In every direction we look, it seems there is some form of tyranny. Instead of discussing the proper role of government and traditional policy issues, today's topics range from changing your sex based on how you feel and mutilating children’s bodies to males participating in female sports. Today’s debates are a rejection of the truth.
Historically, in times of struggle people fall back on their principles, values and the foundations of faith. It’s in these areas where we are most likely to find a calm within the storm. It’s where we can quiet our mind to process the information we are inundated with and attempt to divine some clarity. That’s why the Statists attack the institutions of faith, education and the family, and work to install government in their place.
Our Constitution was intended to provide clarity and direction in challenging times. When life is cruising along, we tend to take our Constitution for granted and only pay attention to its principles when it’s a “Break glass in case of Emergency” situation. We do this at our own peril.
One constant of life is if we aren’t in a crisis now, we soon will be. Never take your eyes off the ball. Embracing the principles set forth in the Declaration of Independence and codified in the Constitution should be a daily ritual to prepare for difficult circumstances that are sure to come.
Modern society teaches that The Framers were not religious, and that America was not founded on Judeo-Christian principles. This is simply incorrect. The Framers were Protestants, Catholics, Quakers, etc. Those considered ‘important’ were deists or even agnostics. So, let’s take a look at what The Framers themselves said what they wrote, and see if this theory really 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 is part of the Preamble of the Declaration of Independence. It provides the framework for every subsequent governing document. If these principles do not hold then the rest of our governing philosophy falls apart. Let us take these one at a time.
First, The Framers stated there are Absolute Truths – truths that apply no matter what the circumstance or situation. They are immutable. For a society to endure, it must have principles that apply in good times and bad. The Framers said these Absolute Truths are based in Nature and Nature’s God. Their source is The Creator.
Next, we come to ‘The Source of our Freedoms’. The Framers said these Rights come from God as well. This was not a unique perspective at the time as many countries agreed that Rights were conferred by a Supreme Being. It’s whom they were conferred upon that is the key that makes our Constitution unique. Every other country at the time had said 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 these beliefs. They said The Creator gave Rights directly to the people. This was a revolutionary idea and another critical principle or our founding.
Third, The Framers articulated that the free enterprise system was a prerequisite of liberty. They obviously learned from the failures of Williams Bradford’s Plymouth Colony where all land was originally deemed public land. Bradford decreed the Colonists would farm the land to produce food that would be shared by the entire community. Each would take whatever they needed. This system failed spectacularly. Why? Because some colonists wondered why they should work – especially when others could provide for them. The colonists working the land then asked why they should work so hard if their fellow colonists refused to do so. The result was near starvation of the Plymouth Colony. As a result, Bradford instituted private property rights where the colonists could farm their own land, and choose to eat or sell whatever they produced. And in a couple years, the Plymouth Colony had all the food they needed and became net agricultural exporters.
Finally, 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 those Rights to government to act on our behalf.
The progression here is important. 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. That 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.
Additionally, 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 have these principles – trial by jury, that taxation without representation is tyranny, consent of the governed and several other concepts that permeate the Declaration and Constitution. You can read Ben Franklin’s Appeal to Heaven wherein 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.
George Washington said in the 1787 Convention:
“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.”
Rejection of morality and religion promotes chaos. Advocacy for these principles fosters order and clarity. I’d say it’s time we spread some order and clarity. Wouldn’t you?
In liberty,
Brett
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