Why do humans have dignity? Why are human rights important? Were humans given absolute rights? Most of us would probably reply saying, “Isn’t it obvious that we can take those things for granted?”, but are there really just obvious things?
If humans really evolved, if the survival of the fittest is really the rule by which life abides by, then is it justifiable for the strong to suppress/crush the weak in order to stand up?
Can we only conclude that we need to take care of each other just because coexistence is beneficial to our survival? Does this mean that we can ignore human dignity at times when coexistence does not benefit us? Then how can we rightfully rebut those who believe giving up coexistence is more beneficial to themself?
Under the Communist regime of the 20th century, around 100 million people were killed. (China 65 million, Soviet Union 20 million, North Korea 2 million, Cambodia 2 million, Africa 1.7 million, Afghanistan 1.5 million, Vietnam 1 million, Community states in Eastern Europe 1 million, South America 150,000). I guess not everyone considers the things we say are obvious to be obvious.
I watched the movie called Sound of Freedom at the theaters last week because our brother Dan recommended it. The movie depicts the life of Timothy Ballard, an agent working at the Department of Homeland Security who encounters a case in which young children are kidnapped and made into sex slaves. In order to save the children, he quits his job and heads down to Columbia. There, he embarks on a mission that could possibly take away his life. The movie illustrates the heartwarming story in which he manages to save the children.
I realized something new through watching this movie. Even today, over 500,000 people are enslaved, and most of these victims are, tragically, children. The weakest beings are being the most miserably suppressed. It infuriates me to see hot tears streaming down the faces of children being mercilessly strapped on and trampled in the face of human greed. Seeing the tears of their parents breaks my heart even more as I cry and shudder at the childrens’ moaning.
A quote from Tim Ballard, the person who risked his life to fight for these children, rings in my heart. Faith over this very phrase allowed him to risk his life:
“God’s children are not for sale."
God teaches us about human dignity and claims it. God suggests to us the truth that becomes the absolute foundation for ethics, human laws and human rights. The answers to all the questions above tally out to one verse: the absolute standard of the absolute God.
So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them(Genesis 1:27)
The absolute reason for our dignity lies in God.
Following the shepherd…
Pastor Jiwon Choi