Here we are in the middle of the holiday season. This year certainly has provided all of us with unique challenges and obstacles to overcome. And in times of struggle, we often tend to fall back on our principles, values and the foundations of our faith. It’s in these areas where we’re most likely to find a calm within the storm. We can quiet our mind to process information we’re inundated with and attempt to divine some clarity. It’s even more important today to take time to reflect on these things and prepare for 2021.
The U.S. Constitution was intended to provide clarity and direction in challenging times. We tend to take it for granted when life is cruising along and only pay attention to its principles when it’s a ‘Break Glass in Case of Emergency’ situation. And yet, we do this at our own peril. One constant of life is if we aren’t in a crisis now, we soon will be. We cannot take our eyes off the ball. Embracing the principles set forth in the Declaration of Independence and codified in the Constitution should be a daily ritual. This prepares us for the unforeseen circumstances that are surely to come.
Modern society teaches that The Framers, for the most part, were not religious. Some were Protestants, Catholics, and Quakers. Others were deists or even agnostics. Let’s take a look at what The Framers wrote and said, and see if this theory holds water.
“We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. That they are endowed by The Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these Rights, governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the Consent of the Governed.”
This paragraph is part of the Preamble of the Declaration of Independence. It’s a statement that provides the framework for every subsequent governing document. And if these principles do not hold, the rest of our governing philosophy falls apart. So, let’s take these principles one at a time.
The Framers stated there are Absolute Truths. These truths apply no matter what the circumstance or situation. They are immutable. For a society to endure, it must have principles that apply in good and bad times. Yet, it is human nature to become lazy in times of prosperity and to search for the most painless way to deal with adversity. Doing so makes problems worse and invites additional trouble in the future. The Framers said these Absolute Truths are based in Nature and Nature’s God. Their source is The Creator.
There is a source of our freedoms. The Framers also said our Rights come from God. This was not a unique perspective, as many countries agreed that Rights were conferred by a Supreme Being. What’s key is whom these Rights were conferred upon. Previous to the founding of the United States, every other country maintained that Rights are given by God to a monarch or other government entity. That magistrate then determined which citizens had which rights. The Framers disagreed with this philosophy. They said The Creator gave Rights directly to the people. This is a revolutionary idea and critical founding principle.
The Framers articulated that the free enterprise system is a prerequisite of liberty. The Framers learned from the failures in William Bradford’s Plymouth Colony, where initially, all land was public land. The Colonists farmed the land to produce food, which was shared by the entire community. Each took whatever they needed. Pretty cool idea, huh? Yes, except this idealistic system failed spectacularly. Some colonists wondered why they should work when others could provide for them and they could take whatever food they needed. Those working the land asked why they should work so hard if their fellow colonists refused to. The result was near starvation of the entire Plymouth Colony. So as a result, Bradford instituted private property rights. The colonists then farmed their own land, chose to eat what they produced, sold it, or did whatever they wished. In only a couple years, the Plymouth Colony produced a bountiful harvest and later became net agricultural exporters.
The Framers said the proper role of government is to secure these Rights that came from The Creator. The only just powers the government possesses is what We The People give to them. Remember, God gave Rights directly to the people. We then delegate a portion of these Rights to government to act on our behalf.
The progression here is important to recognize.
First, there must be an absolute standard of right and wrong. Then, the source of our freedoms is acknowledged. Those freedoms are bestowed on us, which results in our individual sovereignty and personal property rights. Only then, can we have a government that is worthy of us delegating a portion of our Rights to justly govern our society.
Liberty cannot exist without morality. Morality cannot exist without religion. There are innumerable examples of how faith directed the Framers actions throughout the Revolutionary Period and the 1787 Convention. John Locke’s “Two Treatises of Government” significantly influenced the writing of the Constitution. In its 400 pages, there are more than 1,500 references to Biblical scripture. The sermons of John Wise from the 1680s were reprinted by John Adams and the Sons of Liberty in 1772. They were distributed throughout the states to provide the proper mindset for the Framers’ task. It is from these sermons where we find such ideas as trial by jury, that taxation without representation is tyranny, the consent of the governed, and several other concepts that permeate the Declaration and Constitution. You can read Ben Franklin’s “Appeal to Heaven,” where he said the delegates were unable to solve the issues they were discussing. Franklin said they should open each day with prayer -- begging The Creator for guidance. To say that faith in God was rejected by The Framers is simply incorrect.
I’ll leave you with this quote from the President of the 1787 Convention, George Washington:
“Of all the habits and dispositions which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism who should labor to subvert these great pillars.”
Have a very Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year. God bless you and may God continue to bless The United States of America.
Brett
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