Stormrider writes: “. . . since God is free, man is born free with a sacred unalienable right to liberty.”

Good post.

So many people have no idea of the meaning of “inalienable.” It means “not capable of being transferred to another.” One cannot, for example, if liberty is an inalienable right, set aside one’s liberty to sign on as a slave. Post-modernism, however, does not privilege any rights other than personal preference. It’s not surprising to me that S&M bondage gets so much press, since it seems to be an indication of people’s desire to set aside their freedom, and other inalienable rights. If someone has an inalienable right to freedom, the person has the responsibility to maintain the mechanisms that preserve that freedom. But post-modern liberalism is a flight from responsibility.

Islam, as far as I can tell, does not have a theology that can assert and defend inalienable rights. The only right one has is as a member of the ummah, within which one has the right to follow sharia.

Re. Mr. X: maybe Israel can launch a flotilla to support Christians and Jews in Turkey. That there are so few makes the Christian and Jew plight more poignant.