Human Rights, Dignity and Responsibility

Canadians have always pride ourselves on being a nation of tolerance. We believe that everyone has the right to live as he chooses.

As a church, we have committed to work towards “Empowering Mission to the Dalits and Beyond”.

This vision is birthed and rooted in our conviction that everyone is endowed with dignity with basic human rights. As the custodian of God’s truth, the church recognises her responsibility to tell all peoples that God loves them because they are made in the image of God and they have a right to choose Christ (John 3:16).

However, human rights do not mean unlimited rights.

Theologian John Stott offered his view on the relationship between human rights, equality and responsibility in his book, New Issues Facing Christian Today,
“Here then is a Christian perspective on human rights. First, we affirm human dignity. Because human beings are created in God’s image to know him, serve one another and be stewards of the earth, therefore they must be respected. Secondly, we affirm human equality. Because human beings have all been made in the same image by the same Creator, therefore we must not be obsequious to some and scornful to others, but behave without partiality to all. Thirdly, we affirm human responsibility. Because God has laid it upon us to love and serve our neighbours, therefore we must fight for their rights, while being ready to renounce our own in order to do so.”

When the church is able to exercise our freedom and responsibility in a way that is compatible to our calling, the world will see that Jesus is the Light of the world.