why do rights have to be given? it's inherent to being alive. if you don't believe in God, then those rights have been realized as part of being an evolved human and will probably evolve as well as we reflect on what it means to be human. if you do believe in God, then they come from this creator as part of being created in his image and more will be discovered as we discover what it means to be made in his image. either way, being human means you have these rights and they are not given but are inherent to humanity.