Hello, my name's Mrs. Robin and I'd like to welcome you to this lesson on Christianity, human rights and social justice that we'll be working on together today.

In today's lesson, you will be able to explain how Christian beliefs inspire responses to human rights and social justice.

Keywords that we'll be using today are human rights, responsibilities and social justice.

Human rights are freedoms and protections that every person should have because they are human.

Responsibilities are the duties or obligations to act in a way that considers the impact on others.

And social justice is the fair and equal distribution of wealth, opportunities and rights within society with special care for the vulnerable and oppressed.

Today's lesson will have two parts.

We'll be looking at rights and responsibilities and at responses to social injustice.

So let's get started on rights and responsibilities.

The term human rights comes from Latin.

We have humanus, meaning man and rights, which comes from the word rectus, meaning straight or correct.

Over time, human rights came to mean a legal or moral entitlement.

The idea of human rights developed during the Enlightenment, especially through the work of thinkers like John Locke and was formalised in documents, like the "Universal Declaration of Human Rights" in 1948.

Now, it might seem obvious to us that all humans have rights, but this has not been the case throughout all of history.

Long ago, the idea that everyone had equal rights barely existed.

In ancient societies like Egypt, Greece and Rome, rights and freedoms were reserved for a privileged few, often rich men, while most people like slaves and women were left out.

Some early thinkers spoke about natural justice, but these ideas were limited and did not yet challenge unfair systems. During the Middle Ages, Christianity in Europe began to influence thinking about human value.

The church taught that all people were created equal before God, planting early seeds of the idea that every person had worth, even if society did not yet treat them that way.

However, rights were still mainly connected to religious structures and real freedom for ordinary people was rare.

A major turning point came with the Enlightenment in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Here, secular philosophers like John Locke, Voltaire and Rousseau argued that rights, such as life, liberty and property belonged to people because they were human and not because of any religious status.

They used reason to defend freedom and equality.

Now, these revolutionary ideas help spark major events like the "American Declaration of Independence" in 1776 and the "French Declaration of the Rights of Man" in 1789, demanding rights for all citizens.

Even so, rights were not fully realised yet.

In the 1800s and 1900s, both religious and secular movements fought for change.

Christian campaigners like William Wilberforce, inspired by their faith, battled to end slavery, arguing that human dignity came from being created by God.

At the same time, secular activists pushed for workers' rights, education and democracy.

After the horrors of the Second World War where human dignity was brutally ignored, the world finally came together to declare that every human being deserved protection.

In 1948, the "Universal Declaration of Human Rights" was created, a mainly secular document, inspired by shared values, but also reflecting the religious belief in the special worth of every person.

Today, the story of human rights is still being written as religious groups and secular organisations work to defend dignity, freedom and justice for all.

The "Universal Declaration of Human Rights", UDHR, lists 30 basic rights, and although it is not a law, it has influenced laws around the world.

Article one is the foundation for all the other rights.

Article one says, "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights." So this influences article three for example, "Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person." So in other words, to feel safe, to have life and to have freedom.

It also influences 18, "Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion." So everyone has the right to believe or not to believe.

And it also influences, for example, article 26, "Everyone has the right to education." Now, human rights can only be upheld if we also accept our responsibilities.

So if we have a right to freedom of speech, that means we have a responsibility not to incite hatred.

If we have a right to education, we have the responsibility to allow others to learn.

If we have a right to religious freedom, we have the responsibility to allow others to believe differently.

Let's check your understanding.

What are human rights? Take a moment to write down a definition of that word.

Human rights are freedoms and protections that every person should have because they are human.

Well done if you wrote something similar to that definition.

The Bible is an important source of authority for Christians when considering human rights.

Genesis 1:27 says, "So, God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God, he created them." This tells us that all humans reflect God's nature and it's the foundation of Christian ideas about human dignity.

Let's check your understanding.

What are the missing words? According to Genesis 1:27, humans have dignity because they were created in the.

So pause the video if you need to.

Take your time and come back when you're ready to see the answer.

Well done if you put image of God.

Jun is talking to Asher, Tamara and James about their responses to issues of human rights and responsibilities.

Jun says, "You all go to different churches.

How do the teachings of your church influence your views on human rights?" Asher says, "My Pentecostal faith teaches that salvation is for everyone.

So I believe all people should be treated with dignity.

I try to live out my faith by supporting groups like Tearfund and the Evangelical Alliance, which help people in need and speak up for justice." James says, "As a Catholic, I believe every person has God-given dignity and that we have a responsibility to care for those who are suffering.

I put love into action by supporting groups like CAFOD and Caritas, which defend human rights." Tamara says, "As a Quaker, I believe strongly in equality of all people.

Quakers have a history of opposing slavery and defending human rights.

I support Quaker Peace and Social Witness and Amnesty International, which work for justice and dignity for all." Jun comments, "It sounds like your strong belief in human dignity is what motivates you all to support human rights." Many Christians have used their.

Many Christians have used their faith to support human rights.

Here's a picture of William Wilberforce.

Now, William Wilberforce was a committed Christian who believed that all people are equal in the eyes of God.

His faith inspired him to lead the campaign to abolish the transatlantic slave trade, which he saw as a grave injustice.

He worked tirelessly in parliament for years, using his position to defend human dignity and promote freedom for enslaved people.

Oscar Romero was a Catholic archbishop whose faith led him to speak out against injustice and human rights abuses in El Salvador.

He believed that defending the poor and oppressed was part of living out the gospel.

He used his sermons to challenge violence and corruption and was eventually killed for standing up for human dignity and justice.

Desmond Tutu was a Christian leader whose faith drove him to fight against Apartheid in South Africa.

He believed that all people are equal before God and used his position to speak out against racial injustice and human rights violations.

Through peaceful protest and public advocacy, he worked to bring about justice, reconciliation and equality.

Pope Francis' faith inspired him to defend human rights and promote social justice.

He taught that caring for people living in poverty, welcoming refugees and protecting the environment were core parts of the Christian life.

Through his words and actions, he encouraged Catholics to stand up for dignity, compassion and equality around the world.

Christian Aid is an example of a Christian organisation that supports human rights.

They do this by tackling poverty, helping communities access basic needs like food, clean water and education, promoting gender equality by supporting women's rights and challenging gender-based violence, responding to emergencies by protecting the rights of people affected by conflict or natural disasters and campaigning for justice by speaking out against unfair systems and advocating for climate justice and fair trade.

Let's check your understanding.

Which denomination has a long tradition of supporting human rights? Is it A, the Quaker tradition, B, Roman Catholicism or C, the Pentecostal tradition? So take some time, have a think about the correct answer, think back over what you've learned today, pause if you need to and then come back when you're ready to see what you should have written.

Well done if you chose A, the Quaker tradition.

For part one of your task on rights and responsibilities, I'd like you to tackle this exam style question.

Describe reasons why human rights are important to religious believers and the guidance is to use point, develop, point, develop.

Throughout your answer, you should include a range of religious specialist terms and for at least one part of your answer, you should use a source of wisdom and authority, which could be an exact or paraphrased quotation or a general teaching from a named source.

Make sure that you accurately apply this to the point and the question.

So pause the video, take your time to think back about what you've learned about why human rights are important to Christians and have a go at writing your answer.

Come back when you are ready to see what you could have written.

You could have said, "One reason why human rights are important to Christians is that they believe all people are created in the image of God.

This is important, because it means every person has equal dignity and worth regardless of race, gender or status.

The Bible teaches this in Genesis 1:27.

"So God created mankind in His own image." This means Christians believe everyone deserves to have their human rights respected and protected, because each person reflects God's image.

Another reason why human rights are important to Christians is that Jesus taught people to love their neighbours.

This matters, because respecting human rights is a way of showing love, kindness and fairness to others.

So well done if you explained two and if for one of them, as I did with the first, you also linked it to a source of authority.

For part two of our task, we're going to look at the statement.

"Religious believers have a greater responsibility to defend human rights than non-believers." So this type of quotation is the sort of controversial quotation that you might have in evaluation questions at GCSE.

So here we're going to look at reasons to agree and disagree or arguments for and against.

So on the for side, there are some points you can use.

Christianity teaches justice and dignity.

Christians are accountable to God.

And on the against side, we have human rights are universal.

All humans feel compassion.

So your task is to use these points to write a paragraph of arguments for the statement and a paragraph of arguments against the statement.

So pause the video, take your time, use the points I've suggested or any others that you can come up with and then come back when you're ready to see what you could have written.

For part two of our task, you could have said, for the for paragraph, "Christianity teaches that all people have dignity and deserve justice, because they are made in the image of God.

Christians believe they are accountable to God for how they treat others, which give them a strong responsibility to defend human rights." And for the against, "Human rights are universal and apply to everyone, not just religious believers.

All humans are capable of feeling compassion, so defending human rights is a shared responsibility for both believers and non-believers." So well done if you managed to develop an argument for or in support and an argument against.

For the second part of our lesson, we're going to be looking at responses to social injustice.

The term social justice comes from Latin, from socius, meaning companion and justice from the word justus, meaning just, lawful or fair.

Social justice therefore literally means fairness between companions and it has come to mean a society where all people are treated equally and involves ensuring that wealth, opportunities and rights are distributed fairly and that vulnerable groups are protected.

It addresses issues such as poverty, racism, inequality and injustice.

This diagram highlights some major challenges to social justice by comparing countries in areas like health, education and income.

You can see over on the left that children in Somalia are 60 times more likely to die before the age of five than those in Iceland.

So we have the mortality rate of children under the age of five over on the left, and this is usually a fairly good indicator of how much social justice there is in a particular group or country.

Let's check your understanding.

What is social justice? Take a moment to think about how to define that phrase.

Pause the video if you need to and then come back when you're ready to see what you should have written.

You should have written something like, "Social justice is the fair and equal distribution of wealth, opportunities and rights within society with special care for the vulnerable and oppressed." So well done if you've got something along those lines.

Christian support for social justice can be found in Bible teachings, such as Luke four verse 18.

"He has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor, to set the oppressed free." So Jesus' ministry focused on lifting up the poor and freeing the oppressed, setting an example for Christians to follow.

"There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus," Galatians 3:28.

This teaching from Paul suggests that all people are equal in God's eyes.

Social division should not exist among Christians.

Let's check your understanding of these quotations.

Which of the following quotations most clearly shows that Jesus' mission was to bring social justice? Is it A, love your neighbour as yourself, Mark 12 verse 31, is it B, He has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor, to set the oppressed free, Luke four verse 18, or is it C, there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus, Galatians 3:28? Take a moment, pause if you need to and then come back when you are ready to check your answer.

Well done if you put B.

These are Jesus' words explaining his mission.

He has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor, to set the oppressed free.

Hannah is explaining her response to issues surrounding social justice.

She says, "As a Catholic, I believe social justice is central to what it means to follow Jesus.

I've been inspired by people like Oscar Romero, Mother Theresa and Pope Francis, who lived out their faith by standing with the oppressed.

That's why I support organisations like CAFOD, which puts Catholic teaching into action by helping those in need around the world." So take a moment to turn and talk if you can to someone nearby or you can pause and talk to me.

Why is social justice so important to Hannah? Come back to the lesson when you're ready to move on.

So Simon explained his response to issues surrounding social justice.

He says, "The United Reform Church is part of the joint public issues team, which helps Christians speak out on issues like poverty, climate justice and inequality.

I've been inspired by people like Martin Luther King, Desmond Tutu and Oscar Romero, who lived out their beliefs through action.

That's why I support groups like Christian Aid, Tearfund and the Trussell Trust." So which issues is Simon particularly interested in? Pause the video, take a moment to turn and talk to someone nearby if you can or you can talk to me and then come back when you're ready to move on.

Gemma is explaining her response to issues surrounding social justice.

She says, "I'm part of the Salvation Army where we believe faith should be shown through practical action.

Our work includes running food banks, homeless shelters, addiction recovery centres and support services for survivors of trafficking.

For me, being a Christian means living out Jesus' love by standing alongside people in crisis and working to change unjust systems." Take some time to reread what Gemma has said.

What practical help is provided by the Salvation Army? Pause the video, turn and talk to someone nearby if you can and then come back when you're ready to move on.

Let's check your understanding.

Give one example of a Christian organisation, movement or individual that supports social justice.

Take your time, pause the video if you need to and come back when you're ready to check your answer.

You could have said any one of the following that we've mentioned in today's lesson.

CAFOD, Christian Aid, the Salvation Army, the Trussell Trust, Desmond Tutu, Martin Luther King Jr or Oscar Romero.

Well done if you managed to get one of those or perhaps you even came up with something else that's a correcter answer but is different from our list.

For task B on responses to social injustice, I'd like you to consider the statement, "It's not enough to believe in social justice, you have to act on your belief." This is the kind of statement you might get in an evaluation question at GCSE.

And what I'd like you to do is to develop each of the arguments with an example of how someone might put their belief in social justice into action.

So first of all, we have the argument from a Christian that they might argue that Jesus teaches that people will be judged on their actions in the parable of the sheep and goats, Matthew 25, those who help the hungry, poor, and sick are awarded.

From a non-religious point of view, they might argue that social injustice needs action to make a difference because without action, unfair systems and suffering stays the same.

So what we're really thinking here is about what those people might do to show that argument in practise in their lives.

Pause the video, have a think about what you've learned today and then come back when you're ready to see what you could have written.

You could have said for a Christian arguing that Jesus teaches people will be judged on their actions that, for example, the Trussell Trust, a Christian founded charity, puts this teaching into action by running food banks across the UK to support people facing hunger and crisis.

This reflects Jesus' command to feed the hungry and care for those in need.

For the non-religious argument that social justice needs action to make a difference, because otherwise unfair systems stay the same.

You might have said, "For example, they might support Amnesty International, a human rights organisation that challenges injustice around the world by campaigning against torture, discrimination and unfair imprisonment.

Their actions help protect those whose rights are being denied, showing that belief alone is not enough without real effort to create change." So well done if you gave different examples for your Christian and your non-religious person, but both showing how they would be campaigning and fighting against injustice through actively helping.

In today's lesson, we did lots of information on human rights and social justice.

We've learned that human rights are the basic freedoms that everyone is entitled to, while social justice.

The Bible teaches that all people have inherent dignity, because they are made in God's image and this links to social justice and serving the vulnerable.

Catholic, Anglican and evangelical denominations support human rights and social justice, addressing issues like poverty, inequality and racial injustice.

Christian organisations such as CAFOD and Christian Aid work globally to promote human rights and social justice.

Many Christian individuals have contributed to human rights and social justice.

So well done on working with me through all of this content today.

Thank you for all of your efforts.