Public Domain
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a milestone document in the history of human rights. Drafted by representatives with different legal and cultural backgrounds from all regions of the world, the Declaration was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948 (General Assembly resolution 217 A) as a common standard of achievements for all peoples and all nations. It sets out, for the first time, fundamental human rights to be universally protected and it has been translated into over 500 languages.
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.
While this one finishes up as if it’s all about religion and belief, it starts out by mentioning thought and conscience. No one should be able to tell you what to think. No one else can act as your conscience. The choice of religion, to follow one or not and to decide which one it will be if you do, is entirely yours. If you decide to change your religion or to leave them all behind, no one has the right to stop you. To practice or express your beliefs in the way you choose is your right. It doesn’t say so here, but I think it’s pretty obvious that our right to do this doesn’t include the right to negate or curtail anyone else’s rights. The thing about human rights is that they stop there, because rights are universal.
rjb
