Freedom and liberty are often not appreciated and thus are abused for many reasons, one of which is self gratification in many areas that aren’t healthy for the nation when the ideas are held collectively. In other words, when a majority of the people holds and practice unhealthy ideas the nation as a whole suffers.

However, freedom and liberty aren’t without constraint. Adam and Eve had freedom and liberty with constraint and chose to ignore the boundaries. The earth and its inhabitants have suffered ever since.

History of the planet’s inhabitants began in the Garden of Eden and from there civilization spread to all parts of the earth. As it spread, laws based on moral values that came from the law giving source, God, also spread as the population grew. For those who choose disagree they need to explain from whence moral values came and who designed the concepts of right and wrong that have come down through the ages. Those who refused to follow God’s directives were destroyed such as Sodom and Gomorrah and all the civilizations that are no longer in existent. The flood destroyed all but eight of all the people on that earth at that time.

The founders of the nation were well grounded in history and most were Bible scholars who well understood the necessity of moral values to keep a nation strong. It is true that the Constitution doesn’t mention God or morals and those who use that fact to denigrate the work of the founders and its founding based on God do not understand history. They refuse to accept the fact that in spite of their denial of the moral foundation of the nation, they too are the receivers of the bountiful goodness that comes their way because the nation was founded on morals. The Constitution is written to limit government and as such, freedom and liberty from excessive government interference is enhanced. If those who are in government understand their responsibilities and are moral, then the nation will operate in a moral manner that will enhance freedom and liberty for all within moral constraints.

A certain tension exists between what people decide to do and what is right to do and the two aren’t always the same. John Adams said, John Adams said, "Our constitution was made only for a religious and moral people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other. ... Adams and the other men of old recognized the moral requirements for a nation and designed the Constitution so that a moral people could live with maximum freedom and liberty with moral constraint.

It isn’t the work of government to police personal immoral behavior that doesn’t endanger others in some manner. But when behavior endangers others (contravention of the nation’s laws based designed to protect society), then the laws must outline the consequences for such behavior and that, whether the total freedom and liberty crowd like it or not, are based on moral principles that are greater than any one person, such laws having stood the test of time which shows their value in keeping societies free from disaster.

Jesus said, [John 10:10] The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. There is a principle here that can be applied to our system of government. Whereas Jesus came to bring an abundant life to his followers, freedom from sin and the liberty that accrues to that condition, in like manner the founders designed a government system that allows for abundant living as long as time tested moral principles are followed. Anyone who disputes the foregoing must explain where and how the foregoing is wrong. And if it is wrong, where did the principles we follow originate if not from God.

© 02-16-2006 DEC

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