Civil and Human Rights

We affirm all persons as equally valuable in the sight of God. We therefore work toward societies in which each person’s value is recognized, maintained, and strengthened. As a church we support local agencies who focus on the basic rights of all persons to equal access to housing, education, communication, employment, medical care, legal redress for grievances, and physical protection. We address specific areas such as racism and domestic violence, our Faith in Action group continually strives to change the attitudes and systems that diminish the rights of all people, and our youth ministry has taken “Civil Rights Awareness Trips” to Arkansas, Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama.

Consider these questions:

What is the Christian responsibility when it comes to people who are oppressed?
What does this sort of ministry look like in today’s day and age?
How is the Holy Spirit enabling you (the church) for ministry that is a faithful witness to the love and grace of Jesus Christ?
How can we work to insure that all people are treated as images of God?

What is the difference between a civil right and a human right? Simply put, human rights are rights one acquires by being alive. Civil rights are rights that one obtains by being a legal member of a certain political state. There are obviously several liberties that overlap between these two categories, but the breakdown of rights between human and civil is roughly as follows:

Human Rights Include:

the right to life
the right to education
protection from torture
freedom of expression
the right to a free trial

Civil Rights within the United States include:

protection from discrimination
the right to free speech
the right to due process
the right to equal protection
the right against self-incrimination