Once we truly understand that we are all created equal in God’s eyes then it is easier for us to understand what the writers of the Declaration of Independence meant by the phrase “we are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness…”.  God gives us rights, basic rights, self-evident rights based in truth.  God does not take away these rights once He gives them, they are always ours.

Since God gives us these rights, government cannot take them away.  These rights were built into our system with the intent that they would never be threatened.  Common sense dictates that if we are all created equal then no one can lay claim to our lives because our lives are our own.  That is part of the beauty of our system of government, as it was designed, that with hard work and ingenuity we can make of our lives whatever we choose.  So the founding fathers believed that all life was valuable and should be protected.  Following this logic we can safely come to the conclusion they were pro-life.

Liberty is the next right expressed in the Declaration.  Because my life is rightfully mine, then I have the right to do anything I want as long as it doesn’t harm anyone else.  Therefore, it is clear that we have an inherent God-given right to liberty.  Of course, if we are Christians we also have the liberty that Christ gives us in every area of our lives.  He is the only one that truly sets us free.

The pursuit of Happiness expressed in the Declaration means that we have a God-given right to pursue our dreams which includes the right to own property.  When we create a business that business is ours and we have the final say on how it is run.  The founders believed that government should not interfere in our homes, our churches, our schools and our businesses.  We have jurisdictional authority in these areas because they all belong to us in our pursuit of happiness/dreams.

The produce of our labor belongs to us.  For example if you produce a crop from your labor no one has the right to take that crop or a portion of it for their own use because it is the fruit of your labor.  If you are employed by a company the income you generate from the work you do is yours and it too is the fruit of your labor.  As long as the money you earn did not violate someone else’s rights that money is yours.  These are all just common sense but in the upside down world we live in there are those who believe they have a right to that which they have not earned.

All of these rights belong to the individual.  Absolutely nothing is mentioned regarding group rights in our Constitution. When rights are spoken of today it is usually in reference to specific groups.  When group rights are elevated they inevitably trample on our individual rights and on the self-evident truth that we are all created equal.  For example, we have a right to the free exercise of our religious beliefs not just in church or in our homes but wherever we are.  Our conscience is always with us; therefore demanding that we set aside our conscience to participate in actions that violate the free exercise of our faith goes against that basic God-given right.

So how is it that all these special groups, receiving special rights have come to dominate current day America that was once the land of the free and home of the brave?  The root cause of this lies in our highly inadequate educational system that has gone from teaching truth, character and values in every discipline to teaching relativism that is void of values. Because we don’t teach the inherent basics of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness we have lost the essence of America’s goodness while our textbooks lift up third world dictators as heroes.

Without knowing the history of western civilization and the founding of America we have become lost and easily led by misinformation.  My book seeks to help alleviate this problem by giving a good understanding of how the founding fathers thought and the history of those who risked their lives to explore and settle a wild, untamed land to seek a better future for their children and their children.
Next week: More thoughts on Rights…

Dinner Table Discussion Question: How has someone else’s rights hindered your right to life, liberty and the pursuit of your dreams?  Have you ever imposed your right to life, liberty etc. without thought of others?  What is Jesus’ solution in these situations?  [Hint – Matthew 19:19]