Respect

One topic that has been discussed, almost to exhaustion, in recent years is freedom of speech. There happened to be yet one more discussion on the ABC radio this afternoon while I was driving home from an appointment.

Years ago, it was more common than now to link ‘rights’ to ‘responsibilities’. Just as getting a licence, having passed all necessary tests, gives me the ‘right’ to drive, it also makes me ‘responsible’ for driving according to the road rules and in a manner which does not put others at risk.

One issue which is too frequently ignored is respect. Respecting other people, however much they differ from you, is something which should be standard. OK. There are some people who so consistently do not respect others, that respecting them is difficult – but we still have to respect their right to be treated according to the law.

If it were possible to have a community where respect for others’ right to be who they are was endemic, then the issue of free speech would disappear, as would many other causes of social friction.

One of the problems with many religions in today’s world, is that they ignore advances in knowledge and go back for direction to words recorded from ancient and more ignorant times.

Until relatively recently, anyone whose sexuality was not straight was shunned by many as unacceptable – and in the case of male homosexuals, in many places they were legally regarded as committing a crime if they had a sexual relationship with another man.

Former Justice Michael Kirby bears witness to the extremities of discrimination that any member of the LGBTIQ community was once subject. But, since science has revealed that this community does not, after birth, choose not to be straight but the decision is made before the foetus reaches full term, then every single human being has the right to be treated with respect as regards their sexuality.

Sadly, old habits die slowly!

Clearly, if people refuse to accept that knowledge of the world around us is always growing, as more and more discoveries are made, discoveries are made, then they will often, in ignorance, cause hurt to others. Once this has been pointed out to them, to fall back on their religious texts to support their argument is not an option.

I often wonder how much more peaceful the world might be if people did not follow any religion at all!

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About RosemaryJ36 239 Articles
Rosemary Jacob Born and initially educated in England, arrived in Australia, 1/1/71. She has always loved maths and graduated from Imperial College London with a BSc (Special) Mathematics in 1957. Early influences have made her a strong supporter of social justice, a feminist and a believer that education is a lifelong pursuit. In 2008 she was admitted as a solicitor and barrister, practising law until 2012, while she also became an accredited mediator, practising until late 2017.She is concerned for the future of her 3 great grandchildren under the climate emergency.

6 Comments

  1. Imagine there’s no heaven
    It’s easy if you try
    No hell below us
    Above us, only sky
    Imagine all the people living for today

    Imagine there’s no countries
    It isn’t hard to do
    Nothing to kill or die for
    And no religion too
    Imagine all the people living life in peace

    Imagine no possessions
    I wonder if you can
    No need for greed or hunger
    A brotherhood of man
    Imagine all the people sharing all the world

    You may say I’m a dreamer
    But I’m not the only one
    I hope some day you’ll join us
    And the world will live as one

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