We hold these Truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.
In my last post on Self Evident Truths, I looked at the nature of equality. Today I am going to discuss the source of the inalienable rights with which each man (i.e. human being) is endowed.
The Founding Fathers foreshadowed this Truth with the statement that all men are “created” equal. Every creation presupposes that there is a creator.
Most of the Founding Fathers were either Deists or Christians, and both groups recognize the existence of a Supreme Being. As a Christian myself, I can easily accept the Self Evident Truth that the benevolent God of the Bible endows mankind with inalienable rights.
But it would certainly be stretch to argue that the Founding Fathers necessarily believed in Creationism, or even Intelligent Design. Darwin’s Origin of the Species did not even appear until 1859, so the alternative probably never even occurred to them. But just as the idea of “man” came to include women as well, in 21st Century America, the concept of “Creator” now includes what 12-step groups call a “higher power” or “God, as we understand Him [or Her].” I once heard someone say that even an atheist can benefit from a 12-step program without believing in God. All that is necessary is acknowledging that you’re not Him.
So what is the Self Evident Truth concerning the source of inalienable rights? These rights do not emanate from any one individual or group of individuals. There is no king, potentate, benevolent dictator, government, religion, political party or “dictatorship of the proletariat” that possesses that much authority. The “Creator” of the Founding Fathers is loftier than the human race. It’s not about us; it’s about something much greater. The “Creator” that endows us with rights is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy.
If you’re not inclined to believe in the Divine, then think of the Source as an Ideal. But no matter how you perceive this Source, reflecting on Him (or Her, or It) will lift your spirits, just as it inspired the Founding Fathers and generations of freedom loving people from the shipyards of Gdansk to Tiananmen Square to Baghdad.
Both your posts on this subject are outstanding CT. Very eloquent in all respects.
You might recall me saying before that I am basically an atheist. I say basically because, despite what I know about science and evolution, I still wish that I could believe. I wish I could have the happiness, confidence, satisfaction in life, and even better health that people of faith have. It must be nice to really believe that you will never die.
These things, these thoughts, enabled the founding fathers to conceive this great nation. And lack of faith is self evident in much of the moral decline we currently see in our nation.
All these things that benefit people of faith have been clearly proven true by the science I have so much respect for.
And thinking of these things does indeed lift my spirits. Again great post.