existence of some power, some thing, that is beyond or greater than humans ability to comprehend and understand. Very few people in the world can face the facts and admit that, as far as we can discern, there is no greater force or higher intelligence than human force and human intelligence. Yet, it is true. There is absolutely nothing in the entire universe more valuable than a living human being. The fact is that everything people regard as having value is made valuable because of and by human beings. Without humans even a God is worthless.

The fundamental perception and general belief is that corrupt governments, cruel dictators, authoritarian military juntas or ego maniacal tyrants are responsible for locking up someone for their political expression, or for reporting on the neglect and abuse of groups or whole segments of a country's population. Most people believe that it is a president or congress, prime minister or parliament, supreme council or renegade revolutionary that conducts war on terrorism, profiles certain racial, ethnic or sexually oriented individuals or organizations, targeting them for arrest and torture in places like Guantanamo prison, Palestine, Pakistan, Iraq, Manhatten, or Texas. Many believe that it is greedy multi-national corporations, ideological think tanks,or resource seeking empires that give arms and support to killers, thugs, and thieves in order to suppress the desires of locals or oppress popular movements for reform and justice.

But corrupt governments, pseudo-aristocratic legislators, military rulers, dictators and tyrants; corporations, think tanks, empires and thugs are only a symptom of the real disease. They are physical manifestation, the sores of the leprosy, the bloated stomach of starvation; the gang rape of a young child. The actual source of the infection, the virus, the germ or act of defilement; the true progenitor of the plague that is the experience of all abuses and violations of the basic rights of every living human being is belief in some infinitely wise, powerful and beneficent God or power or force who is superior to and independent of nature.

Famine is not caused by some enraged and revengeful deity, sickness is not produced as punishment, no God has ever intervened in behalf of the weak and innocent. There is a vast difference between religion and justice, worshipers of the same God take delight in cutting each other's throats, and no God at any time interferes with the order of events. The civilization of humanity and the recognition and acknowledgement of the rights of humans has, throughout history, increased just to the same extent that religious power has decreased.

In support of the real ends of life: absolute equality, liberty- of thought, action and expression; that every human being be granted the same rights as every other human being, and to render some small service to the cause of human rights, progress and happiness I submit these remarks and commit my energy and time. It is better to love humans than to fear God. Give Peace a chance.
James B. Tinsley, B.A.