Man's rights' or the 'harmonious communion between law and religion in the universal order

• Author: Nicoleta-Elena Buzatu - Anca Paiusescu
• Position: Lecturer, Ph.D. Candidate, Law School, University of Bucharest, 'Dimitrie Cantemir' Christian University, Bucharest, Faculty of Juridical and Administrative Sciences, Department of Public Administration - Lawyer, Lecturer, Ph.D, 'Dimitrie Cantemir' Christian University, Bucharest, Faculty of Political Sciences, Department of Communication and PR
• Pages: 202-205

“MAN’S RIGHTS” OR THE “HARMONIOUS COMMUNION BETWEEN LAW AND RELIGION IN

THE UNIVERSAL ORDER”

Nicoleta-Elena Buzatu

Anca Piuescu

Abstract

The abundance of laws concerning man’s rights and the activities meant to pr each about the religious

tolerance - visible in the last 60 years - ra ise the question whether the level of the public morality has been

improved. This seems to be a cosmic question, which consequently, is not given a definite answer.

Key words: lay, religion, Chr istian, rights, liberties.

Introduction

The Christian conception about man is similar to the doctrine based on the teachings about man’s

fundamental rights and liberties. Man’s rights have a universa l character just because the universal values of all

types of religions ha ve things in common, especially with reg ard to toler ance and non -discrimination. Breaking

man’s rights brough t about lots of tragedies and serious political and social conflict, as well as a wave of

violence among nations or even within nations themselves.

I. Are Man’s Rights of a Divine Origin or are they granted by men or by state?

The adepts of religious denominations are on the point to gain the right to gather freely in assemblies

and express their common rel igious convictions. The climax of t he nat ural evolutio n of the religious groups is

that of organizing themselves, by associating natural persons, s haring similar religious creeds, with legal

personalities. Affiliating legal persons, whose mission is to promote religious convictions, is practically aimed at

translating into practice the direct achievement of the right concerning the liberty of conscience, thinking and

religion. In Caritas in Veritate,

1 Pope Benedictus the XVI-th warns:

“Nowadays we are the witnesses of an extremely serious inconsistency. On the one side, the so-called

arbitrary and non-essential rights are claimed and accompanied by the request of being recognized and promoted by

authorities while, on the other side, the basic and elementary rights are not taken into consideration and are violated

almost everywhere in the world. If the only basis of man’s rights can lay in the conclusions drawn by an assembly

of citizens, these rights can any moment be changed, and thus the obligation of observing and accomplishing them

simply disappears from the conscience of the community. In other words, both governments and international

bodies can overlook the objectivity and sacredness of these rights.”

Fact is that certain rights granted by the state can be annulled and withdrawn by the very state itself, and

so the door toward abuses is large open. Consequently, frauds and deceits can even be legally consecrated !

Important norms based on the divine origin of man’s rights:

1. The Bible: Man is the creation of God, appointed to master over all beasts. From this point of

view, the extremist environmentalism proves to be satanic, as it ma kes no distinction between man and beast, but

even considers them superior to man!

2. Magna Charta (1215).

3. The Petition of Rights (1628).

4. Habeas Corpus Act (1679).

5. Bill of Rights (1689).

6. The Universal Declaration of Man’s Rights: UNO, 1948.

7. The Constitution of the United States (17 September 1787).

8. Déclaration des droits de la femme et de la citoyenne (1791).

9. Déclaration des Droits de l'Homme et du Citoyen (26 août 1789).

10. John F. KENNEDY (January 20, 1961): “... the belief that the righ ts of man come not from the

generosity of the state, but from the hand of God”.

The general notion of man’s rights is inspired from the divine revelation and from the r ecognition of the

fact the all human creatures are created in the image and likeness of God.2 The validity of these ri ghts is to be

 Lecturer, Ph.D. Candidate, Law School, University of Bucharest, “Dimitrie Cantemir” Christian University, Bucharest, Faculty of Juridical

and Administrative Sciences, Department of Public Administration, nicoleta_buzatu@yahoo.com.

 Lawyer, Lecturer, Ph.D, “Dimitrie Cantemir” Christian University, Bucharest, Faculty of Political Sciences, Department of

Communication and PR, ancamili@yahoo.com.

1 In Marian Covlea, Aprarea drepturilor omului - Documentar, under print at the Prouniversitaria Printing House, Bucharest, 2011.

2 Genesis, 1:26-27. See also the Universal Declaration of Human Dignity www.dignitatishumanae.com (translator’s note).