Are the following really Christian?
Article 4: No one shall be held in slavery or servitude
Article 5: No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
Very Christian, I would say, unless you think that Christ advocated slavery or torture.
The economic pressures for slavery meant that many self-proclaimed Christians supported it, but it was never compatible with their beliefs. Interestingly, slaves in Catholic colonies were much better treated than in Protestant ones.
UN Declaration of Human Rights were a product of more than just Christianity, but it is noticable that it does not recognise Sexual preference as a human right. I suspect without the power of the church this form of equality would have been included.
Because in 1948 most people were pretty relaxed about homosexuality? Come on. These charters were the product of Western society at that time. That's how most people thought. This is the point I'm making. You're treating these charters as if they are set in stone, but they're era-dependent.
For example, utilitarians support reproductive cloning, animal-human hybrids and GM-humans. These things will cause tremendous misery. Your charters won't stop them. They hadn't been thought of in 1948. The charters will have to be updated, and that will be done according to current thinking. If that thinking is utilitarian, they'll be allowed. If not, they'll be banned. It just depends on the thinking, and the politics, of the day.
Never mind. One can generally trust politicians to make good ethical decisions.
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