CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE OF CHILDREN’S RIGHTS

CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE OF CHILDREN’S RIGHTS

Prof.Kalaneethy Christopher

I. Introduction

The UN Convention on the rights of the child, in 1989, was a means of empowering the child and creating a conducive atmosphere in which all children will be able to live securely and realize their full potential in life. The centrality is to protect and promote children globally which needs to be supported by all. There are forty articles addressed in this convention which could be classified under four categories, namely,
The right to survival - right to life, health, name, nationality

• The right to protection - freedom from all forms of exploitation
• The right to development - right to development, education, social security
• The right to participation - respect for personal views, freedom of thought and expression

Humankind owes to the child the best that it has to give. (extracted for UN Declaration of Child’s Rights).The child should be …….. brought up in the spirit ……. of peace, dignity, tolerance, freedom, equality and solidarity.-[Preamble to the Convention on the Rights of the Child. (CRC)].

II. Child Jesus And His Rights:

The Holy Bible comprises the Old Testament (OT) and the New testament (NT). OT reflects on the Jewish tradition and faith held by Jesus. NT has four gospels of the life and teachings of Jesus, narrated by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. NT also consists of the epistles written to the early Christian believers, by the disciples of Christ. These writings and teachings have been preserved and held dearly by all the Christians.

The gospels of Matthew as well as Luke open with angelic announcements of the birth of a child, the ‘Messiah’. The divine child is to be called ‘Jesus’, as he would be the ‘saviour’ of his people and ‘Emmanuel’ as he will be ‘God with his people’. Not only had this child had a right to a name, i.e., survival, but also a right to participation in the divine Salvific activity. The child Jesus is even predicted as a ‘ruler’ who will ‘shepherd’ his people.

The Lukan account of the childhood of Jesus includes that there was ‘no place’ in the inn, for Mary to give birth to the child. Doing away with unwanted children had been an accepted practice under the Roman rule. Next, we see that the divine child was housed in the stable. When such was the case, the angel was announcing the birth of a ‘savior of the world’. A child exalted to such a position among the heavenly circle! The endowment of the right of participation to Child Jesus in God’s redemption of the fallen humanity shines in contrast to the no-place in the inn.

The child Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day that marked his inclusion in the covenant community, a sure sign of his right to development. The grand old learned man Simeon saw the ‘glory of Israel’ and a ‘sign’ opposed to thoughts of people, acknowledging Jesus’ right to participation. The elderly prophetess Hannah spoke about the child.

Jesus, the 12 -year old boy was discussing the Jewish faith with religious leaders at the Temple of Jerusalem. They were amazed. His parents went searching for him. He was protected by the family. Jesus was telling them that he must be involved in his Father’s business. He was conscious of his right to participation. Strangely enough when Jesus grew into a man, both the Jewish leaders and the Roman rulers violated his basic human rights! In Jesus’ words ‘he had nowhere to go’, was hunted and crucified. But he victoriously resurrected to give hope to the hopeless!

III. Jesus Christ - The Child Rights Advocate:

Jesus was a Jew, and what was revealed in the OT and Intertestamental writings about children were much more important to him than what the Greek and Roman educators thought about the matter. He did not attempt to build a bridge between the two cultures, or imitate the rabbinical world. In his acts and words, something deeply Jewish, at the same time radically new appeared. This manifested itself in the actions and sayings of Jesus when he came across children. His attitude was so new and astonishing that his disciples found it hard to grasp it.

Mark and John in their gospels have included the words and deeds of Jesus, which clearly indicate his attitude towards children. The gospel of John is the only book which mentions ‘the lad’ who gave the bread loaves and fish in the miracle of feeding the multitude, i.e., a child who was willing to share his resources in times of need .We find Jesus using this child as an instrument to demonstrate the right to survival of those who came to him. Jesus the bread of life gave bread to the ‘crowd’ by respecting the right of a child to participation in the spread of the kingdom of God.

Jesus healed a non-Jewish official’s son by the efficacy of his WORD. (John 4. 46-51)

He respected the right of a child to survival and protection by giving charge of looking after his mother to his disciple John and creating a home for his disciple in turn. (John 19:26- 27). He discharged his duty properly as a dutiful son of a mother, who respected his rights to development and participation in God’s kingdom. Jesus brought to life the daughter of the Temple official Jairus, saying ‘little girl, get up’. After that he immediately asked the people at home to give her something to eat. (Mark 5.35-41, Luke 8. 49-55). Jesus showed and used his divine power to do this miracle at the same time was very human in respecting her right to life and food i.e., survival. His authoritative Word healed a Canaanite woman’s daughter. (Matthew15.22-28) .It is praiseworthy for the evangelists to record it!

Jesus set free a demoniac boy, whom his disciples could not heal. The threat to survival was broken asunder by his compassion and divine power. The lives of these young children were precious in the sight of Jesus. John projected Jesus as the ‘resurrection and the life’ and we find that the Lord of life respected the children’s right to life. Luke 7.14 records Jesus having compassion on the widow of Nain, and bringing her dead son, only son, back to life. He allowed himself to be identified with human misery. In his eyes their right to protection was precious. In chapter 15 of the Gospel according to Luke, Jesus told his disciples the parable of the prodigal son. This boy who repented, needed food and shelter, basic to survival and the gracious father receives him and restores him. Here again we see a great truth for the modern times, respect to children’s right to survival, protection and development. As a first step to development the son had to come back to his ‘father’s house and restored relationships.

IV. Jesus’ Attitude On The Right Of Children To Participation

LET THE CHILDREN COME TO ME ----- was the cry of Jesus of Nazareth. Mark 10.13-16 gives an account of how Jesus blesses little children And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them”. In the eyes of the Jews in Palestine, Jesus was a rabbi, a powerful teacher, a ‘prophet’ and so on. They saw him as a divine man. No wonder they brought children to be touched by him. When children were brought to him, his disciples would not allow this, and Jesus became indignant about it. (Mark 10:14) They were astonished by their master’s reaction. He seems to be presenting a model for his disciples, in a child. The prophetic utterance of Jesus turned upside down all the Jewish and the Greek ideas of children. They receive a place of preeminence in the kingdom of God.

RECEIVE THE KINGDOM OF GOD LIKE A CHILD --------for the act of hospitality shown either to the children , the disciples or Jesus himself (‘Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me’ (Mark.9: 37). Jesus meant that the disciples must stop to look around for the greatest and learn to see the child-like qualities fit for the kingdom of God.

A CHILD IN THE MIDST OF THEM-------- The Latin term ‘erudire’ comes from a root word ‘rudis’ which means ‘raw’, ‘unformed’, and ‘uninformed’. In striking contrast to the attitude of his time, Jesus put a child amidst his disciples to teach them a lesson. For him the child was not a raw material but the symbol of true discipleship, and a true representative of himself and of God. In Jesus’ response, a child becomes central, not as the object to be educated but as the one whose very presence seems to provide the answer to a lot of questions raised by the disciples. This role reversal indicates the reversal of being: the first must be last; the least is great, the person who humbles like a child will only be the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

THE BEATITUDES----Matthew’s record of the ‘Sermon on the Mount’ highlights some childlike qualities as criteria for entering into the kingdom of Heaven, which are seen in children normally. The first Beatitude, ‘poor in spirit’, suggest that the kingdom of God is not for those who are confident of their own achievements. Jesus addresses himself only to those who had a sense of need. This includes definitely the children. The second places a high value on suffering. Jesus promises special comfort to those who learnt the value of affliction and not a trouble- free existence, since in this world it would be impossible. At his time, the children were afflicted in the Graeco-Roman world. The sixth stresses the ‘purity of heart’ seeing God rewards that. For the Jews, purity was a matter of ceremony and not of heart. Who else can be purer in heart than a child? The next saying, commends peacemakers, and combats any system, which erects barriers between people. At its best children are the groups of people who never do this to foster strife. A desire for peace is a characteristic of God. Children are Godly in character!

V. Happy Thoughts for Children’ The Young Reader’s Study Bible, Living Bible Edition, 1971 has described the Beatitudes-Matthew 5:33-12 as in the following way:

HAPPY ARE THE CHILDREN

Who know they need Me; I will give them My kingdom.

HAPPY ARE THE CHILDREN

Who are sad; I will comfort them.

HAPPY ARE THE CHILDREN

Who are gentle to others; I will bless them here on earth and in heaven, too.

HAPPY ARE THE CHILDREN

Who “hunger” to be good: I will fill them up with goodness.

HAPPY ARE THE CHILDREN

Who are kind and forgiving; I will forgive them, too.
 HAPPY ARE THE CHILDREN
 With pure, unpolluted hearts; someday they will see Me face to face.

HAPPY ARE THE CHILDREN

Who try to stop fights; they are just like Me!

HAPPY ARE THE CHILDREN

Who are mistreated because of Me;

They will be with Me always in My Forever Life.

VI. The Earliest Christian Writings

The exhortations in the epistle, I John 2:12 are addressed to little children, children, young men and fathers. The ‘paidia’ in v.14, stands parallel to the ‘teknia’ in v.12. Like the ‘paidia’ in v.18, and the ‘teknia’ throughout the letter is ‘children’ used as a familiar vocative for all Christians addressed by the apostle. The ‘brephos’ in Acts 7:19, I Peter 2:2, II Timothy.3: 15 etc. refer to the little child and the early childhood. Hence it is very clear that the children’s right to participate in the religious and spiritual activities had been recognized among the Christians of the early centuries themselves.

Paul, who is considered the founder of Christianity, was exhorting his disciples to follow many Christian practices for a good and godly living which would enable them to mature in their new faith. He said that he ‘travailed’ for them ‘little children’ so that they would grow in the faith. He brings to focus the metaphor of ‘Hagar and her children’ and ‘Sarah and her children’ while talking about the spiritual and the worldly. This surely points to the fact that the development of children had been of significance to Paul and the Christians, failing which this allegory will not make any meaning (Galatians. 4: 19, 21). Paul even mentions that he fed the Galatians Christians with the Word of God, as ‘milk’ to little children, in the faith.(I Corinthians.3: 2).

In the letter to the Ephesians and Colossians, parents are asked not to cruelly treat the children. Children are advised to honor the parents, as it is good and right in the Lord’s sight. Not only have the children had a right to develop as good Christians but also to participate in the Christian nurture. (Ephesians.6: 1, 4; Colossians 3:20, 21). Ultimate authority comes from God, and its exercise must be in harmony with His character.

God choosing the foolish to shame the wise, weaklings to confound the strong is all famous thoughts of Paul, to assure the believers of their calling. (I Corinthians1: 27, 28). We can be sure that this must include children, as Timothy himself was a young apostle working with Paul, and accepted by the churches. When laying the standards for the church elders, the letter to Titus, opines that an elder must be one whose children are believers. The letter to Timothy says that an elder must take care of his family first. (Titus.1: 6).

Admonitions against the pagan practices of abortion and child abandonment were found in the earliest Christian writings. Christians began collecting infants abandoned by their parents and raised them as their own. The 2^nd century Christian saint, Justin Martyr spoke out against the practice of abandoning children. In the 4^th century, St.John Chrysostom said ‘good precepts have to be impressed upon when the soul is yet tender’. St.Jerome in his letter had emphasized the early training of children in godly ways. St.Augustine’s writings stressed his childhood impressions of God’s hand that led him then on. Sunday school songs like ‘Jesus loves little children’ are famous and loved by children all over the world.

VII. Conclusion

Though children are born free and equal as an adult created in God’s image, they are the most vulnerable in society whose rights are denied often. Many suffer injustice at the hand of adults and are becoming casualties all over the world. The need to promote a public ethos of ‘child first’ should be an obligation of every adult. Jesus Christ proved himself to be the ‘supreme advocate’ of children’s rights. His disciples promoted the same value in the Christian Church through the ages. The Christian perspective is rooted in the biblical teachings of worth and dignity for human rights. A rights-based approach sees the child in the context of the social structure allowing him/her to participate fully in the development of society.

Questions for discussion

1. Analyse the involvement of the Indian Christian Church in Children’s rights through the centuries.
2. How do Christian parents respond to the needs and rights of their children?
3. To what extent children can exercise their rights to participation in the Indian context?

References:

Abraham, K.C, (ed. 1993), Cry for Life- A faith response, SCM India.

Alex Mathew, (1997), Help your child, Grace counselor.

Barbara Szwarc, (1998), Give them a break, Children Australia.

Cecil Hargreaves, (1989), The miracles of Jesus, IIL, Serampore.

Christopher Daniel, (1996), ‘Ethical aberration in using children for consumer products’ , Monitoring Child Rights, Kluwer law international, The Netherlands.
Kalaneethy Christopher, (2002), Children’s Rights : A Biblical Perspective,

Minerva Press, London

Eugeen Verhellen, (1994), Convention on the rights of the child The Netherlands.

Weber H. R., (1979), Jesus and the children, World Council of Churches.

www. wvi.org

www. childrencampaign.org

About the Author

Kalaneethy Christopher is a retired collegiate professor and Head of the department of Chemistry at Lady Doak College from the year 1971 to 2008. She has held the offices of the Chaplain and Vice-Principal of the College in the past decade. She holds a master of philosophy degree in Chemistry. She also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Christian Studies from the Senate of Serampore College, West Bengal. She is a Bible teacher and a preacher in local Christian churches.Her interest in Christian perspectives of the children’s rights is evinced by the book she has authored in this area.