by John Langlois

This month we mark the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The Declaration does not grant any rights to anyone. It merely declares what rightfully belongs to each and every member of the human race, irrespective of gender, nationality, colour, race or religion. Human rights are the precious possession of human beings, granted to them by their Creator. Fundamental human rights cannot be granted by any human government. We are all born free and when we claim these rights we are claiming what is rightly our own. We call on all governments to recognise these rights and allow their free exercise.

The Declaration is only a lifeless piece of paper unless we work tirelessly towards the ideals set out in it. In the past 50 years the human rights situation in the world has in many ways become more critical than it was before. It is, and will always be, a constant struggle to assert the freedom of each individual person so that they can be fully the person their Creator meant them to be.

For followers of Christ the struggle will always be a spiritual one. We do not struggle primarily against human governments and other infringers. Our struggle is against the satanic forces which constantly try to enslave human beings who have been created in God's own image. We use human means in our struggle to combat injustice, but our real weapons are spiritual ones. We call on all Christians to be vigilant in prayer for those who are being persecuted, and particularly for those who are our brothers and sisters in Christ.

The ultimate victory of good over evil is assured through Christ's victory on the Cross. The Apostle John, while himself a prisoner of conscience on the island of Patmos 1,900 years ago, saw a vision of heavenly realities and wrote the Book of Revelation for our encouragement. In our frequent discouragements, let us remember that we are conquerors through Christ who loved us and died for us on the Cross.

That is not just a hope. It is a reality. In a few months time when we celebrate the millennium and in a few days time when we celebrate Christmas, we remember Christ's coming to earth to achieve this.

John Langlois Chairman, WEF Religious Liberty Commission

John Langlois is a lawyer and Member of Parliament in Guernsey, Channel Islands, UK.

The World Evangelical Fellowship has special consultative status to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. This status gives Christians worldwide an important platform from which to speak out and act on behalf of those facing religious persecution. Through the UN, the World Evangelical Fellowship is able to interact directly with the decision makers from governments throughout the world. It allows the WEF Religious Liberty Commission to build bridges directly with those who affect national policy decisions.

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