You have no rights.
I don’t either.
All we have are privileges.
As I wrote about the common objections to slavery, I realized I’d not specifically written much about rights or privileges. This isn’t a comprehensive post about them, but I’d like to open the discussion.
First off…
Rights (by definition)
Rights are actions you deserve or are owed to you.
For example, you might have the right to walk in the street instead of the sidewalk (your action) without anyone spitting on you (everyone else’s action). You deserve it.
Rights are slippery – politicians and philosophers (et al.) have spent lifetimes discussing the definition. Hopefully this definition, though, sums it up fairly loosely.
The problem with rights
When we don’t have rights, we’ll often try to fight for them. Check all the civil rights and social justice movements, right?
But once we have those rights, we often forget we had to fight for them. We forget that they can be taken away. After all, we deserve them – they’re no longer…
Privileges (by definition)
Privileges are a type of gift.
- A father can give a child the privilege of riding shotgun.
- A brother can give his brother the privilege of playing with his LEGO set.
- A woman can give a man the privilege of marrying her (for me, that’s how it would work, not the other way around, but whatever).
Privileges are given and received (rights are deserved and taken).
In common conversation, “rights” and “privileges” are often used interchangeably, so don’t let the terms slow you up. The way I use them, rights are more like the political version you know and love, and privileges are more like the personal version you receive every day.
So here’s the deal…
You and I can fight for rights all we want. We can think we deserve the right to life, deserve the right to property, deserve the right to pursue happiness… fine.
But they’re not really rights. From an entirely human perspective, they might seem that way. And because most people don’t take God seriously, they’re left to assume rights stop on the human level.
But for those who know better, rights don’t exist. We don’t deserve anything.
- We don’t deserve free speech.
- We don’t deserve clean air to breath.
- We don’t deserve retirement compensation.
- We don’t deserve a ride on the Merry-Go-Round.
- We don’t deserve happiness or its pursuit or any other pursuit for that matter.
You and I only deserve death. Because we’re sinners, and sinners deserve death and torture and punishment.
Frankly, I don’t want what I deserve – I want what God gives me. I want the privileges He gives.
Rights are justice. Justice hurts.
Privileges are mercy and grace. I want the mercy and grace. Thankfully – and this is why I’m fired up about Christ – God wants to give me mercy and grace. Our desires align. For that, I’m ecstatic.
And for that, people will come to Christ… because they want mercy and grace too. But they won’t come if they think they deserve anything. No one cares about the gift giver if they think they deserve the gifts.
Serving Suggestions:
(1) Make a list (yes, I’m a big fan of lists). Make a list of 20 “rights” you really, really like.
(2) Now, those items on your list, are they rights or privileges? Do you deserve them, or do you just receive them? What would God say?
Twitter Updates
While I agree that in a spiritual sense we certainly do not have any rights (as you said, we deserve death), I think it is important to add that in a political sense we do have rights.
As American citizens, we have the right to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”(As stated in the Declaration of Independence) We have the right to freedom… as long as we do not endanger the freedom of others.
Although this may seem like a trifling difference, it is actually very important with our current political crisis. Many of our politicians would like us to think that we have no right to free speech, but we certainly do.
On the other hand, many politicians would like us to believe that social privileges (such as retirement compensation) are rights.
In short, many people today think that political rights are privileges and social privileges are rights.
Basically, I think that your post is precisely correct when explaining our relationship with God, but incorrect if applied to our relationship with earthly rulers.
Thanks for the great post on an ultra-important topic!
I like the distinction you made there:
“Many people today think that political rights are privileges and social privileges are rights.”
That’s fantastic.
I admit, I tend to think of all political rights as privileges… for me, it keeps me thankful and out of the “entitlement” mindset, which kills vitality.
But I totally agree with where you’re going with your comment (specifically that quote). There’s certainly a difference between the “right” to, say, free speech and the “right” to retirement compensation. Definitely not the same thing… or even close in my opinion. I think I’ll have to rework some terminology to get this straight in my mind.
Thanks for bringing this up.
-Marshall Jones Jr.
I agree. We mistakenly fall into the trap that since we have rights in our natural lives, that translates into God’s Kingdom. Christians don’t have rights with God, but as you say, He gives us gifts and what magnificent gifts they are!
“Every good and perfect gift flows from…the Father of the heavenly lights” James 1:17.
Thanks.
Excellent verse, Jason. That’s the foundation for all of this. Thanks for adding.
-Marshall Jones Jr.
mercy and grace, what beautiful gifts of God.
Mercy and grace… pretty much covers everything. Magnificent!
-Marshall Jones Jr.
We have rights because the constitution of our government assigns them to us.
I don’t think we can wrap “rights” up into a single controlling “yes or no” document. The other commenters are right – “rights” before God are different than “rights” that our government is bound to respect.
Yes, there’s probably a difference, but either way, it’s important to keep the big picture in focus and not become “entitled” to anything, politically or spiritually. When we’re “entitled” to something, we “automatically qualify” for it, so we lose the incentive to do anything about it or be grateful for receiving it.
That’s why “rights” of any kind bother me.
-Marshall Jones Jr.
But I think that when we lose the perspective that there ARE some rights that human beings automatically qualify for, we can become apathetic about the condition of others. I think it’s foundational to compassion that we recognize that it is worthwhile to fight for the things that others are automatically qualified for simply because they are human.
The basic right to life for an unborn child here screams loudly at me. The right to worship God without being tortured or imprisoned. The right to train one’s children as our conscience dictates and not as some other man decides.
I don’t consider any of those to be entitlements. To ask for those or to fight for them is not a product of an “entitlement mentality”.
The word “rights” is highly abused, I agree, but I don’t agree that they are non-existent.
I hope we’re still friends even though I seem to disagree with you about a lot of stuff. Sorry about that!
Totally, that’s the downside of interacting mainly through blogs – most of the “best” conversations are over disagreements.
Perhaps we could settle some of this through a game of chess instead?
-Marshall Jones Jr.
Let’s do it.
I’ll even play black.
I’m actually about to head out for the day. I have no idea what I’m doing with online chess… I just started registering at Chess.com (because that’s what I saw on your site). It’s asking for your username so you can be credited with a referral. What should I tell it?
Also, once I get in, what do I do to find you and start a game?
-Marshall Jones Jr.
My username is nards656. Chess.com is addictively awesome if you like chess. Tons and tons and tons of activity available.
Drop me an email at nards656 at gmail dot com and I’ll talk you through it rather than confuse the blogworld
I’ll play anybody anywhere anytime. Everybody else is welcome over there, too, if anybody likes chess.
You’re on… oh, wait… you already knew that.
-Marshall Jones Jr.
Wow man… good stuff. Great stuff.
I think you’re absolutely right. We have no rights. Maybe the right to die. Everything, EVERYTHING we have and can do is a total privilege from God!
You might like my latest blog, http://theriverjordan.net/in-pursuit Check it out if you get the chance!
Thanks for stopping by the site man,
Jordan
Thanks so much, Jordan. I appreciate you dropping by and interacting over here. I did check out that post… before your link to it, though.
I just shot off an email to you before I read this too about checking out what I do for new commenters.
So… yeah, this is what I do.
-Marshall Jones Jr.
P. S. For everyone else reading this (or Jordan for that matter), sorry if this makes no sense.
I found your blog Sunday afternoon – it’s great. I’ve spent four days ‘mining the archives’.
You’ve really provided a lot of good, interesting, and challenging material … thank you!
My brother and I had quite a discussion about rights vs. priveleges because of this post … he pretty much agreed with you, we have no rights – only privileges.
Before God, there is no question – we have no ‘right’ to anything! So I definitely agree on that point. But I think among our relations with our fellow men, there have to be certain rights that are acknowledged.
The right to life, for instance. Before God, life is a privilege. Before man, life is a right, bestowed by God, that must be respected. I think that is a big argument why abortion is legally wrong – because it is depriving someone of their right to life.
Wow, thanks so much, Megan. I’m glad you’re enjoying the archives.
And I’m glad to hear about the discussion between you and your brother.
I have a lot of twisted thoughts on this, but I see where you’re coming from. For now, I’ll just leave it at that.
Again, thanks for joining the discussion down here.
-Marshall Jones Jr.
Woah, I really understood what you were trying to say here just a few minutes ago. I was on the treadmill and my sister asked me to get something for her. I did it, but I told her she should ‘do it yourself next time!’ and was kind of miffed about it. That’s what you’re talking about … if I hadn’t thought I had a ‘right’ to an un-interrupted run, then I wouldn’t have been upset with an opportunity to help my sister.
That’s what you were trying to get across, wasn’t it?
Yes, I love that example, Megan. That’s exactly it. When you and I recognize we don’t deserve anything, we can be thankful for everything. And when we’re thankful, it’s much easier to serve… in fact, it might be the only way to really serve because it’s a result of a genuine desire to bless others, not to win points.
-Marshall Jones Jr.