In our Declaration of Independence, one sentence rang loudly then and rings loudly now.  “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”  That was more than a whimsical thought and idealistic superlative being offered by our Founders but words that resonated with the heart of every American and should resonate with equal importance today.  Does it?  Only selectively, it would seem as is seen in the hoopla over the counter to the Black Lives Matter movement saying, “All Lives Matter.” 

The Right to Life did not originate with the Founders of this Republic it originated with the Creator of all things, God Himself.  If I might refer to Scripture I call your attention to Exodus 22:2 where God, in establishing the fledgling nation of Israel spoke regarding their homes, lives, and property.  He said, “If the thief is caught while breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there will be no bloodguiltiness on his account.”  That passage gives the homeowner the unquestioned right of self-defense and the right to protect person and property from an intruder.  That became known as the “Castle Doctrine” and is one of the bedrock principles of our Republic and a recognize the inalienable right for all mankind.

Self-defense is an inalienable right and our Founders recognized and demanded it is included in our Declaration and Constitution.  John Dickenson, one of the signers of the American Constitution defined it as, “a right given by God, inalienable and a right that no inferior power or authority had a right to take away.”  John Adams echoed Dickenson’s sentiments stating, “Rights…antecedent to all earthly government; rights that cannot be repealed or restrained by human laws: rights derived from the Great Legislator of the Universe.”  With those kinds of references and inclusions in their deliberations, how do we still argue that they wanted to prohibit all references and inclusions of biblical truths and/or Christianity from the government?

The Second Amendment was not an after-thought, nor did they view it as being a guarantee for a standing militia only.  They considered the Right to Life as such a foundational principle and wanted every person to have the ability to preserve their own lives as well as defend against the intrusion of foreign enemies or out of control government from within.  In their day, as should be in our day, the youth were instructed in the use of firearms and well versed in this inalienable right.  It was not so that people could kill one another but so that if a person bent on evil attempted to do harm, every citizen was to be capable and authorized to defend themselves up to and including the use of deadly force.

John Quincy Adams upon being sent overseas by President James Madison was so concerned about the education of his nine-year-old son, he wrote his brother: “One of the things which I want to have them taught (and which no man can teach better than you) is the use and management of firearms.  This must undoubtedly be done with great caution, but it is customary among us, particularly when children are under the direction of ladies, to hold it too much and too long from boys.  The accidents which happen among children arose more frequently from their ignorance than from their misuse of weapons, which they know to be dangerous.  I beg you occasionally from this time to take George out with you in your shooting excursions, teach him gradually the use of the musket, its construction, and the necessity of prudence in handling it; let him also learn the use of pistols, and exercise him at firing at a mark.” 

They were fully aware of accidents that occurred with firearms but did not want to restrict them or ban them from use.  Why?  Because the viewed the principle of education and training as a basic reality in the use of weapons.  Also, they viewed the inalienable “Right to Life” as so basic they could envision no other path to follow.  They understood that the gun was not the problem but misuse or lack of knowledge as to how to use it was.

I do not want to make this solely about the “Right to Keep and Bear Arms” but about the “Right to Life.”  That is one of the avenues in which we can protect our lives, our families, and our property.  However, if we fail to view LIFE, all Life as sacred to God we become as the barbaric tribes of history and human life becomes valueless.  When I consider the 60 Million plus babies that have been aborted since the inception of Roe v Wade, I weep.  But, when I review the number of abortions worldwide, 1.5 Billion, I wonder when the ax of judgment will fall on this nation and the world.  You may find my biblical reference offensive, but it is my view and I believe consistent with both the Bible and the Constitution.  Among the inalienable rights recognized by our Founders was “The Right to Life.” 

The American College of Pediatricians concurs with the body of scientific evidence that corroborates that a unique human life starts when the sperm and egg bind to each other in a process of fusion of their respective membranes and a single hybrid cell called a zygote, or one-cell embryo, is created.  Scientific evidence advises that there are Seven Characteristics of Life found in the embryo in the womb called a fetus.  Those characteristics include responsiveness to the environment, growth and change, the ability to reproduce, a regulated metabolism and oxygen flow, maintaining homeostasis (the ability to regulate internal bodily functions in response to external changes), composed of cells, and the capacity to pass traits onto offspring.  But, the pre-born baby has one additional characteristic, which may not be strictly scientific but is true nonetheless: he or she is a bearer of God’s image or a human being created with intrinsic value.

In today’s world, we are synthesized or anesthetized to the trauma that would accompany the killing of an innocent human being.  Many have adopted the view of Hillary Clinton, other liberal politicians, and the Pro-Choice activist that that thing in the womb is not a baby, a person, but simply a blog of tissue.  If anyone considers the time of a heartbeat, when feeling occurs in that entity in the womb and many other facts about the development of that baby, they will have a very difficult time arguing for abortion for whatever reasons.  How is a woman’s right to choose more valued than that baby’s “Right to Life”?

The senseless murder that occurs on the streets of many of our major cities is horrendous.  Some of the most violent cities are the cities with the most stringent gun laws and the problem is not dissipating but increasing.  Laws will not change the condition or resolve the problem because it is not a gun problem but a mindset and condition of the heart.  Until we return to a position and condition that we Value Life – ALL LIFE we will not see a significant improvement in the situation.  So long as we have religions such as Islam that believe they are commissioned by their god to kill any who do not convert to their religion we will have this problem.  If you view a black life more valuable than a white life or vice versa you are contributing to the problem.

 What can we do?  My belief is that the greatest thing we can do is PRAY!  However, if we want to see a return to basic moral principles and Constitutional Government we must elect people who honor both the Constitution and our traditional family values.  We must deal with education, with the disintegration of the traditional value, and return to the principle and precept that everyone has the inalienable “Right to Life.”  Those are some of the things that make elections so important.  If we allow the Toxicity of Liberalism return to power, we will see further erosion of our society and Republic.  Please, please pray about who to vote for and count the costs of your decision.

God bless you and God bless America.