God and Liberty - Part II

The following is part of a five-part series discussing the inextricable link between God and Libertyin the context of challenges to religion on the fallacious notion that our Founding Fathers intended a secular nation.  The consequences of a Godless society are considered and the historical precedence for religion in U.S.politics is explored.

Part I discusses the true origin of liberty and I don’t mean the liberty afforded byour government – I mean true liberty. 

Part II compares government under religious and irreligious extremes to understand the importance of God’s influence in establishing just governance.

Part III addresses the question of which religion can be used to form a logically coherent and objective basis for morality.

Part IV looks at the history of the infamous phrase, “a wall of separation between church and state,” and examines the efficacy of its current interpretation.

Part V shows the direction we must go as a nation to preserve liberty and provides recommendations for achieving it.

Part II – God and Government

This world’s propensity for evil threatens to infringe upon our rights.  As individuals we may not be capable of standing against evil factions; therefore, we enter into a social contract: In order to more fully protect our unalienable rights we agree to form governments to establish positive laws.  Some philosophers have argued in favor of monarchy while others, notably Locke, argued in favor of republicanism.  Given the influence of Locke’s ideas on the founding fathers it is no accident the U.S. Constitution begins with “We the People…” 

The concept of individuals forming governments is logically consistent with natural law.  If individuals are the rightful bearers of unalienable rights, then it stands to reason only an individual can enter into a social contract with a government.  Any tyrannical form of government whereby a ruling minority proclaims the right to establish a de facto government with or without the consent of the governed is a violation of natural law.  An unjustly formed government is prone to equally unjust punitive laws.  By contrast, a just government granted its power by the governed is infinitely more likely to spurn unjust positive laws.

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