Have a Happy & Safe 4th

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.

These words from the Declaration of Independence are just as true today as they were in 1776.

All men and women are created equal – equal before God and should have equal opportunity – not equal outcomes.

All men and women are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.  Our rights come not from our government, but from God.  ‘Unalienable’ means ‘impossible to take away or give up.’  No one can take away our rights.  They can suppress us, but they can not take away our rights.

These rights are our life, our liberty and our pursuit of happiness.  What is meant here does not refer to someone who breaks the law – i.e., murders which can lead to execution or other law breakers who can lose their liberty.  It’s referring to our government trying, through coercion and regulation, to take away our life, our liberty and/or our ability to pursue our happiness.

Finally, our government should have only the power we consent to give it.  It has no right to pursue power for it’s own sake.

So, on this day as we celebrate our independence from an over-reaching government 235 years ago, let us pray that God gives us the wisdom and courage to remember our present government is meant to serve us and not the other way around.

Have a happy and safe 4th of July.