DEALING WITH THE OBSTACLES OF LOVE TO LOVE FOR PEACE

DEALING WITH THE OBSTACLES OF LOVE TO LOVE FOR PEACE

By Benjamin Pulle Niriwa, 24.02.2021

FIRST OBSTACLE OF LOVE, DESTRUCTION OF DIGNITY

One of the natural gifts that qualify everyone for Love is “dignity” (Kadivar et al., 2018; Nordenfelt, 2004)! All human beings have this free gift right from birth, in that we are all created in “The image” (Genesis, 1:26, KJV 1611; Elias, 2018) and “likeness”  (Genesis, 1:26, KJV 1611) of God. Aside this reality, Nordenfelt, (2004) has also revealed that this dignity that we all have “Dignity of Menschenwürde” can be enhanced based on “Merit” (one’s status in life), morality, and “Identity”. The word “Menschenwürde” which is German origin is talking about the dignity that everyone has because he/she is a human being (Nordenfelt, 2004).

This dignity qualifies every human being for the basic human rights (Andorno, 2009) that we need in order live on this without fear. However, ones status in life comes with added enhancement for his/her already existing dignity (Merit) and that is also the reason why though we all deserve the same respect, some people are more respected. Exanmple, though we all have the same dignities and basic human rights that demands that we must all be respected, a President because of his or her office is highly respected by all irrespective of his/her age.

This makes the “Merit” dignity similar to the dignity that one has because of his/her identity. A president of any nation, because of the office that he/she occupies, comes with a specific identity. Example, the moment one mentions “Biden”, even if you are not referring to the President of the US; everyone will be thinking about the President Elect of the US, His Excellencey President Joe Biden (Staff, 2020). His office has which he occupies based on merit has given him a specific identity.

Because dignity is mostly associated with love, saboteurs always target the identity of their victims. This makes “Identity Dignity” (Nordenfelt, 2004) the most abused of all the dignities! Sometimes saboteurs also target the morality of their victim too, because these two can be taken away from you through the way others treat you. Example, some people can intentional humiliate you not because you done something wrong, but because their target is your “Dignity” (Kadivar et al., 2018; Nordenfelt, 2004). Identity dignity can also be abused during pandemics like COVID-19 (Singh & Subedi, 2020). Though sickness does not take away ones naturally born dignity “Dignity of Menschenwürde” (Nordenfelt, 2004), it comes with some specific identity and this determine how such people are treated. This is one of the reason why most pandemics are always associated increased discrimination and stigma like in this current pandemic, COVID-19 (Singh & Subedi, 2020).

Bibliography

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Genesis. (1:26, KJV 1611). THE FIRST BOOK OF MOSES CALLED, GENESIS. In K. James, The Holy Bible Containing the Old and New Testaments. Translated Out of the Original Tongues: and With the Former Translations Diligently Compared and Revised, by His Majesty’s Special Command. (p. 5). London: Cambridge University Press.

Kadivar, M., Mardani-Hamooleh, M., & Kouhnavard, M. (2018). Concept Analysis of Human Dignity in Patient Care: Rodgers' Evolutionary Approach. J Med Ethics Hist Med, 11:4. .

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Singh, R., & Subedi, M. (2020). COVID-19 and stigma: Social discrimination towards frontline healthcare providers and COVID-19 recovered patients in Nepal. Asian J Psychiatr, 53: 102222. Doi: 10.1016/j.ajp.2020.102222.

Staff, T. (2020). America Reacts to Joe Biden’s Election, with Jubilation, Relief, and Defiance. Politics, Retrieved from https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2020-11-07/biden-wins-election-reaction on 08.12.2020 at 6:20PM.