Now known and marketed primarily as “The Fourth of July”, it’s important for us to remember the truth about Independence Day as it was intended by our founding fathers. Remember the well penned words of Thomas Jefferson, “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.” There was a time when school children were required to memorize these words so that each person may know their individual rights in order to protect our country from a despotic dictator. A reminder that never again would America be forced to succumb to a monarchy who wanted to unfairly tax and grossly ignore the rights of the people as it was some 236 years ago when the Declaration of Independence was signed.
Let’s consider the definition of unalienable rights and inalienable rights:
“Unalienable: incapable of being alienated, that is, can not be sold and transferred.” Black’s Law Dictionary, Sixth Edition, page 1523:
You can not surrender, sell or transfer unalienable rights, they are a gift from the Creator to the individual and can not under any circumstances be surrendered or taken. All individual’s have unalienable rights. Furthermore, we define natural liberty as “the right which nature gives to all mankind of disposing of their persons and property after the manner they may judge most consonant to their happiness, on condition of their acting within the limits of the law of nature, and so as not to interfere with an equal exercise of the same rights by other men;” and therefore it has been justly said, that “absolute rights of individuals may be resolved into the right of personal security–the right of personal liberty–and the right to acquire and enjoy property. These rights have been justly considered and frequently declared by the people of this country to be natural, inherent, and unalienable.”
Inalienable rights: Rights which are not capable of being surrendered or transferred without the consent of the one possessing such rights.
You can surrender, sell or transfer inalienable rights if you consent either actually or constructively. Inalienable rights are not inherent in man and can be alienated by government.
Now, let’s look at the words of the Declaration of Independence:
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 to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.
Beginning in 1963, The Supreme Court has ignored the will of the people by twisting the words of The Constitution. In the case of removing prayer and Bible reading in public schools, the ACLU lawyers used a letter written by Thomas Jefferson stating that there should be a wall of separation between church and state. Taken completely out of context, and not stating why Jefferson used those words, the lawyers suing to remove prayer were able to redefine the meaning of the First Amendment. Mr. Jefferson was writing in response to a particular religion being established as the only religion. What a contradiction to establish atheism over God and now going as far as having Muslim prayer rooms in our schools; but, Easter has been replaced with Spring Flings and Christmas with Happy Holidays. The highest court in our land changed an unalienable right to inalienable, by their own definition and reinterpretation of the First Amendment, to bow down to the minority who found prayer or mention of God in school offensive to their atheistic beliefs. By the way, atheism is a religion. It is a belief system that there is no God; therefore, I am my own god left to govern myself.
In 1973, The Supreme Court or better known as The Supreme Shame, over rode the will of the people again by ruling in favor of “viable abortion” which in simpler terms means that a woman can choose to have an abortion legally when there is no viable chance that the baby could survive on his or her own outside of the mother’s womb. With medical technology rapidly advancing, premature babies are surviving at gestation periods even earlier than the prescribed three-month viability that The Supreme Shame deemed legal in their ruling. As the technology advanced our nation has not reconsidered the ruling; instead, we have switched it to the woman’s right to choose. Did so-called Pro Life Republicans make a difference over their Pro Choice Democrat counterparts ? Consider the fact that since 1973, there have been five Pro Life Presidents with a total of 26 years in office. Being born is an unalienable right that has been over turned by our government to mean inalienable right as they choose who is born by allowing women to choose for the unborn child.
There have been many other rulings over-riding the truth of The Constitution and usurping our unalienable rights. The latest “Supreme Shame ” was this past week when John Roberts, touted by conservatives as their golden boy, re-wrote Obamacare to comply with the Commerce Act that gives Congress the right to tax the people on their goods and now services. I thought Obama said, “This is not a tax.” This is a documented fact when George Stupinoplis (pun intended) interviewed Obama after this colossal mess was passed in 2009. This has all been so twisted to mean that we are being taxed. In reality, we are being forced to buy the goods or services deemed as healthcare. Since when should we be forced to buy goods and services by the government? To my friends who believe that some how this is a great social justice giving equal and fair medical to one and all, I invite you to simply explain who will pay for this? The rich you say! Who defines rich? Obama has kept lowering the amount he considers rich from 250K to 150K. Who stays rich these days anyway? And, what if your company no longer offers health care because the government offers it ; therefore, you must buy it from the government and if you don’t you will be penalized and your wages garnished. Unalienable right to inalienable, when the government consents to spend your money for you!
Our forefathers would have considered these rights non-negotiable and would have begun a revolt for much less than we have ignored all these years waiting for “someone” to speak up. What then shall we do to remain independent and protect our unalienable rights?
1. Educate yourself, family and friends by reading history as it was and not how it has been revised in our public school books. I recommend David Barton’s website: http://www.wallbuilders.com. You will find extensive research with documented proof of the history of our nation. The revision of our history has removed the truth about slavery, for example, which was originated by Muslims and warring African kings trading their own people. Another covered fact was the treatment of the Irish and other immigrants to this country. I am not condoning slavery, but our loss of this history has encouraged the present generation of blacks to believe that something was taken from them specifically. Consideration is not given to the pride of the generations who overcame slavery or the non blacks who committed their lives, fortune and blood to the cause of their freedom. Now, we are all becoming slaves to the government through our collective ignorance of where we came from and why.
2. Ask your pastor what his position is on these issues. If he states that Jesus wasn’t political so he isn’t either. Politely, let him know that the Triune God established the kings and governments of the earth as stated in Daniel 2:21: “And He changes the times and the seasons: He removes kings and sets up kings: He gives wisdom unto the wise and knowledge to them that know understanding.” Your pastor and church should be teaching biblical wisdom from the scriptures on how to deal with today’s politics. You should NOT seek these answers from the media. This is probably the greatest tragedy of the modern church. I believe this occurred during Lyndon Johnson’s presidency when he enacted the 501 (c)(3) guidelines that pastors so readily adhere to in order to keep their tax exempt status. (Here is a part of history to research yourself…the Revolutionary War was started in the pulpit…something to think about and by all means don’t take my word for it. Look it up.)
3. Check your sources of truth. Don’t believe the media and stop listening to opinion based news. Try finding news blogs with readily available sources. Don’t use factcheck.org which is laughable when you research the facts yourself.
4. Talk about it with others in a respectful and well-informed manner without insisting on a decision in your favor. Just plant the seeds and pray for wisdom for that person. This is something I have learned the hard way after years of debate with my family.
5. Pray and pray specifically for elected officials. In 2008, I felt burdened to pray for John Roberts. Now I know why and feel that I could have done a better job.
6. Repent and keep yourself ready. Matthew Chapter 24 is a good start on understanding what is happening and what is to come.
7. Find out what the book of Revelation in the Bible says. The first chapter, verse three, states: “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.” The only book of the Bible that contains a promise that if you study it you will be blessed and it is the least preached book in the Bible. I believe that’s why the crackpots who try to predict the end of the world have so many followers. If they were taught about “end times” they would know for certain that “no man can predict”. The Bible does, however, tell us the signs of things to come.
On Independence Day, these were my thoughts as I sat on the courthouse square of Mountain View, Arkansas, listening to a fourteen year old girl play her violin and sing her heart out to her Lord and Savior. With all her hopes and dreams shining on her innocent freckled face, I had tears in my eyes thinking of what her next twenty Independence Day’s would be like without those unalienable rights endowed by her Creator…