“Aspirations of a New Nation”

“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..,”

On July 4, 1776, the founding Fathers declared independence from Great Britain, pointing out in the Declaration what constitutes a legitimate government—all men created equal, rights granted by the Creator, and the government operating with the consent of the governed. Radical ideas over which a war was fought and won. Both the Declaration, and the Constitution that followed, were aspirational in attaining these principles. Undoubtedly, the Founders (some of them slave owners) knew the principles enshrined in the Declaration and Constitution were not realized by all people, but the foundation had been laid “to form a more perfect Union” as written in the Preamble of the Constitution.

The vision of the founders to secure the freedoms we enjoy today—freedom to worship, assembly, speech, bear arms, etc. have all endured and freedoms nearly unimaginable for some people at the founding of the nation are now real, often because Christians took their faith and freedom seriously.  The movement to free slaves involved churches and pastors pursuing the biblical belief everyone is created in the image God. The extension of voting rights regardless of sex or race followed, and expansion of civil rights granting equal protection under the law for everyone. All these gains “to form a more perfect union” came at a cost, sometimes the greatest cost of all, the giving of one’s life. It’s a cliché but true, “Freedom isn’t free.” 

The United States has become more perfect and is truly exceptional. Let’s celebrate the 250^th anniversary and resolve to be citizens worthy of what we inherited. John Adams stated, "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious People. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."

God bless America,

Ron Duvall, Elder