Let’s pretend that a group of different thinking people, highly motivated by personal ideology, and of various educational or non-educational backgrounds could adopt a government that recognized man’s inalienable rights.  Yeah, I said pretend, but wait, it happened in 1776-1787. 

What the founding fathers accomplished is nothing short of miraculous in light of the existing governments of the world at that time.  If I were to reprint the Declaration of Independence here, it would possibly be the first time that many have ever seen it.  That is a sad indictment of our educational system, and ourselves.  We were given the most citizen-friendly system of government known to man, at that time and we failed to have the interest or sense of responsibility to know what we were given.

Over the past one hundred years, we can see the slow and sometimes not-so-slow infringements and modifications of those rights and our system of government.  It matters not to me if the founders were all Christians or not, what they produced was God-inspired and deeply rooted in the precepts and principles of Scripture. 

The colonists were living under what they considered tyrannical rule by the British Crown and Parliament.  They believed they were being taxed without being represented.  They believed that they had the right to what they produced and that their lives should be largely without the undue influence and regulation of the government.  They held some core beliefs that are deeply rooted in the precepts of the Bible, reason, and recognition of man’s inalienable rights. 

They felt they had been pushed to the brink and saw no recourse but to Declare Independence and that a Revolution was the only pathway to freedom.  They understood that this act could cost them their lives, property, and freedom.  They weighed the costs the risks and rewards and initiated the drafting of the articulation of their views and their formal announcement of rejection of the rulership of King George III and his government.

I am always awed by the first few words of that document on display in the Rotunda at the National Archives Museum.  It begins with “The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united states of America…”  I have often wondered if that was the last and possibly only time that the Congress of the United States had a unanimous view of anything.  Oh, we have had unanimous votes, but I am not sure that was truly a representation of the views of each voter in Congress. 

Then, they gave their reasons for rejection of the rulership of the Crown and came to the second paragraph where they stated a view not seen in any of the governments of the world, at that time.  “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 is nothing short of amazing.

They believed that there was no need to debate or argue for the existence of God and that He was the creator of man and all things.  They included in that reasoning that all men (people) are created equal and that God, the Creator endowed men with unalienable Rights.  Rights that no government or person had the right to infringe upon.  That core belief was the foundational framework upon which our republic was established. 

They were not without flaws, but they embraced the foundation and framework through which America could become a Light Shining on a Hill, a beacon to the world of what Freedom could and should look like.  We became the light that has drawn and inspired multitudes as moths are drawn to a flame. They espoused a system of government that recognized the unalienable or inalienable rights of everyone and inspired hope in the hearts of multitudes around the world.

Life, the Bible says, is more than clothes, possessions, or food.  The Declaration of Independence’s verbiage paved the way to pursue a life of freedom unknown in the modern world of that day.  People could expect to be allowed to Live and enjoy the fruits of their labors.  How we have morphed in our modern government and view of Rights and morality.  Some lives are deemed more valuable than others and some have no value at all, such as that unborn baby in the womb.

Liberty was an expression of the craving of the hearts of the founders and the colonists to be allowed to become all they could be.  It was an expression of the cry of the human heart to be liberated from the chains of despotism and tyranny.  It was an expression that rose to its zenith in the words of Patrick Henry – “Give me liberty or give me death.”  The framers knew that the last part of that declaration was a real possibility and valued freedom more than life.

The Declaration of Independence spelled out the many grievances against the Crown and was in a very real sense an appeal for the King to amend his ways and keep the colonist British subjects and avoid war.  Yes, the Declaration was a declaration of war but the heart of most was to find a pathway to peace and they felt that this extreme measure was required.

Today, we have allowed politicians and those behind the scenes with diabolical motives and agendas to slowly strip away our freedoms and liberties.  I have discussed the Declaration, Constitution, and Bill of Rights with High School and College graduates only to find that they often had no knowledge of the content and often no interest in the original system of government sought.  They almost uniformly declared that what I was saying was not what they had been taught or thought.  We are reaping the harvest of decades of educational crops that have eliminated or revised our true history.  Few know much about civics or government, subjects that have gone the way of the dinosaur.

Now, back to my opening, what if we could have a government that would recognize God, the Creator, and man’s inalienable rights?  What if we could have a government that not only recognized but encouraged and protected our right to Life (all lives including the unborn)?  What if we could have a system that recognized our God-given liberty, and encouraged and protected it?    What if we could have a government and a body of politicians who believed that all Americans have the right to pursue happiness without undue government regulation or interference? 

Wow!  That is assuredly a fantasy considering the condition of politics and politicians in 2022.  What can we do?  Can we do anything?  It is my firm belief that until the lights have all been turned off and there is breath there is hope.  Therefore, I believe we can return to what the Founders established and envisioned if…  “IF” is the key.  If we return to recognition of God, the Creator.  Recognize that rights given by God are inalienable and are not to be infringed upon.  Recognize and embrace the idea that everyone’s life is valuable, and that all are created equal.  Recognize that Happiness is a condition achieved allowed to pursue Life and Liberty freely.  It must be maintained that that right cannot pose a danger to society and trample on the rights of others. 

However, activist groups that demand anything, not of their liking are a threat to them and must be rejected.  If we return to God, He has promised to return to us.  If we return to the original principles upon which America was established, we will immediately see the need to limit government and evict the career politicians who are interested in their power, their position, and their purse. 

America we can.  The issue is not if we can but if we will!

God bless you and God bless America!