American liberty is the first attempt by the governments of men to found a nation on the proposition that all men are CREATED equal, that they stand equal before God, and are endowed by GOD with certain unalienable rights; rights that are preexistent to the institutions of government. As such, these natural rights are inalienable, unable to be forcibly severed from the individual because our rights are not allowance from governments of men, but rather a supreme gift from God.The Constitution of the United States was written to limit government and thus leave the individual's natural rights to be securely exercised without improper constraints by the governments of men. The greatest blessing of this Constitutional government in my life is hard to parse out, because all of the God given rights we retain because of this inspired Constitutional government are essential to my ability to live my life in a way that allows me to progress along my path to happiness. If I had to choose which of my natural rights I cherish the most, I would choose what George Washington thought of as our first liberties.The first amendment asserts the freedom of religion and the free exercise of conscience, freedom of speech, freedom to write and share our political ideals, and to peaceably assemble and associate in the public square. These liberties guard what is central to my life, my freedom to worship God after the dictates of my own conscience, to freely and openly exercise my religion in practice and deed, and to freely teach others the tenants of my faith. There is no freedom more important to me that these. To act and speak my conscience would be the greatest loss if the protections provided by our Constitutional government were to one day be dissolved.Arthur C. Brooks, writing for CJ magazine in 2008, discussed the profound correlation between happiness and freedom. He said this about freedom of religion:Religious freedom—known to the Founding Fathers as the “first liberty”—probably brings happiness, too. That assertion is hard to test internationally because there are no widely accepted global indexes of religious freedom. It is even hard to test within the United States because no one without religious freedom exists to tell us how unhappy he might be. Yet we do know that people who support freedom for those with unusual religious beliefs are happier than those who do not. In a 2006 survey asking if respondents endorsed the right of people with antireligious views to speak publicly, those who said “no” were a third likelier than those who said “yes” to say that they were not too happy. In other words, religious tolerance—even tolerance of anti-religiousness—is strongly linked with happiness.Furthermore, many of the happiest people in America achieve their happiness through faith. When asked in the 2000 GSS about the experiences that made them feel the most free, about 11 percent of adults put religious and spiritual experiences at the top of the list. And these people were more likely than those mentioning any other experience to say that they were very happy.I thank God daily in my prayers for this blessing and for this blessing I am ever grateful for those who have labored and died in order to build up this nation and preserve it; because of my gratitude for this freedom I strive to use it to the fullest for those rights we do not exercise we most certainly will lose.
"Children should be educated and instructed in the principles of freedom." (John Adams) Why? Because “the philosophy of the school room in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next.” (Abraham Lincoln).
As Americans we are the world's last best hope for liberty and as such we have a sacred duty to defend liberty and the true principles of Freedom, for ourselves, our children, and for all the family of God on Earth. At this juncture in our history, our precious liberties are in danger from forces that seek to tear down the Constitution and the American system. These forces call evil good and good evil and if they go unopposed, if our children are not educated in the principles of freedom and enabled to be the next generation of patriots and defenders of the faith, then these forces will but darkness for light and extinguish the shinning city on the hill. This will not only bring great pain and suffering to ourselves it will be a great loss to the world.
This duty may seem overwhelming, it may feel like a great burden, a weight to heavy to carry, but be not afraid, have faith that we labor in a righteous cause and that God will be with us. Teaching the principles of freedom and constitutional government to our children is only an extension of our religious teaching and our faithful example. We can receive the aid of the Spirit in this endeavor and we are supported by lovers of liberty in our communities.
Here are a few resources to help your families devote time to the study of the principles of liberty:
You will find the entire course at my blog here.
In The Constitution: Join thousands of Americans who have learned the principles of freedom found “In the Constitution”! In these 11 engaging presentations:
Heritage Guide to the Constitution: This is an online copy of the Constitution with digital content and commentary built in. This is a great study guide for the constitution, especially for high-school aged youth and adults. This is a great tool for parents to become better educated in the structure of the Constitution and understand how Constitutional law has been weakened over time. Use this guide here.
POWER
CHECKS AND BALANCES
EDUCATION
ARTICLE V
GUN CONTROL
MONEY
ECONOMICS
PROPERTY RIGHTS
RIGHTS
DEMOCRACY
WAR
Youth Presentations
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
SELF-EVIDENT TRUTHS
CHECKS AND BALANCES
EDUCATION
ARTICLE V
GUN CONTROL
MONEY
ECONOMICS
PROPERTY RIGHTS
RIGHTS
DEMOCRACY
WAR
Youth Presentations
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
SELF-EVIDENT TRUTHS
