THE EIKON

What is a right? What gives you a right to something? Who can take that right away? Did you do anything to earn this right? What constitutes as a human right? What is the difference between a right and a privilege?

Perhaps these are questions that we have all thought at some point. The term is thrown around so frequently in the discourse of today that to many it has lost its meaning.
In the United States, the Declaration of Independence identifies three God-given rights, life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. Influenced by enlightenment thinker John Locke, these are not given by the Constitution or the Government but inherent to humanity, meaning that no man could strip them from another. Thomas Jefferson adapted Locke's third point "property" to "pursuit of happiness", not because he envisioned a future without private property but because he wanted to show that these rights preexist any governmental body. These three God-given rights are said to be unalienable, that they cannot be taken away. Alienable rights are rights that may be stripped under just circumstances. The Constitution and subsequent Bill of Rights do not actually grant any rights, but merely attempt to limit government power by protecting against that which would infringe on the God-given rights that we posses.
The United Nations has posted lists of its proposed "Human Rights List". But the issue arises that calling something a human right does not make it so. UN rulings only apply to nations who choose to accept them. If a country can violate a human right by not accepting it, it is not a human right. In modern day when someone describes something as a human right, they mean either that they want it to be a protected freedom or that they believe the right is contingent on a God-given right.
From the above, it is evident that no man has the unalienable right to another man's work. In fact, it is the individual who owns their body, mind, and labor. The individual may exchange any of these as they see fit, but to claim the labor or property of one person without their voluntary consent is involuntary servitude. Goods and services cannot be rights because they require someone else's labor. Therefore, the claim that healthcare is a human right is unfounded. This claim require that you receive the labor of another and the labor of another is in no way is a God-given right.
A further question could be asked of at what point are God-given rights given to someone. Does the killing of an unborn child violate their God-given and constitutionally protected right to life? Some on the other hand have argued that abortion is a right. There is no such basis for this claim under the God-given or protected rights of the United States Constitution.
Many things are assumed to be rights are in fact privileges. A privilege is granted, not protected by the government and can be withdrawn based on the discretion of the granting authority. In the United States, driving is a privilege. Regardless of the tax dollars that you pay towards the roadway, the Constitution nor the Bill of Rights protect the federal government from restriction your driving access. Voting is another privilege that has been granted to more and more of the United State's population in a push for more universal suffrage.

In today's day, local news outlets have commonly acquired more trust than than large corporate networks. Local reporters have a more vested interest in their community and getting the facts out, rather than promoting a specific agenda. Local journalism also isn't gatekept by degrees or certifications, anyone can practice good journalism and reporting on issues that they are passionate about.

Good local reporting teaches truth and patience. Most stories do not offer quick answers, often times we are left wondering motives even after the story has concluded.

The Christ centered perspective so often goes overlooked when discussing the hot topics of today's news. So much confusion arrises when we see self-proclaimed Christ followers on corporate television stations calling for violence against others. And often Christians are left wondering on which issues they should act, with different voices online calling them in so many different directions.