“[I]t is religion and morality alone which can establish the principles upon which freedom can securely stand. The only foundation of a free constitution is pure virtue.” -John Adams
A couple of weeks ago, we talked about the acknowledgement of a Creator. Why? Because, it's a prerequisite of having a limited government. In fact, this fundamental concept is the core difference between conservative and liberal political philosophies, and its ramifications are significant.
Think about Adams’ quote. The Framers understood that man is imperfect. They extensively studied history and saw how governments became corrupt. They recognized that previous governments had underlying principles all based on governing authority residing with a family, a bureau or other body.
The common denominator was that rights and freedoms were all granted by a human being. If man is imperfect--and if governments based on the will of man always become corrupt--then perhaps man should not be placed at the center of the universe. Perhaps, there was a better foundation upon which to establish a government.
Fast forward to today. The modern view of the Framers is that they were not that religious and did not intend the Constitution to be based upon religious principles. But that isn’t what The Framers said. In fact, the Bible is quoted more times in their writings than any other book or document. The Framers were unequivocal in their belief in a supreme Creator.
Take Benjamin Franklin for example. Mr. Franklin was probably the least religious of the Founding Fathers. At a particularly contentious point of the convention deliberating state representation in Congress, the wise Franklin stood and posed a question to his fellow delegates. In part Franklin said,
“Before I sit down, Mr. President, I will suggest another matter; and I am really surprised that it has not been proposed by some other member at an earlier period of our deliberations. I will suggest, Mr. President, that propriety of nominating and appointing, before we separate, a chaplain to this Convention, whose duty it shall be uniformly to assemble with us, and introduce the business of each day by and address to the Creator of the universe, and the Governor of all nations, beseeching Him to preside in our council, enlighten our minds with a portion of heavenly wisdom, influence our hearts with a love of truth and justice, and crown our labors with complete and abundant success!”
This was Franklin's "appeal to Heaven." The delegates took his advice, and the result was the most important governing document the hand of man has constructed. Franklin knew they would not be able to resolve the differences of opinion without divine intervention.
This brings us to our two major governing philosophies: conservatism and liberalism. If you want to do a deeper dive, modern conservatism is very close to classical liberalism. Modern liberalism is more Fabian socialism than anything else.
The Conservative view realizes that man is not at the top of the food chain. Conservatism is grounded in a religious view of the world. As the Framers understood, man is an imperfect being. The proper role of government is to protect the unalienable rights that come from the Creator.
Government can still become corrupt if it and the people do not adhere to the principles our government was founded upon. As John Adams also pointed out, freedom can only exist in a religious and moral society. So, a just government that protects individual liberty must have citizens who understand their history. The product is maximum liberty within the context of a civil society.
The modern liberal ideology subscribes to a secular view of society. Liberalism agrees that man is imperfect but is “perfectible” if enough government is applied. This view says that the government can declare positive rights to individuals. On the surface, that might not seem like a bad idea. Times change, right?
But given the imperfections of man, what invariably happens is certain rights are given to one group and withheld from another. This is usually to garner support from a special interest group or punish another group. What ends up happening is what we are seeing today: one group fighting another for a greater piece of the government pie. Liberty also decreases as one's natural rights are suspended in favor of another’s.
I assert that the federal government is the single greatest contributor to the decline of our civil society. The reason: we’ve strayed from the Constitution and our founding principles.
Therefore, it’s critical that we understand and learn from our history. Education is a primary mission of the Convention of States Project. Access our many resources. Learn from our many COS University courses. Take the free Constitution Alive! course being offered in partnership with the Patriot Academy.
You can make a difference in your life, your family’s lives, and your children’s lives. It is our duty to be guardians of liberty. Failure is not an option.
In liberty,
Brett
