Discussion Questions - Chapter 2
42. The right to life is a positive right. I believe that life is a God-given right. I believe that we do have an obligation not to harm other people, because God created them too. Plus, we are obligated to not harm another person because we ourselves do not want to be harmed by another person. It is not up to us to provide food, shelter, and other necessities to people, but I believe we should if a person is in need and we have the ability to give something up. For example, if Person A has no means of getting food, and Person B, who has plenty of food, meets Person A on the street or wherever, then Person B should help Person A by giving them some food. Is it really fair for one to walk by a person who they know needs food and say to themselves "You have no food and no money to get food, and I have plenty of food and plenty of money to get food, but I'm not giving you any because it's up to you to provide for yourself." As a Christian, I do not believe that God would want us to do that. In the Bible, Luke 3:11 says "The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same." Not giving a person something in this situation would be equivalent to harming them, and we are obligated not to harm them.
43. Rights which should be considered legitimate positive rights by our society:
a. Right to a K-12 education: every child should have the right to a quality education. After high school though, it should be up to the child to either find a job or go to college. Colleges provide scholarships to those who cannot afford it, so a person with little money would not be prevented from receiving a higher education. If a person does not have good enough grades to get into ANY college, then higher education is not for them.
b. Right to housing: with exceptions! Anyone under the age of 18 should have the right to housing. After 18, you are legally considered an adult, and therefore it should be up to you to find a place to live, whether it be with parents, relatives, friends, or by yourself.
c. Right to health care: no person should be denied health care. Having insurance is a big deal these days, and hospitals will not treat people without insurance. But if a person does not have insurance and comes to the hospital about to die, then I do not think they should be denied medical attention. I do not think that health care should be free, but I do think it should be less expensive so people who otherwise cannot afford it will be able to receive the care they need.
43. Rights which should be considered legitimate positive rights by our society:
a. Right to a K-12 education: every child should have the right to a quality education. After high school though, it should be up to the child to either find a job or go to college. Colleges provide scholarships to those who cannot afford it, so a person with little money would not be prevented from receiving a higher education. If a person does not have good enough grades to get into ANY college, then higher education is not for them.
b. Right to housing: with exceptions! Anyone under the age of 18 should have the right to housing. After 18, you are legally considered an adult, and therefore it should be up to you to find a place to live, whether it be with parents, relatives, friends, or by yourself.
c. Right to health care: no person should be denied health care. Having insurance is a big deal these days, and hospitals will not treat people without insurance. But if a person does not have insurance and comes to the hospital about to die, then I do not think they should be denied medical attention. I do not think that health care should be free, but I do think it should be less expensive so people who otherwise cannot afford it will be able to receive the care they need.
posted by Emily @ 5:08 PM
0 comments
