Tuesday, February 7, 2017

UN Declaration of Human Rights




While I was thinking about my next blog post I remembered once seeing a copy of the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights. It is very interesting reading it now given the state of world affairs and the position being taken by some countries regarding the refugee crisis. I encourage you to read it carefully and to leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

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Universal Declaration of Human Rights
               Copyright. United Nations


Preamble
Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,  Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,  Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,  Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations,  Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,  Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in cooperation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms,  Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge,  Now, therefore,  The General Assembly,  Proclaims this Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.

Article I 
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. 

Article 2 
Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.  Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.
 
Article 3 
Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person. 

Article 4 
No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.
 
Article 5 
No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Article 6 
Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.

Article 7 
All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.
 
Article 8 
Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law. 

Article 9 
No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile. 

Article 10 
Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.
 
Article 11 
1. Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defence. 
2. No one shall be held guilty of any penal offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a penal offence, under national or international law, at the time when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the penal offence was committed.
 
Article 12 
No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks. 

Article 13
 
1. Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each State. 
2. Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.
 
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. 

Article 15 
1. Everyone has the right to a nationality. 
2. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality. 

Article 16
1. Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution. 
2. Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses. 
3. The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.
 
Article 17 
1. Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others. 
2. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property

Article 18 
Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

Article 19 
Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers. 

Article 20
 
1. Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association. 
2. No one may be compelled to belong to an association.
 
Article 21
1. Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives. 
2. Everyone has the right to equal access to public service in his country.
3. The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures. 

Article 22 
Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality. 

Article 23 
1. Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment. 
2. Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work. 
3. Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection. 
4. Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.
 
Article 24
 
Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay.

Article 25 
1. Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control. 
2. Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.

Article 26 
1. Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit. 
2. Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace. 
3. Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.
 
Article 27 
1. Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.
2. Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author.
 
Article 28 
Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized.
 
Article 29 
1. Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible. 
2. In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society. 
3. These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Article 30 
Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.


Click here to go to the UN website

Saturday, February 4, 2017

Provide and Protect

This is part of a series I'm writing this year called 'The Other A-Z of Christianity'.
In most A-Z lists of Christianity you'll find that 'J' is for Jesus, 'F' is for faith, 'S' is for sin or salvation and 'A' for atonement.
What I want to do in this series is to go a little deeper and write about some topics that don't always get top billing but are still important.


My Dad (left), Grandad and Mum. (1975 approx.)



D. Dad

A few things have been on my mind lately.
  • My dad passed away recently.
  • I'm about to become a Grandad.
  • The President Trump chaos.
  • I have a loving, caring, never-gives-up father in Heaven.
The amazing thing is that all these things have a common thread. Two words. Provide and Protect.

Dads do it for their children.
God does it for His children.
And Donald Trump is attempting to do it for America.

The commonality is that we all want what's best for our children/nation.

How we go about it varies.
Some dads buy everything for their kids, even houses and cars, if they can afford them. Other dads think it'd best for their children to earn those things themselves, and in doing so learn the value of hard work and saving etc.. But the goal is the same. Provide and Protect.
God also deals with each of us differently, teaching us life skills in different ways according to the maturity of our relationship with him. But the goal is the same. Provide and Protect.
President Trump has taken a radically different approach to his predecessors. But, according to him, his goal is the same. Provide and Protect.

The problem with 'providing and protecting' is that when we allow our own agendas and fears to sway our thinking we can quickly become people who, instead of providing and protecting, end up dividing and rejecting.
It happens in families with over protective parents. Children rebel.
It happens in families where parents with good intentions provide everything their children want. Spoilt brats result.
I hope it doesn't happen in America. I hope that President Trumps provide and protect sentiments (that are echoed in the 'Make America great again' slogan) don't become a divide and reject policy.
Time will tell.

My mum and dad provided and protected me and my siblings to the best of their ability.
There were times when money was tight but they always provided.
There were times when our family seemed like it was falling apart but they always protected.

Love conquers all.

Thanks Dad.





Wednesday, January 18, 2017

The Fog


This is part of a series I'm writing this year called 'The Other A-Z of Christianity'.
In most A-Z lists of Christianity you'll find that 'J' is for Jesus, 'F' is for faith, 'S' is for sin or salvation and 'A' for atonement.
What I want to do in this series is to go a little deeper and write about some topics that don't always get top billing but are still important.





C. Community

Community, family, fellowship, call it what you will, but at the end of the day it has become the unwilling casualty in a world gone mad.

We live in a world that's destroying itself, not through global warming but through the global war to be in control, to be the one who's right, to be the one who others look up to. We've become a society where selfishness is applauded, where money can buy you anything and where the right to own a gun is more important than the right for every human on the planet to have a regular healthy meal.
We've become a world where community has become little more than a dim light in the fog of selfishness.
And to make things worse, this fog has crept into some niches of the Christian church.

We, as Christians, need to take a good look in the mirror. Not our own fragile fogged-up mirror, but Gods fog-free mirror, the Bible. Trouble is, we've managed to fog up that as well with our own selfish, comfortable, naïve theologies that put us on a pedestal instead of God.
We need to drop the chains of theology and very simply do what Jesus said....'Follow me.'
Follow his example of love, selflessness, compassion, mission and prayer. Jesus 'power' came through submission to the Father. We try to do it the other way, to get our power by having others to submit to us.

It saddens me that people have become nothing more than pawns in the power plays of the powerful. And I'm not just talking about politicians. I'm talking about everyday people, you and me, who, in our own selfishness seek to get our own way in any given situation.
What we need to do is step back and let God have his way.
Each of us needs to let Gods love, grace and wisdom be our guiding light in every situation.

When we let the warmth of Gods love shine through then the fog of  our selfishness will fade away and communities will, once again, flourish as God intended.

Monday, January 9, 2017

Jesus and Bob The Builder

This is part of a series I'm writing this year called 'The Other A-Z of Christianity'.
In most A-Z lists of Christianity you'll find that 'J' is for Jesus, 'F' is for faith, 'S' is for sin or salvation and 'A' for atonement.
What I want to do in this series is to go a little deeper and write about some topics that don't always get top billing but are still important.




B. Buildings

Have you ever thought that the person who made the nails that were driven through Jesus hands and feet probably thought that they were going to be used as part of a building? They were right.

Have you ever thought that the person who cut down the tree that was used to make Jesus cross probably thought it was going to be part of a building? They were right.

Everyone who aided in building and putting Jesus on the cross were actually aiding in the building of something much bigger. The Church.
The death and resurrection of Jesus was the beginning of the Church.

When Peter had the revelation that Jesus was the Christ, Jesus replied 'Upon this rock I will build my church.' Matthew 16.18
The Church is built with revelation in the hearts of men, women and children. Not with bricks, mortar and stain glass.
Jesus was saying that the moment you become a Christian you are part of the Church. (No membership forms to fill in.)

Contrary to the understanding of secular society, the Church is not a man-made building. Unfortunately, some sections of Christianity in the western world have been lured into thinking that the size of your church building somehow translates into a statement about how 'successful' your church is or that the technically advanced, contemporary, design of your building becomes an advert for Christianity to the world around it. 
The success of any church has nothing to do with the size of the building. It has much more to do with the size of the hearts of the people who gather in that building.
The design of your building is not an ad for Christianity. It's people of faith living and working in their community, loving people and sharing their lives with others that is the true ad for Christianity.

There's the saying, 'Stop just going to church and start being the church.'

We need to take this saying seriously.

Too many Christians hide within the walls of the church like it's some sought of fortress.
We think that by helping out in crèche or singing in the choir or helping to video the Sunday service that we are doing our duty. There's nothing at all wrong with doing those things but if we only do those things, and never share Jesus in our everyday lives, we are actually imprisoning ourselves within the church walls.

We have to consciously be the Church outside of its walls.

I remember one of the first 'defences of the gospel' I had to make, after becoming a Christian, was trying to explain to someone that by going to church I had not joined a club.
Unfortunately, that's how the world sees the church. It's a 'Good persons Club' where you go to your club building every Sunday to learn about how to be a nice person.

The Church is so much more than a club and so much more than building taking up space in town.
The Church of Jesus Christ is people. People who, like Peter, have had a revelation of who Jesus is and based on that revelation they go out and share it in their communities.

In case you're wondering, No, I don't have anything against church buildings if they've been built with the blessing and guidance of God.

What I do question is how far we have strayed from the model of the early church as seen in the book of Acts.
The early church met in peoples homes and they used their resources to help each other and their community  (Acts 4.32). They didn't use their resources to fund a building programme or to buy a new video production suite. They used their resources to meet the needs of those around them.
If someone in the early church had 12 refugees coming to stay at their house then the church rallied around  and got 12 beds, extra food and clothing etc. as required.
Yes, that happens today in churches all over the world but often the 'Social Effort' of local churches is squashed under the weight of expenses and up-keep on the church building and administration costs.

"often the 'Social Effort' of local churches is squashed under the weight of expenses and up-keep on the church building and administration costs."

Some parts of the church today need to take off their expensive corporate suits and cloth themselves with righteousness and humility.

Maybe, instead of building and equipping our churches to be comfortable to the saved, we need to be building and equipping our people to be comforters to the lost.


What do you think? Are church resources used wisely today?  Are church buildings necessary?
Please feel free to comment in the comments section.

Monday, January 2, 2017

2016 Blog Post of the Year

This is awarded to the best blog post I've read anywhere on the internet this year.

The true Christian faith is so contrary to the ways of the world we live in today. I say 'true' because some of what is portrayed as Christian today has been so tainted with political and business ideology that if it wasn't for a cross or stain glass window on the building you may not be sure what you're looking at.

The radical nature of true Christianity and following the ways of Jesus stands in stark contrast to some of the stands taken by prominent Christians around the world in 2016.

The Christmas story was, and is, the start of what true radical Christianity looks like. Things that the world despise are all prominent in the Christmas story. Things like weakness, humility and equality.

My 2016 blog post of the year brings out the radical nature of the Christmas story much better than I can.
It's written by Joe Kay on his blog site, Living Gracefully. The post is called 'The subversive manger scene'.

I encourage you to read the post here.

Sunday, January 1, 2017

Accepting Loud Music, Annoying People and No Coffee

This is the beginning of a new series I'm writing this year called 'The Other A-Z of Christianity'.
In most A-Z lists of Christianity you'll find that 'J' is for Jesus, 'F' is for faith, 'S' is for sin or salvation and 'A' for atonement.
What I want to do in this series is to go a little deeper and write about some topics that don't always get top billing but are still important.

Copyright Oxford Dictionary

A. Acceptance

The word 'accept' is commonly used in the Church today in reference to a person being saved.
eg, Johnny just accepted Christ. By automatic reply, Jesus accepts us.
That all seems pretty straightforward.

But then it gets a bit tricky. Once Johnny becomes a Christian the Bible then tells him that we have to accept one another.


Accept one another then, just as Christ accepted you in order to bring praise to God. Romans 15:7


Paul is writing to the Church in Rome so in this verse we are being challenged to accept other Christians, or using one of the Oxford dictionary definitions, we are to welcome other Christians.
That's not hard or is it?

  • What about the young people behind you in church who constantly talk to each other during the service. (Common thought is 'How disrespectful')
  • What about the Christian neighbour who plays his loud music day and night. (Common thought is 'You call that Christian music!')
  • What about the gay couple who come to church. (Common thought is 'God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.')
  • What about the Christian from that 'other' denomination. (Common thought is 'Why don't they drink coffee?')
  • And what about the Christian who doesn't go to church. (Common thought is 'How can you call yourself a Christian and not go to church?')

So how do we accept and welcome Christians who are different to us?
Maybe the answer is as simple as getting to know them. It's human nature to be drawn to like-minded people but for the good of the Church and our own spiritual lives we need to break down the barriers.
We could invite the gay couple over for dinner or go to one of the services at the church where they don't drink coffee.
When we make the move to accept others we often find that we have more in common than we thought. After all, we're all Christians and Jesus is always a good starting point.


If you have any suggestions about how we can learn to accept and welcome others please feel free to add it in the comments section. 

My 2016 Song of the Year


Great rock songs are recorded every year.
Great worship songs are recorded every year.
Great combinations of the two, lets just say they, unfortunately, don't show up every day.

2016 had some great songs but one stood out for me above all the others.
I guess it helps that it's written by my favourite band Skillet.
It's a song you probably won't hear them play at many of the secular festivals they are invited to. Rather, it's song that shows the true heart beat of the band and will hopefully silence critics who question their faith and motives.

The song is called 'Stars' off their 2016 album Unleashed.







Stars Lyrics
© 2016 Skillet

You spoke a word and life began
Told oceans where to start and where to end
You set in motion time and space
But still you come and you call to me by name
Still you come and you call to me by name

If you can hold the stars in place
You can hold my heart the same
Whenever I fall away
Whenever I start to break
So here I am, lifting up my heart
To the one who holds the stars

The deepest depths, the darkest nights
Can't separate, can't keep me from your sight
I get so lost, forget my way
But still you love and you don't forget my name

If you can hold the stars in place
You can hold my heart the same
Whenever I fall away
Whenever I start to break
So here I am, lifting up my heart
If you can calm the raging sea
You can calm the storm in me
You're never too far away
You never show up too late
So here I am, lifting up my heart
To the one who holds the stars

Your love has called my name
What do I have to fear?
What do I have to fear?
Your love has called my name
What do I have to fear?
What do I have to fear?

If you can hold the stars in place
You can hold my heart the same
Whenever I fall away
Whenever I start to break
So here I am, lifting up my heart
(Lifting up my heart)
If you can calm the raging sea
You can calm the storm in me
You're never too far away
You never show up too late
So here I am, lifting up my heart
To the one who holds the stars

You're the one who holds the stars