At the beginning of the semester, I decided that I wanted a pocket copy of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence. When I went into the BYU Bookstore and asked where I could find a copy of these two important documents, i was given the uncertain response that they might be at the end of the current events/politics aisle. After a few minutes of searching, I was heartbroken to find a small booklet containing these two founding documents almost hidden behind other books. It is sad when the documents containing the purpose for the founding of our great country are stashed away to the side of books giving the most "popular" beliefs on current national issues.
Unfortunately, this small event in a single bookstore represents the state of the entire Nation. All to often, the traditional principles that are the foundation of our country are set aside for the rise of new principles of "tolerance" and "common good." I find it Ironic that the Declaration of Independence, which contains many solutions to current issues, is one of the most ignored documents in today's society.
Within the first few paragraphs of the Declaration of Independence we find two truths that many today do not understand. The first is the most basic principle of government - the Social Contract. Originating from John Locke, this idea explains the fundamental relationship between the government and the governed. It begins by stating that people have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. In order to ensure these rights, however, people need to collectively relinquish their right to complete freedom to the government. This is common sense, for in order for everyone to maintain these three rights, they must not be allowed to infringe on the three unalienable rights of others.
While many people (especially liberals) are familiar with the first part of the Social Contract, few are familiar with the second which states that the role of government is ONLY to protect these rights. That means that the sole purpose of government is to prevent Joe from harming Fred's life, liberty, or ability to pursue happiness. The Declaration of Independence states that once the government exceeds its intended role and becomes destructive to the rights of it's governed, the governed have the right and obligation to intervene. This brings out the problem with our current Health Care debate. On the positive side, it is prudent for the government to regulate the Health Care industry, for many companies are infringing on the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness to some Americans. The government is wrong, however, in it's attempt to force every American to get insured. Americans will no longer have the liberty to chose to live without health care, a decision which has no effect on the rights of others. We see there that the government is trying to overstep it's bounds, and it is now the responsibility of the people to step forward and prevent this injustice from being done. I'm sorry if that sound too "conservative," but, well, the Declaration IS a conservative document.
The second truth in the Declaration is that God is very much a part of our country. The declaration states that universal rights are endowed by a "Creator." Many Atheists today are offended by this idea, and try to soften this blow to their ego, so to speak, by citing quotes by the founding fathers which seem in opposition to religion. The truth is, however, that even if some of the founding fathers did not like religion, there still is a God who inspired them to found the most powerful nation on Earth. In the D&C, the lord states that he "established the Constitution of this land by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose."
Furthermore, it should be understood that the lord is our only hope for a bright future. The lord promises us in the Book of Mormon that we will be blessed with freedom only if we (as the United States of America) serve him. This was the premise of the Constitution and our Republic. Both we founded, as the Declaration states, "with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence."
To further support this idea, it can be understood that the Book of Mormon did indeed take place upon the continent of North America, specifically what is now the United States. All scientific theories aside, when the lord visited the Nephites, he stated that “This Land” would be free from kings and would be a choice land above all other lands. Notice he did not say “That land up north,” but “This land.”
My friends, “This Land” is now the United States. The promises in the Book of Mormon are ours. We will prosper as a nation only if we adhere to the commandments of Jesus Christ. It doesn’t really matter if that is “politically correct,” or if some people chose not to believe it - it is the truth. If we reject Christ and turn away from his Constitution, we will not only lose our freedoms, we will lose our identity as a nation.
I have much more in response to the Declaration of Independence, but i’m sure one and a half pages typed will translate into a blog post stretching from 0 to infinity. Let me leave you with the famous quote by Plato: “The price of apathy is to be ruled by evil men,”
P.S. If I don’t get some liberal response calling me an uninformed, radical, racist, fear mongering, hating, right wing extremist, I am going to be very surprised. You will have let the liberal community down. :)
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I agree with you that the founding of our country and the Declaration of Independence was inspired by God. While I was reading your response, I kept thinking about how blessed we are that we have freedom of religion. We are so blessed to have this freedom. The whole purpose for people coming from England to the “New World” was because they didn’t want to be a part of the Church of England. They wanted to worship how they thought they should. The basis of our country is religion. I’m very thankful that this freedom was available in 1830.
ReplyDeleteHowever, something you said doesn’t sit right with me. You were talking like our nation will be destroyed if we don’t precisely follow the Constitution and Declaration. Nations, not only ours, will be destroyed if the people (mainly governments) do not accept Christ and the Church. In order to prevent this destruction, government officials would need to adopt the Church’s government. They wouldn’t have to follow our Constitution. What you said doesn’t really make much sense to me in an eternal perspective…
In the Sacrament Prayer, we covenant to keep the commandments which the lord HAS GIVEN US. Where much is given, much is required. We all have differeng laws to live up to. An eight year old has different commandments than one that has a temple marraige.
ReplyDeleteSimilarly, Our country is the promised land, and it has a different promise than another country. The promise here is that as soon as the people choose wickedness over righteousness, they are ripe for destruction. Other countries will fill the register of martyrs until the Second Coming when they will be punished. This makes sense when one reads the Book of Revelation, and it speaks of New Jerusalem as a refuge for the saints of the world when wickedness abounds. Through modern day revelation we learn that before the physical New Jerusalem can be established, America must first be cleansed from wickedness. Thus, America is physically judged first.
To relate this to the Declaration and Constitution, it must first be understood that they established a REPUBLIC. The foundation of a Republic is a law which defines the boundaries to the government. The amendments to that law must fall within the scope allowed by the original document. America is a Democratic Republic, which means that those amendments and other laws which fall in the scope of the Constitution are decided by the people through representation.
When we pass laws that do not fall within the scope of our constitution, we (already have) no longer can be considered a Republic. We are simply a democracy. Thus, we are breaking the laws God set forth unto us. Other nations who do not have a divinely inspired constitution are not held accountable to live such a law. We cannot judge other nations that we don't know their law from God. We know ours, and the consequences for breaking it.
A note to the above comment, it should be known that not abiding by the constiution does not alone suddenly qualify us for destruction. The transition from a Republic to a democracy, however, is always consistent with a society moving from righteousness to wickedness. That will be what qualifies us for destruction.
ReplyDeleteYou swim in deep waters, Jake, and since I don't know how to swim very well, I'll stick to the shallow end. I too have been impressed by the promises of the Book of Mormon concerning this land, though I do not interpret them in such a global or absolute manner. One of the most intriguing parts, I think, was the section where King Mosiah (I think) said that if the time should ever come that the voice of the people should choose iniquity, they would be ripe for dectruction. I thought about this quite a bit during the Prop. 8 campaign (I'm from Sacramento). The key word, I think, is "ripe" - the verse doesn't say anything about anyone actually being destroyed.
ReplyDeleteI'd be hesitant, however, to call certain (liberal) forms of government "iniquity." They may or may not be the form of government the Lord would choose for us, but most people who vote for them or their laws are doing what they believe to be the best. At least, let's keep things in perspective - there are far more iniquitous things up for vote than health care laws.
ps - I'm glad you know so much about government. I wish I knew more. Good job!
So did you really expect liberal comments? Really? I don't know if you've noticed, but we're in Utah. We're at an LDS university in Utah, no less. I'm fairly sure the liberal population here is less than 1%.
ReplyDeleteAnd this is kinda random, but have you ever thought out the phrase "New Jerusalem?" Jerusalem means "New Salem." New New Jerusalem! Whoo!
Anyway, you're pretty awesome. Good for you for having strong beliefs about the government. Especially in this day and age, where so many youth just don't care anymore.
Like me.
I am a food science major. As long as I am not directly effected, as in, it's not causing myself or my immediate rights any harm or infringing on the rights of others (because that would make me sad) I just don't really care. I don't follow politics, really.
And I don't really appreciate the whole "anti-liberal" thing. Liberals are not Satan incarnate...most of the time. We're all about checks and balances, right? Well, liberals check conservatives, and vice versa. If the entire political system was made up of one opinion, how fast and how easy would it be for [more] corruption and injustice to take root?
And another thing.
You know conservatives aren't always right, and we [beaver dam] well know that liberals aren't either. That's why the Church (technically) doesn't side with either the republicans or the democrats. I, for one, am a moderate. I like to stand back and pick in choose which parts of each party I believe in, and then make a decision. Oh, but wait, I don't care. Dangit.
;]
Keep your zeal, but open your mind, and you'll be even way more awesome.
...
And please don't think that I'm a liberal. I just think that we should give everyone a chance before we decide they're wrong, even if their track record isn't so great.
*new new salem
ReplyDelete*pick and choose (I should review these BEFORE I post, lol)
ReplyDeleteThanks Ethan, I appreciate that. I just wish to say that I do not believe all liberals to be evil. My post expressed the idea that many liberal views tend to depart from the law that was set forth. My comments at the end were intended to simply poke fun at liberals, all in good humor. I actually had a friend here summer term who was very very liberal. He was a great guy and we had lots of fun debates, but still respected each other.
ReplyDeleteBTW, conservatives and liberals aren't partys, they're ideologies. Just like their names, conservativism promotes tratitional values, and liberalism promotes the changing values in society. While republicans and democrats tend to side with these respective ideologies, they are not the same thing. I would vote for a democrat just as soon as I would vote for a republican if I thought they would promote the traditional values that are the foundation of our country.
Oh, and I like the "new new salem" thing! :) As it turns out, after the Second Coming, old Jerusalem (New Salem) will receive a completely different name: the Jewish name which means "god is with us." I would expect New Jerusalem to receive a different name as well, because Zion comes from the (hebrew?) word "Tsion" which means "citadel" or "refuge from the storm." That'll work until the earth is burned for the final time. ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm not so sure that the government is trying to take our freedom to choose to live uninsured; rather they aren't allowing us to choose what type of insurance we can choose from....
ReplyDeleteAnyways, I really liked your response. I think you shared a lot of thoughtful insights. While reading I was reminded of a passage in the D&C that talks about the constitution hanging by a thread. I have often been told that we are the generation that will witness this tragedy and hopefully be the ones to save it. I think that we will be able to do this by reading the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, etc. and becoming more familiar with them. Great insights!
Actually, for kicks, I have been carrying a copy of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution in my pocket for the past two years. If I have pants on, I have the Constitution with me. I admire your initiative!
ReplyDeleteThe idea in political philosophy that the purpose of gov't is to establish a system wherein it is possible for citizens to live a life of virtue is at least as old as Aristotle. In my mind, this is uncannily in-line with Mormon theology. However, it should be noted that property/wealth, under this lens of political thinking, is necessary for a virtuous life; it's hard to do *anything* if you don't have any money. Does that mean that Americans have a right to a house, healthcare, etc?
Thus, while I agree that gov't exists to solely to protect natural rights, the question of what gov't should do remains largely unanswered by such a statement.
I took AP Government my Junior year of high school and AP American History my Senior year and they were two of my favorite classes that I have ever taken. I love to learn about how and why our country was founded. One of my favorite movies is National Treasure. I am very much on the same page as Ben Gates. One of my very favorite things to do is learn about the history of our country. The second truth that you mentioned in your commentary is quoted in the movie as Ben decides that he is going to steal the Declaration to save it. It is one of my favorite movies and if you haven’t seen it, you need to.
ReplyDeleteIn my AP Government teacher's farewell address last year, he said that policy is made by the people who show up. That really struck me. That class and American Heritage this year have made me want to be a good citizen and continue to uphold the banner of the American ideals our country was founded upon. I love America, with all her faults. I believe she is a great country. i believe it was Toqueville who said that "America is great because she is good; when America ceases to be good, she will cease to be great." I hold the Founding Fathers of our country in high regard, and believe the Constitution and Declaration of Independence were divinely inspired. God bless America--may we always remain true to the ideals on which we stand.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to take a moment to laugh (with) Ethan at his comment. I remember when I was writing my blog post on wealth and poverty, I was worried about some of the reactions it would get. However, it seems like 50% of students at BYU are conservatives and 50% are apathetic, unfortunately. I've met a few more moderate people here, though...
ReplyDeleteI really agree with what Ariel said about policy being made by the people who show up. That was certainly true when my high school government class held a mock congress. I'm curious how often this is a factor in politics, where the outcome is worth more than a grade.
I like Morgan's comment! haha. I love that movie too! Government has never been my favorite class and i don't know as much as I probably should about it. I do know that i agree that this nation was founded on God and people need to acknowledge and respect that and stop trying to get it out of the Pledge of Allegiance! We will only be successful and protected as a nation if we keep God a part of it.
ReplyDeleteOn one side, I strongly agree with many things you said. I believe that this nation was founded to protect our rights, and that we are constantly threatened to lose our rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. However, I do not agree with your assumption that the health care reform is important because so many businesses are constricting the people. Firstly, who are these companies? Do you know which ones you are referring to, or is this an 'in general' concept. If so, there are some cases where health care, NOT businesses in general, are constricting the budgets of some in the world. On this note, however, good health care is a commodity, and something that needs to be paid well in order to continue. Without the fiscal incentive in health care, bad doctors will flood our country, and we will be similar to many failing countries. In addition, I don't agree that the government and our republic were premised on serving God. I believe that this is necessary to our salvation, but that was not what governed our creation. Though it was a factor (freedom of religion), people did not all agree on religion, otherwise we would not have separation of church and state so prominent. Lastly, you say the constitution is a conservative document, whereas it really isn't. Though it may seem so now, at the time, the constitution was radical. It said that the American settlers could throw off the power of the English King, and do what they wanted. Additionally, many guiding principles in the constitution were radical in fact. Do not presume I am criticizing you by any means, or that I am a crazy liberal. In fact, I do not consider myself liberal. I do however disagree on these few points :)
ReplyDeleteI was a little leery of commenting on this post just because I was afraid it might turn into a heated political debate. But it didn't really! so good job guys :) I know I tend to poke fun at conservatives, just because I grew up in a very liberal town. But I too am a moderate. I think that it is important to recognize that many of the so-called vast differences between democrat and republican aren't actually that different if you read the fine print, and that no matter what political affiliation someone belongs to, they can still have very good (or bad) ideas just like us normal folks.
ReplyDeleteI too am very greatful for the declaration of independence. As an inspired document, it has provisions that apply to modern times just as well as it did back when it was written. I think the reason it resounds with so many people is because it contains a lot of truth. And the spirit testifies of truth, whether it is in a physics textbook or the scriptures.
Isaac, If you believe the Book of Mormon to be true, you believe that our country must serve God. No, it is not specifically stated in the constitution, however it is implied in the last line of the declaration. Either way, the commandment is there.
ReplyDeleteDear Jake Johnson,
ReplyDeleteI do not have a problem with the Declaration of Independce. I do have a problem with how you have writen this article.
It seems to me that you are compeletly ready to group people, ideas, and beliefs into thier own "right wing" or "left wing" camps. This is not what our country was founded on. You have completely underscored what George Washington warned in his Farewell address when he said to stay away from parties. The polarization of this country hinders it from making any progress.
I'm glad to see some others in our class have pointed out your quick judgement? Oh, and if you want me to pull out my triple-combination, I can show you about 20 scriptures that tell us not to judge. Which is exactly what you are doing.
Also, did it ever occur to you that the declaration of independence was written by a group of liberals? Many of them weren't even Christian. Rather, many were Deist, believing that there is a God, but he doesn't really bother with world affairs.
I naturally disagree with this, since I do believe that everything has God's hand in it, including our founding documents. However, I do not think it is wise to imply that the founding fathers wrote this with the same state of mind that Nephi recorded his history, or Moroni raised his flag.
And the Declation is NOT a conservitve document. Thats the point of it. Its actually not even an explisitly polarized document at all. Dont you remember? They were just pissed at taxes. And Locke, my dear Glen-Beck-Wannabe, was liberal. Thats actually what the Enlightenment was all about.
Oh, and PS, did you want a liberal to come and attack you? I would, but whoops, I should be open minded. Unlike you.
Politics is boring to me. I guess I should care more. I consider myself pretty conservative but I think that my parent's influence has a lot to do with it also. The Declaration of Independence is no doubt an important document. A lot of people (including myself) take it for granted cause it is all we have ever known. I'd rather read the Book of Mormon.
ReplyDelete…I think Lyse is trying to pick an online fight before the semester is out…
ReplyDeleteI like the Declaration of Independence. It gives me warm fuzzies that tickle my tailbone. I am so grateful for those men who signed it, putting their lives on the line to stand for what they envisioned. It has been an inspiration for me, sometimes, to stand up for what I believe in, despite what may come of it. The Declaration is truly an inspired text and really needed to be in order to create the effect needed to start the trail to establishing a new country.
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ReplyDeleteAnd there is the big liberal explosion! Just kidding.
ReplyDeleteLyse, even though you probably won't log back on to read this, I will reply to your accusations.
Fist of all, I am not guilty of judging anybody. Last I checked, pointing out that stepping away from traditional values isn't very good is a logical argument, not a judgment. If I were to judge, I would say something incorrect like "liberals are making the choice to follow Lucifer." Sorry if you are offended by someone who believes in individual freedom, but according to our church, that's your choice.
Second, you make the incorrect assumption that liberals and conservatives are political parties. If they are what Washington warned about, then he was basically telling everyone to have no political preference of any sort. Instead, liberalism and conservatism are ideologies. They are personal preferences. By being a conservative, I am not obliged to love McCain or whatever messed up republican decides to run for office. I simply want to see more individual freedoms, and less collective freedoms in my country. By automatically assuming that when I speak of conservatives I am making a party or "camp" reference, you, my friend, are falling prey to the same thing you accuse me of.
I think we can agree on our country being inspired. Just to clarify your statement, being Deist or Athiest had nothing to do with the hand of God in our country. The Church of Jesus Christ was not on the earth at the time, and of course the Lord could not hold ANYONE accountable for not believing in him. That doesn't change the fact that the lord worked through them - the lord can inspire people of all religions and backgrounds. It is their choice on what to do with that inspiration. That is why our Founding Fathers were known for their character, not religion.
Finally, concerning the Declaration being a conservative document, I was speaking in present context. I am fully aware that at the time the views were quite radical. But during that time, the norm was a very large, powerful government led by a monarch. What is now conservative, such as the idea of small, limited government, was very liberal at the time and vice versa. The point is, the Declaration calls for a limited government that does nothing more than protect the three unalienable rights of its citizens, which is very conservative.
Correction to the above, which furthur emphasizes my point: I do not want more individual rights BECAUSE i'm conservative, I'm conservative BECAUSE I want more indivdual rights.
ReplyDeleteI could not agree more with you. It's amazing what all peopel don't know about our country or what things it was founded on. In my AP American Government class I took Jr. year we had to take the test that immigrants seeking citizenship have to take and more than half of the class failed the test. I heard a quote once that said we have been given the freedom "of" religion, not the freedom, "from" religion. I love that quote becaue it is just getting ridiculous all the ways that people are trying to take God out of everything. My mom made a comment last Christmas that Atheists complain about everything related to religion and thus Chrismas, except for the free parking. It's amazing what people pick and choose to be important.
ReplyDeleteI know that liberals and conservatives aren't parties, it's just that their stereotypes usually coincide with certain parties, so I didn't bother explaining.
ReplyDeleteAnd isn't knowing word meanings fun?
And I don't appreciate being cited in an attack, Lyse. You're kinda mean.
And (and and and and! Why do I keep using "and?") the founding fathers are technically Christian...now (yay for works for the dead).
Plus (straying away from "and," I see...) deists still believe in God, they just aren't necessarily Christian. You can be inspired without a knowledge of Christ, you know.
Dang it! Half of my post was just deleted. And guess what, it was awesome, though it's impossible to recreate. Basically, I'm just going to ignore the debate going on because I don't want to get all riled up and invested when I need to go to bed soon, so...I'll just say something witty and change the topic.
ReplyDeleteWell. I can't really think of anything witty. Sorry to disappoint. The religious aspect is an interesting point for me. I'm referring to the Book of Mormon mentioning the formation of the United States and how it was sanctioned by God and all that good stuff. So...I buy that. And I know that our country is pretty incredible and unique in a lot of ways. But...I don't know, I'm just wary of saying any secular government is God sanctioned, because that was the excuse a lot of dictators have used? I know that shouldn't spoil it for everyone, I think I'm just saying...don't let it go to our heads. We can still fall, and it wouldn't be very hard to do so.
wow these comments gave me a good chuckle. online political debates in general make me giggle. so i think ill stray from this wonderful back and forth and just give my feelings on the wonderful document that is the Declaration of Independence.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't really familiar with the DOI until that fateful day when my government teacher (whose political party I still don't know) went to each and every student in the classroom, shaking their hands while passing out pocket Constitutions. All with the national anthem blaring in the background. The DOI was contained in the first couple pages of this lovely Constitution (which I still carry to this day!) My teacher then spent the rest of the period reading from the document, tears streaming down his face the whole time. It is something I will never forget.
No matter what political party you belong to, the Declaration of Independence is something that all Americans can agree is truly inspired. It is the very life and breath of this country. Let's end with all the hoohah about what political party (or ideal, whatever) loves the DOI more. It was made for every American, regardless of whether they think health care should be universal or not.
What a powerful document. Just reading the oft quoted begining lines raises within me a sense of patriotism few other documents express. This is the document that explains why we left Britain. The most quoted line is life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. There is a reason it is qouted so much. We are still fighting for those rights today. The USA does a fantastic job of allowing us these rights compared to other countries. However, there is still a lot to be done. Like how to preserve these rights in the modern world. I hope our generation can help secure these rights for future generations.
ReplyDeleteWow, this document became so much more real to me reading it in regular type and in a book like this one. Suddenly it made sense, and I realized just how important it was. The writers outlined every injustice and pinned them down on the king. There was no wandering around the point, but it was blunt and accurate. I especially liked the end paragraph, where the writers set up an ideal- the American ideal. "We mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor." This is truly the beginning of something great.
ReplyDeleteI have always wanted to read the declaration of independence. This was really cool for me to read, because honestly it was very different from what I expected. I really thought it would be a whole bunch of words and stuff I didn't understand, but it wasn't. It actually had language that I could understand.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading it because I could see how Thomas Jefferson was thinking. I mean I have learned a lot about him in my history classes, but this just gave me more insight. I learned how much he believed in a God. I think he trusted in him completely and whole heartedly. This made me respect him more. I'm glad that I read this...
Haha, we're in Utah, buddy. If you lived in Florida like I did, you'd be swarmed with liberals calling for your head to be cut off so that they can carry it through the streets on a stick. . .
ReplyDeleteokay, not really.
But you make an extremely good point. Our country's most basic principles come from these important documents and we should be paying more attention to them! I know that I haven't ever read the Declaration of Independence, and I feel really ashamed right now.
I know what I'M doing this weekend!
It is really sad that people no longer pay attention to the documents and the principles upon which this nation was founded. I am extremely conservative, and so I feel that the government is kind of overstepping its role right now with the health care debate and all the other stuff going on. I know that this is the promised land and I believe the promises given to us. I hope that this country will look back at the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence so that this doesn't become a wicked nation. There are so many things that we can all learn about the way our government should be by reading these documents.
ReplyDeleteTHis is an interesting approach to analyzing this document. I think that as students at BYU it is difficult for us to avoid projecting our own beliefs into things, whether or not it was the intent of the author. However, on the matter of religion, I agree that religion and faith in God were designated to be very much a part of this country. I have loved being able to openly discuss and study the ways that God has inspired the Founding Fathers and had a guiding hand in the formation of our country. In any other light, history is incomplete. When we are able to recognize a divine purpose in our lives, each act takes on infinitely greater meaning. I love it when the things that I study overlap. For example, by learning more about the complexity of the human body in physiology, my testimony of the Creation increases. As I learn another language, I gain a greater appreciation of the structure and function of different literary elements. I feel that learning in this way is the most lasting and complete.
ReplyDeleteWOW, let me say that I loved reading the comments back and forth, this is what a blog should be. Jake, I am not as "hardcore" as you about this, but I am very passionate about our constitution and not letting our government be corrupted. This is a choice land, and God set it aside for us. Our constitution was inspired, and the fact that people are trying to change it is devastating to me. But this is just another sign of the times, it is prophesied that our constitution will hang by a thread! We just have to keep standing up for what we believe in and not let it be taken away from us.
ReplyDeleteWhile I definitely do not want to get involved in the heated political argument going on from this blog post, I did want to say that I disagree with some of the things Jake said. I did not like how he said that tolerance was a new principle. Granted, it was in quotations, so I could be taking what he said in a completely different direction. However, I think tolerance was one of the founding principles of this nation. The whole reason the Pilgrims came was for religious toleration. They did not necessarily stick to that value, but I think that tolerance is a principle that has been part of this nation from the beginning.
ReplyDeleteAlyssa, you are correct. I was referring to the modern use of the term. Tolerance today does not mean a respect for other people's opinions, it means an unconditional acceptance of any idea, lifestyle, etc. If you think someone is doing something wrong, you are immediately labeled a racist, homophobic, bigot.
ReplyDeleteThe Declaration of Independence is one of the most profound documents ever written. There is no period in history that I find as moving and fascinating as the American Revolution (there is this musical called 1776 about the Declaration of Independence -- one of my all-time favorites). I think it sad that people are more and more losing sight of what this document states.
ReplyDeleteJake has got it right -- there are two truths that the document contains: the ever-and-again cited rights to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness"; but just as important is this other statement: "That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed." And this is where I step away from Jake a bit in analysis. I think the key part of that phrase is that governments derive their power to act from "the consent of the governed." The American government is not some massive body that will act in and of itself--it is the American people that dictate its actions. Thus, if the government is doing some funny things, those are the people's fault, and are a manifestation -- a symptom, if you will -- of the people's unrighteousness. Not to say that people from one party or ideology or other are evil, but when societies become immoral, they will often turn to the government to fix societies ills rather than reforming their own behavior. It is thus that governments become inordinately powerful, because "the people" give it to them: "by the consent of the governed."
Anyway, I love that last line in the declaration: "we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor." I think this is a statement we, as Americans, should take upon ourselves -- I believe we should pledge to each others "our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor" in defense of liberty and the ideals our nation was founded upon. If you think about it, this is a concept applicable to the gospel as well.
I am sorry for those who seem to think differently, but our government was most definitely inspired and guided by God in and throughout its creation -- anyone who studies American history would have a hard time of it arguing that this nation coming into creation was not a miracle.
And as far as secularism goes, let me explain how I see the "secular government" idea in relation to God's guidance and inspiration of this nation. I do not think America is a "secular" government -- there is no national religion, there is no one religious idea sanctioned by the government, but our government is founded upon ideals intent to preserve our freedoms of religion. It's like Virginia said -- Freedom of religion, not from religion. The gospel could not have been restored in any nation other than America, because only America provided these freedoms in such a way to allow the blooming of the gospel. And, as we know from Wilford Woodruff, the Founding Fathers are men of God and have accepted this gospel, and are giants among the figures of history, guided by the hand of God in all things. I truly believe that this nation is, at heart, religious and spiritual in nature. The idea of secularism is a more modern concept atheists and others have instated to justify their own personal convictions.
Wow. Heated debate. I just want to say how thankful I am for Heavenly Father and His amazing plan. He inspired so many people to do nigh impossible things to create this country and government. He created a place with freedom of religion so that He could restore His church on the earth. These men were truly inspired in the things that they said and did and wrote down. The Declaration of Independence was essential to the restoration.
ReplyDeleteI am so grateful to the Founding Fathers for their courage to stand up for what they believed was right. I love this country and know those men were inspired by Heavenly Father. We are so blessed to have the freedoms the we have. Without, freedom of religion the gospel could not have been restored to the Earth. The Declaration of Independence was the stepping stone for the Restoration
ReplyDeleteFunny you should mention liberals. Some of my roommates are very liberal. I know it is sad to say but I did not ever expect to agree with anything they said, but they have shown me how important it is to listen to both sides. They have talked about how they will talk about topics in their homes, some which are very controversial. They will discuss them and come up with an opinion. They know full well that a lot of their opinions are controversial in themselves, but it’s what they think. They are always saying how we need good LDS people that are Democrats too. What other country could you have a situation like that in? One where the people are allowed to discuss politics and the running of our government? It is the classic argument in favor of our country. It’s classic, but true, which is what makes it classic. We cannot forget that our freedom was not free. We paid for our rights.
ReplyDeleteI do not feel that our government is "ripe" with iniquity and thus ready for destruction because of the whole Health Care debate and because liberal people exist. That is very brave and a little ignorant to say. Liberals are thinkers too who are trying to do what they think is best for the nation. They aren't evil people who want everyone to suffer and/or want to turn the nation into a communistic country or anything. You made a lot of generalizations.
ReplyDeletePeople are people. No matter what they're political views are. It really bothers me when people generalize or bash another political party. Many other first world countries have Universal Health Care systems such as Germany, Great Britain, Japan, and Switzerland. Their health care systems work great because everyone, no matter how poor or how wealthy, gets treated and they never have to pay a medical bill. I'd much rather have a Universal Health Care system when I'm rushed to the hospital by an ambulance or a helicopter (their prices range from the hundreds to the tens of thousands), wouldn't you?
I don't think a Universal Health Care system is imposing on any of the three unalienable rights, in fact isn't it improving life? If everyone has health care, then we don't have to keep paying for the people who can't afford to pay their medical bills.
Don't get me wrong, I believe in the Book of Mormon and I have a firm testimony in Jesus Christ and His plan for this nation. However, I feel like you need to do a little more research before you make accusations. It's true, I don't know everything and some of my points are generalized, I just thought there should be a rebuttal to your argument.
Victoria, great rebuttal. Why don't you at least read the conversation next time you decide to jump in to one. :)
ReplyDeleteIf you WOULD HAVE read the comments on liberalsim, you would have known that it is NOT a party reference. People are conservative if they want to stick with time proven ideals such as virtue, individual rights, small government, etc. Liberals want to redefine the future based on new ideas and trends. Examples of this include abortion, gay marraige, redistribution of wealth, government control of economy, etc.
If you seriously think that universal health care would be just fine and dandy, why don't you go live in england for a while. Sure, you get guaranteed care. You just aren't guaranteed quality or immediate care. Broken arm? You are lucky, for it's only a several month wait to see a doctor.
You may believe "in" the Book of Mormon, but do you "believe" the Book of Mormon? If you did, you would understand that it's message is for our day, INCLUDING the message of secret combinations. It is not referring to robbers or theives or other random people on the streets. It is referring to the government, and that they will not be the most righteous in the latter days. As such, I would be just a little cautious accepting free candy from the government.
I agree with Jarrett. I don't really care for politics. As my AP US History teacher said, "politics is just acting for ugly people." I just don't really have any interest in all the debates, corruption, and arguments. I'm probably biased because I'm an Economics major, but I think the government has certain responsibilities to help rule the country but should kind of stay out of everything else that isn't in the political scale. It's not like I disagree with the Declaration of Independence or hate America or anything like that. It's actually quite the opposite. I'd just rather read more important things. Like the scriptures.
ReplyDeletehmm. for American Heritage I wrote a paper on the Constitution as divinely-inspired. I do think that the Constitution was divinely-inspired, but I think that that doesn't mean it's perfect. Plus, the Constitution is different from the actual government today. I think that today we have strayed away from the ideals that the Founding Fathers had for our country, which is okay. But we need to make sure that we still are doing what God wants for us.
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