ABSTRACT
This chapter notes that the human rights recognized by any given jurisdiction or “state” depend on the laws of the state that establish and then secure the rights. It then argues that the human rights that a state does establish and secure will be significantly influenced by the religious bias of the state. This is because our concepts about the rights of humans turn on our answers to ultimate religious questions like: Where do we come from? What is the nature of human life? What is the purpose of life and how should it be lived, individually and collectively from a moral and ethical standpoint? Since religions provide answers to all of these questions, they tend to define the scope and extent of human rights. Accordingly, the particular religious bias of a state will tend to determine the human rights it allows for its citizens.
