OK, I hadn’t planned on blogging anything special on Easter this year but a Christian friend of mine replied to a microblog post I put up earlier today and it got me thinking about a few things:

1) The majority of Americans are Christian.

2) A tiny fraction of Americans are atheists.

3) Atheists don’t get holidays.

4) When we get snarky in the face of quite a few public displays of affection for God, Jesus, etc, why aren’t we just ignored like we usually are?

It seems disingenuous, to me, that the majority feels the need to defend itself against the minority. As an average atheist, it seems like I should have the right to be exponentially louder than the average Christian since there are so many of them out there. I need to speak up in order to be heard over the voices of all those believers.

Yet, I feel like I get lectured when I do speak up for myself and my beliefs.

I don’t need to be told about how there’s a God, or how Jesus died for my sins or whatever else. I’ve heard it all before. None of it is enough for me–not that I’m saying anything against you.

My friend explained that he felt the need to defend the intelligence of believers despite me not saying anything about the intelligence of believers in the first place. Really, it’s not about how smart or dumb you are–it’s about what you choose to believe and what you choose to do with that belief.

If it helps you to believe that there is a benevolent being watching over us that can be appealed to for help, by all means, believe in Him. Personally, I’d rather assume that there is no God and behave according to my own morals.

What bothers me is when people who normally talk about politics, current events, or other non-God-related things start talking about how “He is Risen”. Suddenly, I’m wondering why they felt the need to say such a thing to me. Yes, OK, you’re Christian, Happy Easter, enjoy the chocolate.

Then I see it again and again and I’m suddenly feeling like a freak for not believing that Jesus even existed. But whatever, man–people believe what they want and I’m fine with that. But on days like today, it’s hard to move on, so I joke about how I’m going to take a moment to marvel at how the seasons work at keeping us alive and then watch “The God That Wasn’t There” again.

Of course, my snarkiness is taken as disrespectful, or, at the very least, in need of a reply/counter-argument/etc. It seems like the majority can’t leave the minority to it’s whinyness. And that’s ultimately, fine, too–I mean, it’s the Internet, right? The majority of the web is porn and what isn’t porn is divided up between illegal file sharing and useless arguments (it would seem).

What bothers me is when a belief in something un-provable replaces the known facts of a situation.

I could die of an aneurysm before I finish typing up this post. However, some of you would suggest “well, say a prayer, make sure God is happy with you and He won’t let that happen.”

Right, or I could just understand that I could die and move forward with the idea that I should live my life to the fullest because I could die at any time.

See? It’s up to personal choice.

No right or wrong answer. Both sides can’t prove they are right.

So, if you’re a “believer” please, the next time you see one of us “non-believers” commenting about how we don’t believe or are annoyed by religious holidays or whatever, keep your opinion to yourself. You’re the majority. Anything you say is going to sound just as pompous, self-righteous and insulting as what we said in the first place. The difference is, we’ve already heard what you have to say and that’s why we’re atheists.

It might serve you to listen to our opinions since you may not have heard them before–it’s not like we atheist have dramatically influenced culture for centuries the way y’all have.

OK, so, yesterday was One Day for Human Rights, right? Head over to OneDayForHumanRights.com for more on that. But the way I look at it, every day should be a day when we defend human rights, right?
Now, I’m just a blogger–the only “weapons” I use are my words. So, that’s how I’m defending human rights. Speaking up and speaking out–hey, in some countries, that would get me thrown in jail.

So here’s day 2. I’m not saying I’ll be able to keep this up forever, but I’ve got a few ideas for posts. For starters, I thought I’d post the entire Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Sure, you can find it elsewhere, but until these rights are actually universally respected around the globe, it can’t help to keep repeating them over and over, right?

Now, on OneDayForHumanRights.com, they have a post that includes the entire text of the UDHR, but also links to where they got it from. Here’s where I got the below text from:

www.unhchr.ch/udhr/lang/eng.htm

Find it in other languages here:

www.unhchr.ch/udhr/navigate/alpha.htm

OneDayForHumanRights.com also made available, in PDF format, a flier about human rights abuses around the world and the UDHR in it’s entirety. I’m hosting copies of those PDFs here at ThePete.Com along with a text version of the UDHR.

Here’s an intro about the UDHR from it’s Wikipedia page:

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly (10 December 1948 at Palais de Chaillot, Paris). The Guinness Book of Records describes the UDHR as the “Most Translated Document” in the world. The Declaration arose directly from the experience of the Second World War and represents the first global expression of rights to which all human beings are inherently entitled. It consists of 30 articles which have been elaborated in subsequent international treaties, regional human rights instruments, national constitutions and laws. The International Bill of Human Rights consists of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and its two Optional Protocols. In 1966 the General Assembly adopted the two detailed Covenants, which complete the International Bill of Human Rights; and in 1976, after the Covenants had been ratified by a sufficient number of individual nations, the Bill took on the force of international law.

So, there you go–not only is it a guide book, but it’s a law book, too.

Here it is, just for you, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:

Preamble

Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,

Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,

Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,

Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations,

Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,

Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in cooperation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms,

Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge,

Now, therefore,

The General Assembly,

Proclaims this Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.

Article 1

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Article 2

Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.

Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.

Article 3

Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.

Article 4

No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.

Article 5

No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Article 6

Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.

Article 7

All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.

Article 8

Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.

Article 9

No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.

Article 10

Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.

Article 11

1. Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defence.
2. No one shall be held guilty of any penal offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a penal offence, under national or international law, at the time when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the penal offence was committed.

Article 12

No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.

Article 13

1. Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each State.
2. Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.

Article 14

1. Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.
2. This right may not be invoked in the case of prosecutions genuinely arising from non-political crimes or from acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Article 15

1. Everyone has the right to a nationality.
2. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.

Article 16

1. Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.
2. Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.
3. The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.

Article 17

1. Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.
2. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.

Article 18

Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

Article 19

Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

Article 20

1. Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
2. No one may be compelled to belong to an association.

Article 21

1. Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives.
2. Everyone has the right to equal access to public service in his country.
3. The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.

Article 22

Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality.

Article 23

1. Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.
2. Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.
3. Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection.
4. Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.

Article 24

Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay.

Article 25

1. Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.
2. Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.

Article 26

1. Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.
2. Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.
3. Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.

Article 27

1. Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.
2. Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author.

Article 28

Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized.

Article 29

1. Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible.
2. In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society.
3. These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Article 30

Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.

I’m thinking it’s pretty sad that it’s the 21st century and we even need one of these things. Makes you wonder just how far we have actually come as a species and as a culture.

I’ll be blogging more about human rights today, inline with the website OneDayForHumanRights.com

In the meantime, head over there and see what’s up.