"God-given rights," the Republicans keep saying. But that makes no sense.
(Assume for the sake of argument that we believe in some sort of God.) If rights were God-given, then everyone would have them automatically. Or, if you're one who'd exclude people whose beliefs don't match yours, you'll still have to agree that all your co-believers would have these rights.
But they don't. Whatever your religion is, there are members of it somewhere in the world who are being persecuted, and who don't have the same rights you do.
Here's what rights actually are: Human-claimed. Human-demanded. Human-fought-for. And human-protected, or else human-lost -- taken away by other humans.
I think there is only one right that actually is God- (or whatever-) given: The right to breathe.
Below the slightly-crooked* orange curlyque I'll just say: Hello! I've been lurking here for several years (I think I joined in aught-eight), and this is my first post. It may be a little simplistic, but hey, I gotta start somewhere. This God-given-rights mini-rant has been boinging around in my skull for over a week, and I want it outta there! Need new rants! So maybe writing it here will purge it from my head, even if nobody ever reads this.
*sure wish they'd fix that!