Some may remember a post some months ago about me logging off a message board I had become involved in. I gave many reasons, and I stuck to my refrain from posting. Until today.
For many moons, I resisted temptation as I would check in from time to time just to see what was happening. Most of the time, I'd be able to beat back any urge to post.
But I couldn't today.
I just couldn't.
One of the posters asked the group to give a non-religious reason why same sex marriage should not be allowed. For my part, I wasn't interested in the same sex marriage statement. What drew my ire, and my commentary was the part about offering a non-religious reason.
Why did it draw my ire?
Well, simply put, (and what I asked the person who posted the question) give me a good, non-religious reason people have "rights" in the first place. Use science or reason to answer why we should honor, respect, and care for our fellow human. Use science or reason to answer why I should respect those who are different from me. Use science or reason to answer why those who have little ability or who cannot be productive or who demand more resources than they produce should be cared for and honored as important.
Take your time.
I'll wait.
I'd bet you'd have a hard time actually doing so. I'd bet the best you could do is looking scientifically at the natural world and seeing something called "tit for tat" WITHIN ONE'S OWN SOCIAL GROUP. I'd bet you couldn't come up with much to extend ethical behavior further than this.
You might come up with a few arguments that revolve around your own self interest. Such as, I care for others just in case I need to be taken care of. Might work very well for you. Might give you a very good reason for caring for others. But that doesn't provide another person with certain rights. That is not caring for others for others' sake. That's not caring for someone because they are important. That's caring for someone because you feel like you are important.
Still waiting.
The truth of the matter is, for nearly all people, the idea of human rights; the idea of a person having intrinsic value, is an idea of faith. It is not based in science. It is not based in reason. It is based purely in a statement of belief.
And how can one check one's beliefs in at the door before entering the public arena? How can one chop off the very place one gets one's understanding of ethics and human rights before discussing a topic regarding human rights and privileges (same sex marriage)? Simply put, one cannot and should not.
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