Benedicamus Domino!
I really should get quotations from different sources sent to me via Twitter, but until I do, here's another one from our good friend C. S. Lewis which set me pondering. He writes: "Very often the only way to get a quality in reality is to start behaving as if you had it already." I think he's referring to things like charity, faith, hope, courage and other virtues, and this idea melded very nicely with some thoughts I've been having lately about the concept of dignity.
We often see in Christian thought a notion that God created us with a certain unique dignity among His creatures. We are described as having personhood and individuality, but we are also told that these can only be fully put to their proper uses by unity with God. Only then will our true dignity (which is really His dignity reflected in us) come through. So then, what is dignity?
Dignity is a very intangible quality, but it is one of those things that we know when we encounter it. It is very difficult to pretend to have dignity, or to lie while seeming to have dignity. It is usually composed of a certain gravity of manner, a bearing which is erect and careful, and a conduct which is, as far as possible, beyond reproach. It is about honour, respect, grace and a certin nobility of spirit, thought or action. It usually embodies a lot of other virtues like humility, patience, courage, really all the biggies, and the unique thing about dignity is that it cannot be maintained at the cost of another's dignity. We may think that it can, but the minute that you as a person of dignity tread on someone else, then your dignity is taken down.
At least, this is true in the world in which I would like to live. The real truth is that dignity can be used as a cloak for grievous injustice and also as a justification for said injustice. People often confuse true dignity (which is a gift conferred) with human rights, entitlement and reputation (which are all false flatterers of the worst kind!) Some of the most dignified people in the world have risked their public reputations to stand up for what they have believed in. Christ endured great indignities but still possessed His dignity, and this is true of those martyrs who came after Him. If true dignity were a matter of simple reputation, then we would never possess it, or we would always be losing it again and again.
So what about dignity as personal entitlement? Is it beneath our dignity to be denied what we feel should be our rights? Well, generally speaking, rights are taken away when we commit a crime or do something which is contrary to dignity's call, and yet there are other situations in which, when rights are taken away, dignity still remains. Many people have been denied freedom and what we call basic human rights and yet have shown themselves to be truly dignified and noble human beings, even to the point of forgiving those who have wronged them. So, it is clear that true dignity goes beyond the notion of mere human rights, and it is my belief that we should focus more on the concept of human dignity and less on that of human rights, because more can be gained by discussing human dignity.
Talking about human rights sounds lofty. We're trying to talk about equality for all, the basic rights of life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, freedom of speech and worship, and other such wonderful things. This is all very well, but whenever push comes to shove, it is always these rights which get trodden down. The idea of "human rights" always gets reduced to "my rights" versus "your rights." This is not what organizations such as Amnesty International would wish, but it tends to be how things work in this world. What I've found regarding human rights is that rights need always to be demanded, to be taken, to be claimed. There is a very confrontational attitude when invoking our rights, and it often seems that "my rights" are gained at the expense of "your rights" more often than not.
What would it be like if we talked about human dignity instead? Well, dignity is an a priori state. It already exists. We cannot demand our dignity. We have to seek it within ourselves and show it. Dignity gives out, whereas rights take in. Dignity is quiet. Rights are loud. Dignity demands something of us. Rights are demanded by us. In short, human dignity puts responsibility back into the notion of human rights, and ensures that we look out for others on this earth who have also been given the dignity of humanity and personhood.
So, going back to Lewis's quotation, I wonder how it would be if everyone in the world began to behave as though they and those around them had been created in God's image? What would it be like if we all truly reverenced each other as blessed beings? I think that a lot of our disrespect of each other comes from the fact that we view ourselves as bodies with talking heads and not much more. We try to escape our lives because we don't see ourselves or others as worth very much in the grand scheme of things. But what if we viewed everyone and everything around us as somehow sacred? I don't mean that we have to make idols of each other or of nature, but acknowledging that we are more than just a bunch of walking meat with gooey grey computers inside of us would be a start. It might just be the key to a better world. What do you think?
Deo Gratias!
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