The topic for January’s Theology at the Bottleworks was “Rights in America.” The night was fun, full of good conversation on a complex issue. The evening didn’t conclude with a consensus, but then that’s not really the point

(see my post 1 and post 2 for some of the goals for TATB). This post will give you a flavor of some of the evening’s themes, especially spiritual perspectives. What, you didn’t think that rights had anything to do with Christian spirituality?

We Americans certainly have rights. Rights are granted in the Bill of Rights. States give its citizens rights. And rights language abounds in our culture; stories appear every day regarding the existence, enforcement and violation of personal rights. In fact, it seems any predominant ethos or moral code in the US has faded as the country becomes more culturally, ethically and spiritually diverse. Questions of what should be, or ought to be, are mostly subrogated to the one trumping question of “Don’t I have the right?” to do or say this or that.

Is the preoccupation with rights consistent with Christianity? How important are rights to spirituality, to a life of faith? This blog isn’t going to resolve that question, but will offer some thoughts prompted by the recent TATB:

• In the beginning, was man given rights, or a relationship? It seems man could do everything he wanted, but for a limitation regarding a certain tree. Was that a limit on man’s rights, since inherent in creation is God’s authority to say what man can or can’t do? Perhaps man doesn’t have rights so much as man has liberties within limits set by God?
• Your answers to the questions, “Who am I?” and “Why am I here?” directly affect your conclusions regarding rights. A Christian has rights as any other American but his/her rights are not usually the utmost thing in mind. The Christian’s identity, purpose and mission seem not so much rights-based as they are mission-based and person-based. A Christian’s mission is to follow Christ and live as he lived and as he taught us. This does not seem to involve as much rights-enforcement as it does lots of other actions and attitudes.
• If your rights are honored and enforced completely and entirely, that may make you a successful American citizen of sorts; but that is not synonymous with being a contented or whole or healed or redeemed or even successful human being.
• Maybe Christianity is more about serving than being served; more of valuing what is good, noble, godly and true than valuing what we can legally require; maybe less about demanding our rights than sometimes de-emphasizing them when that furthers God’s kingdom. The Sermon on the Mount has some mind-bending ideals in this respect.
• The Scriptures aren’t silent on rights, though they seem more focused on furthering justice for others than enforcing our own rights: “Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” Proverbs 31:9; “Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.” Psalm 82:3
• Civil rights may seem like an answer to the question, “How do we fix what’s wrong with the world?” but they just aren’t. The brokenness and sinfulness of the world doesn’t result from lack of rights, but from a fallen world and lack of spiritual rebirth. A spiritual problem requires a spiritual solution, not a civil rights one.

People care about rights, and Midrash explores the spiritual side of issues that people care about. I hope you found the above thoughts interesting or helpful. Now, mark your calendar for the February TATB, when we take up the simple little question of, “Is There God or Not?”