Self-Evident Unalienable Right

           

        

           In American history, one of the most important documents is the Declaration of Independence.  One line from it states, “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.”  According to this phrase, these rights are self-evident (that everyone should recognize these rights) and that these rights granted to us, are not by a government, but by their Creator.  Since a Creator gives these rights to us, the government cannot take these rights away, because the government is not the one granting these rights. 

            These three primary rights are linked together for a purpose, as is the order they are written.  Listed first is the self-evident right to life.  If there is no life, then there is no need for liberty, nor is there an ability to pursue happiness.  If there is life, but no liberty, then there is no ability to pursue happiness.  If there is life and liberty, but denial to pursue happiness, then there is no purpose in the other two rights. 

            It is the government’s responsibility to ensure that these rights are maintained, “That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”  The statement “to secure these rights,” shows that it is the government’s responsibility to ensure that these self-evident rights, granted by the Creator, are not infringed.

            Sadly, since January 22, 1973, at least fifty-five million Americans have been denied their self-evident right, given by the Creator, to life.  This is not based upon any crime they have committed.  This is not based upon any decision that they made for themselves.  This is not a choice that the person made for themself to end their life.  This is a denial of the most fundamental and first right listed in the Declaration of Independence: the right to life.  All have been given the right to life, to be born.

            The Holy Bible states that life begins with God, “For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb.  I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well.  My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them,” (Psalm 119:13-16 NASB).  The Creator of life has a purpose of everyone’s life.  He formed everyone for a purpose, beginning with the right to life.

            As a nation, our foundation is based upon three unalienable rights.  Rights that are self-evident and endowed by our Creator.  The first of which is the right to life.  Therefore, do we have the right to take away someone else’s self-evident right to life based upon what we feel is a choice.  When given that choice to take away someone else’s life, will we heed the words of the Bible, “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants,” (Deuteronomy 30:19 NASB).

 

 

Great Sickness

          December was not a very good month for me.  I spent the bulk of it very sick.  One of the effects of my sickness, made those around me happy as I managed to lose my voice for a while.  As I was sick and laying in my bed, I did figure out a major difference between men and women, concerning how they react when they are sick. 

          A woman can have a 110-degree temperature, her joints ache, her muscles ache, and her whole body can ache.  Her head can be pounding and she can be nauseous, yet what will she do?  She will still get up at dawn to sure the children have their baths and she will get them to school.  She will prepare meals for the family and she will do all that is needed to make sure the house runs smoothly.
          A man can get a sniffle and he is on the couch bundled under two blankets pointing the remote towards the TV, and in a meek voice say, “Cartoons, I want cartoons.”  He will make sure everyone knows that he is sick and that he is very close to death.  The wife will casually ask him to take out the garbage and his response will be, “I am very sick, I will take care of it when I am much better.”  Six months later, he finally gets the garbage out to the trash.
          There is a sickness that has permeated humanity, and the way a person reacts to it is very similar to men and women in sickness.  This sickness is sin.
          No one is immune to this sickness as it is written, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23 NASB).  The way people approach this sickness is different.
          Some are completely guilt ridden if they commit any act of sin.  A person can see their neighbor’s new car and think, “That is a nice car, and I wish I could have something that nice.”  They would immediately realize that they coveted their neighbors car and for the next six months feel as if they have committed a most egregious and unforgivable sin.  They will grieve about it, not receiving any consolation.  They will feel worthless and unable to do any work for the Lord that they were called to do.  Eventually, they will start to feel better and will be able to continue without the feeling of guilt.
          However, others will live their life for the devil and become completely numb to the effects of sin in their lives.  They will brag about their “accomplishments” from the previous night.  Some are aware of the sin but ignore it, while others are oblivious to the sin they are committing.  The results are still the same: Ignoring the effects of sin.
          Whether you are aware of the sickness in your life or not, Jesus came to heal all from the sickness known as sin, “The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world,” (John 1:29 NASB).  Jesus came to heal us from the great sickness of sin and to make us well.