Losing the Republic

Sunday Paper - July 4th, 2010

Americans celebrate their independence today in a very different society from the one born in 1776. The beliefs the Founders held most dear, and upon which they built a uniquely free society, are largely alien — even objectionable — in today’s America. I am not referring to the changes brought about by President Obama, but to a deeper change that preceded Obama and which fueled his ascendancy.   

The principles of freedom upon which America was built — such as the ideas that all men are created equal and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights — arose from religious beliefs held firmly by the Founders. Even the less religious Founders accepted the truth of those beliefs. But in recent decades, America has replaced its history with a narrative that resembles the French Revolution more than our own. We have reimagined ourselves as a secular nation based on secular principles. While many Americans believe secularization increases our freedom, it in fact reduces our freedom and will eventually destroy it. The Founders tried to tell us, but we refuse to listen: Secularism and freedom are incompatible.

The Essential Equality of All People. One of the pillars of American freedom is the belief that all people are created equal. By this, the Founders did not mean to imply that all people share equal intelligence, productivity, social status, or physical gifts. Rather, the Founders believed all people are “equal” in the sense that all are created personally and individually by God, in His image. This gives people of all different talents and shortcomings inherent dignity that cannot rightfully be diminished by others, even by government. The Founders learned this idea from its original and only source: the book of Genesis.      

(continues below)

A Nation of Laws. Because the Founders believed all people are equal in the eyes of God, they formed a nation not of kings or tyrants, but of laws. All citizens — from the weakest to the most powerful –would be subject to the same public rules. The Founders envisioned a citizenry living in submission to laws enforced equally, leaving people free essentially to govern themselves without micro-management by overbearing government. But the Founders knew the law could not create a moral burden to obey it. The moral burden to obey the law, even when no one is watching, arises only from the biblical belief in a holy God who knows people individually, watches them, and prizes personal and civil obedience. Apart from belief in this God, a self-governing society is unworkable. A nation of laws will crumble when a significant number of citizens — especially those in power — no longer feels morally bound to submit to those laws. 

Limited Government. America is one of the few countries where government authority was initially limited to a short list of powers. The Founders separated even those few powers into different branches, creating a system of checks and balances. But this idea arose from the Founders’ shared beliefs in two biblical truths: that God, not government, is the highest authority in the life of the citizen, and that man is a fallen race. The Founders knew that concentrated power is dangerous in the hands of fallen people. Their belief in the biblical teaching of original sin compelled them to carefully apportion and limit government power. Apart from the biblical doctrine of the Fall, one would struggle to justify such an inefficient structure of government.

Unalienable Rights. The Founders believed that limits on government power were essential to protect individual rights they considered “unalienable.” In other words, the Founders believed that certain rights should be out of government’s reach because they originate from a higher authority. These rights could not be overruled by government unless the individual forfeited them by breaking the law. But how could rights truly be “unalienable”? Only if they are bestowed on all people by the Creator, apart from any act of government…

by Adam G. Mersereau

Read more at American Thinker - July 4th, 2010

http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/07/losing_the_republic.html

• Big Government Go Away Sunday Paper - May 17th, 2009 Colin Powell has recently made the false claim that Americans want more government in their lives.  Maybe Powell was speaking of South Americans, like those Venezuelans who support the brutal dictator Hugo Chavez. Former Secretary of State Colin Powell recently made news by saying......
• The Obama Civilian National Security Force - Red Alert Sunday Paper - March 15th, 2009   ... And that's why my administration is committed to renewing diplomacy as a tool of American power, and to developing our civilian nationanl security capabilities... ... We have to enlist our civilians in the same way that we enlist those members of the......
• Al Gore Preying on Our Children Sunday Paper - February 8th, 2009 As people literally freeze to death in the state of Kentucky (150,000 people still with out power after 10 days and 27 dead as of Thursday), Al Gore continues to run about pedalling his "global warming" nonsense.  Recently, Gore was caught on tape at......
• Why We Protest WedNEWSday - April 8th, 2009 Why We Protest - by Jacob Ingalls Over the past couple of months across the US local “tea parties” have been organized to protest among other things the way bailouts and stimulus packages have been past and spent. On April 15th 2009 there will be......
• UN and US 'Progressives' Planning One World Government Sunday Paper - May 31st, 2009 While meaningless United Nations hand-wringing over the North Korean nuclear weapons program garners the headlines, the world body is moving ahead with a global conference to lay the groundwork for world government financed by global taxes. U.N. General Assembly President Miguel D'Escoto (pictured above)......

• Financial Freedom Equals Cashflow Leveraged Wealth I would like to thank LazyMan for tagging me with in his 6 word memoir: Money - freedom to do almost anything By being tagged I need to write my own 6 word memoir.... Financial Freedom Equals Cashflow Leveraged Wealth I think the statement says it all, but to expound......
• Biblical Contradiction: God does or does not accept human sacrifice: Biblical Contradiction Explained: God does or does not accept human sacrifices: God does accept human sacrifices: He said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of......
• What is Judaism? What is Judaism: Although Judaism only accounts for 1/3 of 1% of people on earth, it remains a significant world religion due to its relationship with Christianity and Islam. Identifying a belief system of Judaism can be difficult, primarily due to the evolution of Judaism from largely a religion to......
• What is Hinduism? What is Hinduism: By many, Hinduism is considered the oldest world religion. However, the title of "World Religion" is a misnomer. Hindu, meaning one from the region of the Indus river (India), was a title ascribed to the people of India and Hinduism was a title given to an amalgamation......
• What Separation of Church and State? In the current political climate, and all of the issues being discussed, we hear an awful lot about the so called "separation of church and state." When people of faith discuss their point of view on an issue, there is always an instantaneous response from an opposing point of view......