The Source of Rights and Privileges

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.

Declaration of Independence. July 4, 1776

Why is it important that this nation remain one nation "Under God?" Well I believe that the answer was provided by the founding fathers, and it is, inadvertently, the most brilliant part of the founding of this nation. I'll explain.

My parents never put many restrictions on me. I simply had to (1)have my homework done before I went outside to play, (2)finish my assigned chores, and (3)do whatever my dad told me. If there was ever any question, I was to refer to rule number 3. I never had any "rights" so to speak, but I did have privileges. For instance, I had a video game that I could play so long as the rules were followed. This brings up an important question. What exactly is a right and a privilege, and what is the difference.

An example of a privilege granted by our government is the ability to drive on public highways. The state gives that privilege and it can be taken away. Likewise, social security benefits and medicare are both privileges. The government created those things and so it can dissolve them as well. You may see a pattern forming here. Any benefit created by our government can technically be referred to as a privilege. It's something that can be taken away from us should a government decide we have not earned it in someway, or if they decide it has become detrimental to the state.

The key thing to remember is that any benefit insured by a granter is reliant upon that granter as its source. At anytime, the granter end the benefit. Ask anyone who worked for a company that went out of business whether that is true.

A right is technically unalienable; meaning that it cannot be taken away. By this time you may be seeing the logic problem. If rights are given by government then they can be taken away by it. They are therefor little more than privileges granted to "We the Children." It's no different than my video game privileges.

If however, a right is given by God, then only He can take it away. This is the brilliance of the founders. Even if a man doesn't believe in God, it is still to his benefit that rights be guaranteed by an invisible entity. In fact, if there is no God, the unbeliever has that much more guarantee that his rights are safe be being taken since the only thing that can take them away doesn't exist.

The difference between so-called democracies all over the world, and free societies, is that the citizens of free societies truly have rights that cannot legally be taken by government. That doesn't mean that one's rights can't be oppressed, but it will be quickly recognized as oppression.

Removing God from a free society effectively removes the immutable source of the rights of its people; at which point, the government will gladly step in as the guarantor of said rights. The thing that most either cannot see, or willingly accept, is that government then becomes god.