FOR success, democracies with their bills of human rights rely on inputs and contributions that they cannot produce themselves as German philosopher and judge Ernst-Wolfgang Böckenförde reminds us in his 1964 lecture titled The Rise of the State as a Process of Secularization. In celebration of Human Rights Day on 21 March, it would be good to explore how religious and secular worldviews can co-create conditions within which human rights can flourish.
Religion has the potential to fulfil a constructive role in overcoming the violation of human rights as seen, for instance, in the crucial role of religious organisations in the struggle against apartheid. We are, however, also aware of the destructive role of religion in the quest for human rights, as seen amongst some churches that provided theological…
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Cape Argus (Digital) - 1 Issue, 2025-03-20