HUMAN DIGNITY
“In order to understand this concept we have to know the meaning of the key word dignity. “is honorable prestige. It is an intrinsic worth of the human person that deserves social respect.
The human person possesses this quality because we believe that s/he is crated in the image of God, the creator of all things. The Bible says:”And God said; let us make man in our image, after our likeness: Let him have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” It further states:”what is man, that you are mindful of him?....for You have made him a little lower than the angels, and have crowned him with glory and honor. You made him to have dominion over the works of your hands. You have put all things under his feet….(psalm 8:4-6).
Human beings, unlike other creatures, also have two unique faculties-“Intellect” and “Will”. No matter what a person’s life experience or up bring. He/she knows better, because he/she is endowed with intelligence. And, no matter what a person’s cultural conditioning of value system, he/she is totally free to change. He/she has a free will.
Thus, even if there may be some persons who may not believe that the human person is created in the likeness of God, they cannot deny the fact that man/woman is endowed with reason, with intelligence, which makes him/her different from other creatures and enables him/her to distinguish between good and bad, fair and unfair, just and unjust. Using his intellect the human person analyses things and other phenomena and usually arrives at a normal and logical conclusion that is agreeable to the conscience of man/woman. Man’s/woman’s intelligence tells him/her not to do unto others that which he/she does not like to be done to him/her and to do unto others which he/she would like others to do unto him/her. These are the religious and philosophical bases of human dignity. It is common knowledge that every normal human being expects others to recognize his/her intrinsic worth and give him/her due respect. Unless society recognizes the inherent worth of the human person and gives him due respect, there will not be peace and social harmony on this planet. This seems the reason why concern for human dignity is incorporated into the charter of the United Nations. The preamble of the UN Charter reaffirms the faith of the peoples of the United Nations ”…in the dignity and worth of human person…”and proclaims their determination “to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom.””https://www.facebook.com/Tamrat1