In1776, the Second Continental Congress commissioned Thomas Jefferson, along with Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman and Robert Livingston, to draft what would become the seminal document in American history, the Declaration of Independence.
With the final wording approved on July 4, 1776, the direct objective of this document was to justify, enumerating the reasons why separation from the tyranny, abuses and usurpations of the King of Great Britain was necessary and inevitable. “… whenever any government becomes destructive … it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it and to institute new government…”
In vindicating the right of the 13 Colonies to form a new government, these five individuals emphasized what they believed to be obvious facts. Who is not familiar with this resounding, definitive statement within the Declaration; “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.” The writing of this Declaration, which was a proclamation of independence, prepared the heart and soul of the thirteen colonies for their intended objective – severance from Great Britain.
Then in 1787 came the United States Constitution. “We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union …” The Constitution was written in response to the discontent developing over the obvious deficiencies evident within the Colonies’ first attempt at centralized-government, as created under the Articles of Confederation. The purpose of the U.S. Constitution was to create a better government (a more perfect union) and to protect the concept of “self-evident truths” of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as contained in the Declaration of Independence. Notice the 5th Amendment to the Constitution, which protects our “life, liberty, or property,” indicating that citizens cannot be deprived of these rights without due process of the law.
Both the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution were ingeniously crafted documents, masteries of statesmanship, political in structure and intent, specifically worded to justify a new form of government. Written by men educated under the philosophies of the Enlightenment, who were influenced by noble essays, treatises and writings of then modern-day political philosophers and theorists, along with historical philosophers of Roman and Greek persuasion, both of these two documents provided essential guidance for the governance of a new nation. Each document consisting of concepts which would ensure U.S. citizens’ “safety and happiness.”
New concepts of political thought were conceived, devoted specifically to ensure competent government and the protection of those who are governed. Consent of the governed; rule of law; republican form of Government; three co-existing powers; checks and balances; equal representation; supreme law of the land; voting rights. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; freedom to assemble; freedom of the press; the right to keep and bear arms. Protection against self- incrimination, protection against unreasonable search and seizure, prohibition against double jeopardy. As the country matured, additional legislation was enacted. The 13th Amendment. The 14th Amendment. The 15th Amendment. The 19th Amendment. The 27th Amendment. Affirmation of equal rights for all citizens to be recognized by all states, due process, an equal protection clause, privileges and immunities clause – these and other opinions and laws derived their authority from the principles fundamental to the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution.
At the heart of it all is a self- evident truth; “the unalienable right of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” This is the cornerstone of American life, of what defines America. These are the promises which those who desire to come to this country seek, while more so these days, these rights are what many, especially those in academia and government, seek to abuse, distort and limit.
Life and liberty are concepts understood, having definitive, unambiguous, factual, objective meaning. Life as opposed to death. Life as opposed to loss, ruin, lethargy, disillusionment or demise. Liberty as opposed to slavery, suppression, domination, fear, captivity, indebtedness, subjugation, confinement or enslavement.
The “pursuit of happiness” – the founding fathers believed this to be an unalienable right, endowed by the Creator. The pursuit of happiness is understood to be a fundamental right for humanity.
Today, what it means to be happy runs the gamut; and a wide, seemingly endless one at that. Library and bookstore shelves are lined with books, self-help tapes and CDs elucidating the keys to happiness this and the secrets to real happiness that. What about the quest to acquire the things that make you happy?
Happiness is subjective, based on a perspective, which is self-defined. Happiness is an emotional response. What makes one person happy does not necessarily make someone or anyone else happy. The mysteries of achieving happiness may work well for one group of people but may cause discontent and disappointment, sorrow and melancholy for others.
An interesting statement, written in the Supreme Court ruling of the 1991 Planned Parenthood vs. Casey case is as follows: “the heart of liberty is the right to define one’s own concept of existence, of meaning of universe and of the mystery of human life.” Now if that judicial opinion does not leave wide open the door of personal interpretation and self-definition, what else could?
It seems the rights granted American citizens have found unlimited self-expression today. Certainly, the right to pursue happiness and to define happiness is solely up to the individual to determine. The average American is no doubt cozy with the common opinion promoted today that Americans are at liberty to follow their heart’s desire and pursue whatever it is that makes them happy.
Do a Google search on the subject, “the pursuit of happiness” and among the “hits,” you will find the following: “The pursuit of happiness is defined as a fundamental right mentioned in the Declaration of Independence to freely pursue joy and live life in a way that makes you happy, as long as you don’t do anything illegal or violate the rights of others.”
Just do what makes you happy and fills you with joy. So American citizens have that right! Simple enough.
Money? A House? 50 acres? A job? Owning a company? An education? A Car? A Corvette? A BMW? A Mercedes? A Horse? 50 Horses? Clubbing? Dancing? Comic-con? Fast foods? Being a workaholic? Living as a vagabond? Being a millionaire? Going to church, synagogue, or mosque? Engaging in occult or Wiccan rituals? Raising a family? Having a wife? A Husband? OK – what about no wife or husband, rather living with a partner; a lover; a mistress? Engaging in fifty shades of gray? How about producing television programs like “Naked Dating” or “Bad Girls Club” or “Mountain Men?” How about having a friend with benefits? OK – let us get down to the reality of today; how about a significant other; a same-sex partner, a same-sex spouse? How about same-sex marriage?
If any of these and a litany of other pursuits makes one happy, then he or she “American citizen” has the unalienable right to that happiness, to pursue it and obtain it. More so than ever these days, if what one does goes against the law, well – file a lawsuit; go to court and get the law changed. Happiness!
During the 18th Century, the concept of happiness had a much different meaning than what is perceived today. The authors of the Declaration of Independence did not consider happiness in terms of a subjective, emotional state of mind, to be determined from a self-point of view. The pursuit of happiness was not a quest to seek whatever could give one pleasure, joy, tickles and bliss, nor the increase of one’s material possessions.
In the 18th Century, the term “virtuous felicity” was very much associated with happiness. Happiness was equivalent to activities which would contribute to the overall well-being of the person and the community. Happiness had a significant ethical dimension relating to social as well as personal betterment.
Happiness assumed a moral and virtuous order of things.
Seventeenth century political philosopher, John Locke had this to say about happiness in his 1690 essay, ‘Concerning Human Understanding.’ No doubt, Locke’s words influenced Jefferson. “The necessity of pursuing happiness [is] the foundation of liberty. As therefore the highest perfection of intellectual nature lies in a careful and constant pursuit of true and solid happiness; so the care of ourselves, that we mistake not imaginary for real happiness, is the necessary foundation of our liberty.”
Locke goes on to explain that happiness is not simply sensual or hedonistic, self-defined, self- pursued, materialistic. Rather happiness is established in the engagement of intellectual pursuits, which requires assiduous discrimination between imaginary happiness and true and practical, functional happiness. True, genuine happiness, which Locke believed is the “foundation of liberty,” releases us from the captivity of mundane physical, carnal yearnings and aspirations.
Garry Wills, writing in his book, ‘Inventing America,’ (1978) stated: “When Jefferson spoke of pursuing happiness, he had nothing vague or private in mind. He meant public happiness which is measurable; which is, indeed, the test and justification of any government.”
The concepts of happiness back then are very different from what the “average American” believes today. Today Americans believe “the pursuit of happiness is defined as a fundamental right mentioned in the Declaration of Independence to freely pursue joy and live life in a way that makes you happy.” Moral virtues are not so much, if at all, considered today.
“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” was a statement written to identify what good government was responsible to protect. If government violated these rights, then the governed could rise up and rebel. The Declaration was just that simple. However, over the past two centuries, this statement has been reinterpreted and misconstrued to justify behaviors, pleasure pursuits and (now considered) acceptable lifestyles, which are simply pernicious and detrimental to life, family, society and the nation.
That life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are an unalienable right granted by the creator may be debatable; however, that is not the point. There is still something missing in the whole conversation. What was missing then and still missing today, are the Laws of God. But alas and alack, this country is not willing to listen to any dialog when it comes to the Laws of God.
Without over-simplification, yet in its simplest form, if the Laws of God are not the foundational, fundamental, guiding laws of a nation, then it is rather immaterial and irrelevant as to what that nation’s founding documents intend, promise or legislate. In the end, that nation loses.
God’s laws are relevant and universal, pertinent, appropriate and applicable for all peoples, cultures, nations, generations, epochs and times.
The founding fathers spoke of an unalienable right of life. God certainly endows life; after all, He is the creator of life, having also created the birth process. However, as God sees it, you have a “choice” in the matter.
“See, I have set before you this day life and good and death and evil; in that, I command you this day to love the Eternal thy God, to walk in his ways and to keep his commandments and his statutes and judgments, that you may live long and prosper and the Eternal God shall bless the land you possess. But if your heart turn away that you will not hear but will worship other gods, I tell you, you shall perish … I call heaven and earth to record this day against you; I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both you and the children that come after you may live” (cf. Deuteronomy 30:15-19).
Obedience to God’s laws is equivalent to choosing life. Choice is the right God has given you and all men.
“Blessed (translated from the Hebrew word esher meaning happy) is everyone that reverently respects and honors God and walks in His ways. For you shall eat of the produce that you harvested and prosper by the things you produce and happy you shall be and it shall be well with you” (cf. Psalm 128:1-2).
“Blessed, happy is the individual who does not keep company with the ungodly and unrighteous; nor stands with the sinners, nor sits with ridiculer, mocker or the impertinent. Rather happy is that person who delights in the laws of God and in God’s laws meditates night and day. This individual will be like a tree planted by the river, always having water and nutrients right there at their feet. And being nourished, will always bear fruit and will not be deprived. And whosoever loves and obeys God’s laws, will prosper” (cf. Psalms 1:1-3).
God’s laws are righteous, holy, just and good, providing a path of longevity, health, happiness and profitable living. God’s laws, when kept, produce good and successful results, not only for an individual but also for an entire nation. If a nation were to embrace God’s laws as its legislative foundation, like a Declaration of Independence, that nation would be stable, prosperous, providing equity and justice for all its citizens. That nation would be acceptable to God.
Of course, that seems hard to believe given the fact that Christian churches preach the laws of God were nailed to the cross and were done away. The laws of God, many a Christian minister will say, no longer need to be kept.
“Righteousness (living a right life in respect and obeisance to God and His laws) exalts a nation: but sin (the breaking of the law 1 John 3:4) is a disgrace to any people” (cf. Proverbs 14:34).
Is it possible that Christianity today is contributing to the demise of the United States?
Speaking of the end time children of Israel, of whom the United States is comprised, God says: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you … you have forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget your children. … As they were increased, so they sinned against me; therefore I will change their glory into shame” (cf. Hosea 4:6-7).
There is an irony about the founding documents of this country. Both documents were structured, written in order to and for the purpose of, establishing a vigorous, rational and unbiased form of government. A government considerate of, providing equity for all those governed, new to the world, a first of its kind.
However, to control every nuance of behavior of its citizens; to control or regulate the lifestyles, actions, choices, idiosyncrasies and character of people; to promote obedience to God and His Laws – this was never the intention of the Declaration of Independence or the US Constitution.
Today, many preach that this nation was founded on Christian principles. In the background of these founding documents, no doubt there were people who believed in the Lord Jesus. However, were they obedient and faithful to Jesus Christ, His words and the scriptures? Or were they obedient to the doctrines and principles, the interpretations and teachings of men, of the Catholic and Protestant churches at that time? What is unmistakably obvious, evident and clear is the fact that this nation was not founded, purely or directly, on the Laws of God or the truths of God.
Still today, the Laws of God are not promoted or honored in this nation. The government cannot promote or endorse them and the churches across this land will not advocate the Laws of God. As a result, the people are perishing for lack of knowledge. The people, like lost sheep, are not being guided by the honorable, life preserving and life protecting laws of God. As a result, the country is fast decaying and its glory is changing to shame.
Sorrow fills the hearts of those who understand and appreciate the great blessings the God of Israel endowed this land and its people with, all a result of the promises God made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (later named Israel). Seeing this country led by deceived leaders and its people disobedient to righteousness brings lamentation.
The Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution are suitable documents when it comes to regulating government. However, without the Laws of God as the fundamental and foundational laws guiding the United States, or any nation for that matter (laws which are the true source and guarantor of life, liberty and happiness), the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution have a limited life. Like the United States of America, these documents will soon become obsolete.
