Is monotheism compatible with human rights?

i appreciate your question a lot. even though i don't necessarily agree with your conclusions, you really demonstrate critical thinking.

i don't think that article 16 refers to gay marriage. first, this was written in 1948, when homosexuality was still considered a disease to be cured. secondly, it say without restriction due to "race, nationality, or religion," none of which refer to one's sexual orientation.

as for article 26, it is arguable what fundamental freedoms are exactly. i believe that teaching your children about spirituality is part of developing them fully. of course, that doesn't mean that what i believe should be taught in schools. i think that every moral stance should be taught as one opinion. just because it's a popular opinion (i.e. pro-choice) does not necessarily mean that it respects human rights (the question becomes "whose rights are more important, the mother or her child?")

lastly, for article 27, what it means to participate is a matter of opinion. i don't agree that religions deny science, nor that they don't allow women to participate. i am a woman, am in seminary studying to be a pastor, and have been a director of spiritual formation in a church. women are allowed to participate in all aspects of christianity in my church. as far as science, faith and science are not mutually exclusive.

How do the kids say it these days? EPIC FAIL. :-)

Judaism doesn't have much of a concept of hell. There's a vague idea of a cleansing period that lasts no more than one year. And you have be REALLY bad for it to take that long. Jews stop saying the Mourner's prayer for their parents after 11 months -- because you wouldn't want to imply that they were evil enough to need the full year.

Three of the four Jewish movements in the U.S. are egalitarian, no separation of men and women or distinction between them. (The exception in some synagogues is an effort to have gender balance in the leadership.) Amongst the Orthodox, women may be segregated, but they are still encouraged to study. Some have women's minyanim, 10 or more women forming the quorum needed for certain prayers.

Two of the movements make no distinction with regards to orientation, ordaining out gay and lesbian rabbis and performing same-gender weddings and divorces -- even where such a ceremony has no legal component. A third leaves it up to the individual synagogues to decide for themselves.

Jews tend to be pretty pragmatic, especially when it comes to things like sex. We'll make sure that the kids know what they need to know to stay safe.

And the single most important thing which you've completely neglected -- Jews understand that Judaism is OUR way and our way only. Other people have their own ways. Think that one through carefully. Judaism teaches that all people will have a share in the world to come. All people, not just Jews, not just those who adhere to a particular dogma or have gone through particular rituals. All people.

My observation is that when people attack monotheism, they're usually really talking about the universalizing tendency that Christianity and Islam picked up from the militaristic empires that used and spread the religions. Those empires saw themselves as one ruler over continents.

Jews have always seen themselves as one people amongst a great many peoples. That's a significant difference.

Judaism, the religion of the covenant of Abraham...does not support what you claim.

The Torah never indicates that anyone who does not embrace God is deserving of a hell concept that is foreign to the Torah. Article 5 has no basis on any Jewish thinking. The concept of a soul being tortured in a firey Gehennom was a specific punishment meted out in Torah for people who engaged in human sacrifice to placate false deities. Nothing is said of an eternal hell, there is no concept in Torah and Judaism. That threat is only from Christian or Muslim dogma, not Judaism.

The asker's premise is based on the dogma of Christianity and to a lesser extent Islam and not of the monotheism of Judaism.

It is a common misunderstanding, but it is indeed a gross misunderstanding to assign to the strict monotheism of Judaism a belief that those outside of the sphere of belief in the monotheist incorporeal omnipotent Creator are considered lesser beings.

In addition, Judaism does not have a demi-god devil of the underworld.

You "support" your use of "monotheism" rather than Christian or Islamic dogma on a false premise, because the morality of Torah is based ON the premise that all humans are equal before God. All may connect to God directly, but primarily that it is how we live over what we believe that is important..and Tanakh shows that even a Persian King Cyrus that the text explicity notes does not believe in God was BLESSED by said God for his righteous rule.

Your premise is flawed. Whether or not you accept that is your choice. You're not going to impose concepts contradictory to Judaism onto Jewish believers even if you insist they're there.

Article 26 reads very Jewish to me :)

H.u.S has it in a nutshell..ALL that monotheism implies blanket statement wise is the belief that there is only one Deity. Nothing else can be implied to be shared.

edit: The asker may also wish to see the Central Conference of American Rabbis twenty four year old Position Statement against the imposing of religious dogma in public schools under the guise of science and supports the teaching of evolution in biology.

http://data.ccarnet.org/cgi-bin/resodisp.pl?file=t...

The asker's problems appear to be with specific aspects of the dogma of certain religions, and not monotheism.

'Buddy R' forgets that if it wasn't for secular law Christians would still be marrying 7-12 year old girls like they were in the USA up until late 1800's.

He also 'forgets' that democracy is from the Greek civilization (pagan)

He also 'forgets' that common English law as practiced most widely in the West was from the Anglo Saxon times (pagan)

He also forgets that 'good Christians' were electrocuting homosexuals just recently, not to mention enslaving black people.

Funny, did someone update 'Buddy R's Bible in the last hundred years?

*EDIT*

I agree with H.u.S , that is the correct answer.

Well, even Humans have a hard time following Human Rights.

Maybe Christianity and Islam are incompatible with human rights, but not monotheism. As far as I know, the word "monotheism" does not imply anything more than belief in a single god.

I can only speak with relation to Judaism. Judaism teaches that all humans are equal and all must be treated with respect. Judaism has a very complex and comprehensive set of rules that are there to ensure fair treatment of all people.

So no - I don't agree with your premise as far as the Jewish faith is involved.

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The entire literature of the Jewish faith supports my 'claim'. The Talmud, for example, is full of rulings and discussions on the importance of treating all people equally, and there are volumes of debates as to 'how' to apply Jewish religious law in order to do just that.

The onus is not on US as monotheists to prove that we are fair - the onus is on YOU to prove we're not, because YOU are the one throwing down the gauntlet.

We shouldn't give people 'rights' that we lack the will and ability to enforce!

Since one of those rights is freeedom of religion, surely the rest of it is moot since religion gives people the 'right' to deprive others of these rights.

Yes. The West was based pretty much on Christianity. In the West you have more rights than anywhere else in the world.

You don't have the right to tell God where you are going to spen eternity. God has the right to send you to hell.

You don't have the right to marry a cat, dog, a child, or someone of your own gender. Marriage is between a man and a woman.

It is interesting that you don't tolerant any belief in one God so you are intollerant and in violation of Article 26.

Sorry, you are not God. You don't have the right to tell God who he will call to preach.

Suspect the only real concern is then the monotheistic Faith denies other people the rights to believe differently.

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