How can we obey the laws of our society, let alone the laws of God, if we neglect to give proper weight to what those laws actually mean? Can we truly fulfill the intentions of laws that we fail to understand?
I believe that the answer to this is obvious, but how do we correct the problem if we lack the will to give proper respect to this question?
As Americans, I believe it is not only important to understand the reason that inspired our laws, it is important to understand their purpose in fulfilling God’s laws. To violate an unjust law is not to violate God’s law. There may indeed be consequences in our society for violating unjust laws, but the judgment of God remains according to His law, and those judgments have eternal implications.
With this in mind, we should consider our conviction concerning these three aspects of civil rulership, “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
Since God’s laws give attention to their protection, and the US Constitution affirms these protections, it seems important to explore them more fully.
What is life? Is it merely an accident? Is it arbitrary? Is it unjustly meted out on the undeserving, or is it the Devine creation of a merciful, and gracious God?
I believe that the Bible reveals that God is life itself. He gave it to Adam and Eve, as well as every living creature. At the time of creation, it was an everlasting quality. Mankind was created in the “image of God.” God is eternal, and therefore his created beings were also eternal, yet God did not fully clone Himself in mankind. They were given the freedom to choose not to worship Him as He wanted. They were free to sin, but the consequences of that sin were made clear at the onset.
In Genesis chapter 3 we learn of how Adam was coerced and chose to believe a lie over the truth. Today we are daily confronted with similar lies, each challenging truth, and the wisdom of the Word of God. We are free to be honoring the truth one minute and in mortal defiance the next. The grace of God and the blood of Christ are our only hope.
What is liberty? Is it something that one man is free to choose for someone else, or is it God-given? Our Declaration of Independence affirms that our founders believed it to be God-given, and our constitution was authored to protect those rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The original rendering had “property” in place of “the pursuit of happiness.” Why was this changed, and how does, “the pursuit of happiness,” accuratly represent, “property?”
Of the original thirteen states, two would refuse the abolition of slavery, contending that slaves were the property of their masters. This undermined the foundational principles of our declaration of independence. It would render improper respect to slaves as the possession, and wealth of the slave masters, and deny the proper respect to slaves as created beings, in the image of God,
Most of the framers of our constitution sought to affirm, “that all men are created equal,” therefore slaves’ rights were as God-given as those of their masters.
Walking this tightrope of beliefs could have been as perilous as any debate in history. Therefore, it was believed that substituting, “pursuit of happiness,” would ensure human rights in the near term, and preserve the option to address slavery at a later date.
They believed that if, “property,” had been written into this divine declaration, it would consummate slaves as property, and forever undermine the abolition of slavery. This was considered by many to be intolerable, as they sought liberty for all, regardless of pigment, birthplace, or plight.
What is property? Is it simply our physical possessions, or does it not include our intellectual property? Are the products of our imagination not likewise protected by our constitution, or are they subject to be coveted, and confiscated by our overlords?
Happiness is defined by Miriam Webster as;
1a: a state of well-being and contentment : JOY
1b: a pleasurable or satisfying experience:
I wish you every happiness in life.
“I had the happiness of seeing you”
— W. S. Gilbert
“a striking happiness of expression”
3. obsolete : good fortune : PROSPERITY
“all happiness bechance to thee”
— William Shakespeare
Surely we can understand that the securing of the right to pursue happiness would include our intellectual, and physical property, including our wealth, yet not document slaves as property.
If we choose to ignore the biblical, and spiritual foundation of clauses in both, our Declaration of Independence, and US Constitution, we may be unable to come to the conclusions I have listed, but if we intend to honor God, and conviction in truth, I believe that I’ve made a good case.
God bless you, Dave