Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness

Friday, July 13, 2018

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.
The Second Sentence from the Declaration of Independence

We think it is obvious that nobody is better than anybody else and that God created us to have a good life, to be free, and to be happy.
paraphrase by Patience Fort

The Declaration of Independence says we have the right to have liberty which I call "freedom." Does liberty or freedom mean living without any rules? I don’t think so. 

A child who lives in a family without rules becomes an angry adult. He or she grows up expecting the world to revolve around them and their every whim. And when it doesn’t, they can’t handle it. 

The child who lives in a family with structure (rules) grows up to be well-adjusted and self-confident. He or she understands that rules are there for guidance and protection. And they’re okay with that. 

Proverbs 13:24 says, “Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them.” 

Likewise a nation with no rules would be a very dangerous place to live. 

In our country we are free to move about as we please — unless we try to go someplace that is restricted. 

We can choose our careers based on our aptitudes and our interests. 

We can speak our mind — provided it isn’t slanderous. 

We can buy whatever we want to buy — unless we don’t have the money and then we just charge it. 

We can go in and out of the country whenever we want — provided we have a passport. 

People can come here to visit — provided their papers are in order. 

A country without rules raises citizens who are self-absorbed and angry. 

Our country was designed to have meaningful rules that set boundaries and kept the peace. That, my friends, is liberty.