Unalienable Rights of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness

Does God rule in the affairs of humans and nations? Has God spoken? is what He says authoritative in 21st century America? Does truth matter? Does God give rights no government can take away?

America is a divided nation. I’m not talking about Republicans and Democrats. Answers to the core questions above divide us. In most cases, conservatives answer, “Absolutely. while Marxists answer, “Absolutely not.” How do you answer?

The answer to these questions in 1776 was quite clear, and it’s enshrined in the Declaration of Independence: “Absolutely!” Americans don’t have political disagreements; they have spiritual disagreements that play out in politics.

The Declaration of Independence lays out the principles of government in the first two paragraphs:

1. The Creator God of Christianity gives rights that can only be taken unlawfully—the meaning of unalienable. “Unalienable rights” are the rights permanently handed down to us by the God of Creation and the Bible, and are therefore non-negotiable. These rights will only be removed by a tyrant.
2. The Creator God of Christianity has given us a moral law to govern us. There’s a God who created us; He is Jesus. Colossians 1:16 says, “For in Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him.” Teaching evolution is an assault on the Declaration and our Savior.
3. Government’s job is to protect those rights and enforce those laws (Romans 13:4).
4. Then, the government is to rule by the consent of the governed.

Most Conservatives embrace God’s absolute principles and believe rights come from Him. The founders and framers agreed as well. However, Conservatives generally believe that the majority of Progressives are in open rebellion against God. Their positions on these and many other issues are driving America toward a totally secular, anti-theistic society.

Seventy-four percent of Americans say government is infringing on their rights and freedoms. Just 33% who believe the infringement of rights caused war with Great Britain in 1775. If the American culture that the Founders and Framers envisioned is to survive against Marxist Progressives, we must proudly, loudly, and boldly proclaim the virtues of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

LIFE

God alone gives life, and no one has the right to take it away unless God’s law against murderers and rapists says so. Marxists in our government and education systems malign and attack life. They told our kids global warming will kill them by 2023, they may be a different sex, and fetuses are just a mass of cells that can be flushed from the body. As a result, according to the CDC, suicide rates have increased by 62% since 2007 (they decreased under Trump but have gone up since). While 4-in-10 kids say they feel hopeless, 1-in-10 kids attempt suicide. Homicide rates have increased among youth 91% since 2014. Marxists advocate for the abortion of nearly one million babies every year. Nancy Pelosi believes abortion will help Democrats re-take the House in 2024. State heartbeat bills and the Dodd decision last year will decrease the rate of abortions (10,000 in Texas). However, most abortions take place in blue states and cities, so Democrats will keep abortion alive and babies dead.

LIBERTY

The words ‘freedom‘ and ‘liberty‘ are often used interchangeably, but they have separate meanings. Liberty means we have the God-given right not to be ruled by men but by citizen agreed-upon Constitutional law. Liberty is the gift of God; liberty can only exist in a culture that embraces biblical Christianity. Liberty means we consent to give the government minimal power enumerated in the Constitution. It means government has no power outside those enumerations and can’t limit our speech, religious practices, political views, gun rights, government-petitioning rights, or assembly rights. Government also has the power and responsibility to protect our rights from encroachment by government agencies or evil people. The Supreme Court ruled in June a Christian mail carrier doesn’t have to work on Sundays. During “pride month”, the Court ruled a Christian Web designer doesn’t have to create alphabet mafia wedding sites. In 2018, the Court ruled a Christian baker doesn’t have to bake wedding cakes for a homosexual wedding, these cases correctly interpreting unalienable rights. (Notice an anti-Christian assault dividing us?) We have the liberty to say “NO!!!.

You hear the antithesis of liberty spoken about in different ways: “We must end the gridlock in Washington;” “We need to reach across the aisle.” (Does anyone notice that this ‘reaching‘ is only done by Republicans?) The Framers disagreed with those sentiments. They limited the power of the government, wanted Congress to meet briefly each year, and designed the system to CAUSE gridlock because they believed law enactment by the federal government limited liberty and freedom and moved toward tyranny. This website, “Liberty Lens,” has a liberty mission, “We provide a means by which the practice of journalism is accessible to the people.”

FREEDOM

Freedom means we have the God-given right to do as we please as long as we don’t trample other’s rights (not feelings). Freedom is expressed in the Declaration as the “pursuit of happiness.” If we have liberty, then we can “pursue happiness,” which was an idea unheard of in 1776. “Happiness” doesn’t mean to feel good but means “chance” or “fortune.” In Europe, this was a radical, jaw-dropping statement—America will give you a chance to be in any class or do any job you want. (Now, however, the government pursues equal outcomes.) “Happiness” means, in America, there’s no aristocracy or class because of your birth, like Europe. In Europe, if you were born a tradesman, you died a tradesman; if you were born a farmer, you died a farmer; if you were born poor, you died poor. That ended in America. You’re free to become whatever you want and free from the subjugation of tyrants—except for men to become women or men having babies (“truth” matters). Marxist want equity, or equal outcomes; God, the Declaration, and the Constitution want equal opportunity since all are created equal.

The Founders and Framers believed a person could pursue the American Dream, i.e., “happiness,” because America was an exceptional country. They advocated the masculine worldview when it came to government—each person was responsible for his own success without help or interference from the federal government. For example, the first five presidents refused, based on the enumerated powers in the Constitution, to give aid to local building projects or relief to victims of natural disasters. James Madison vetoed a congressional bill, saying the Erie Canal could not be built with federal funds because such public works were unconstitutional since they were only a gain for New York at the expense of the nation. John Quincy Adams changed that policy.

In June, the Court ruled student loan forgiveness is unconstitutional – a win for our freedom not to be saddled with others’ debts. They also ended affirmative action, ending systemic racism that everyone might pursue happiness equally.

The founders and framers believed free people should have no intrusion by the government on their God-given liberties. So, liberty means I can believe and say whatever I want; freedom means liberty gives me the basis to become whatever I want.

Jefferson continued: “To secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” The Founders understood there will always be evil people in this world who seek to oppress and take away unalienable rights. “Consent” is how liberty happens and how tyranny is prevented. The Founders created a society never seen before where we the people rule the government, not the other way around. Our government is legitimate only when it rules by our consent. Ruling without our consent is unjust and tyrannical. Limited government based on the consent of the governed isn’t just a desirable objective; it’s the essential foundation of our Republic.

The main purpose of government is to protect me from evil people so I can achieve what I want in life—my pursuit of happiness and my pursuit of God. If the American culture that the founders and framers envisioned is to survive for our descendants against Marxist, anti-Christian Progressives, we must proudly, loudly, and boldly proclaim the virtues of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Our kids desperately need to hear this.

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