I have decided to take some time to cover the 28 principles outlined in W. Cleon Skousen’s book "The 5000 Year Leap". The founders believed these principles to be necessary to establish and maintain the form of government that has made this country the greatest bastion of freedom in the world. Each week we will dissect one of the principles and apply it to problems faced by our country. I hope you will take the time to read “The 5000 Year Leap” and accompany me on this journey of exploration.
The first principle: The only reliable basis for sound government and just human relations is Natural Law.
To understand why this is important we need to understand what Natural Law is and how it was interpreted and applied by the founders. Without delving into the profound philosophical nature of natural law it can be best stated as that law that is inherent in nature and universally true. It is law that flows from the creator and is divine. It cannot be altered or repealed by any man as it is endowed upon us by God himself. For example, freedom is a fundamental thing. All creatures are born free and freedom is a natural state. To be bound, confined or enslaved is contrary to the natural state and therefore contrary to Natural Law.
The founders applied these beliefs when the penned the “all men are created equal and endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights….Life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. These basic rights flow from their belief in Natural Law. They desired a government founded on these same beliefs because they understood that as along as the government was bound by a belief in Natural Law our rights were sacred and undeniable. That which is given by God cannot be taken by man.
Where we have run awry of this principle is in removing God from our government. Where rights are given by God they are unalienable; where rights are endowed by the government they can be taken back by the government. The founders understood this and therefore attributed our rights to God’s graciousness and not to the whims of the ruling class.
The one shinning example of government's transgressions on Natural Law is in the area of property rights. Taxes may seem innocuous but they represent an attack on our rights. The government has no right to take from one and give to another even if consent is given by the majority. Remember that no man can alter or repeal Natural Law. Once we begin to weaken our rights by consent they erode at an ever increasing rate. Taxes lead to more taxes which lead to confiscation of property and so on. If you think this is far fetched I encourage you to revisit the Supreme Court’s decisions on eminent domain and the seizure of private property for the good of the community.
I know I have oversimplified the concept of Natural Law. I have done so for the sake of expediency and not to skew the translation to prove a point. I encourage you to take the time to read up on the concept yourself.
The first principle: The only reliable basis for sound government and just human relations is Natural Law.
To understand why this is important we need to understand what Natural Law is and how it was interpreted and applied by the founders. Without delving into the profound philosophical nature of natural law it can be best stated as that law that is inherent in nature and universally true. It is law that flows from the creator and is divine. It cannot be altered or repealed by any man as it is endowed upon us by God himself. For example, freedom is a fundamental thing. All creatures are born free and freedom is a natural state. To be bound, confined or enslaved is contrary to the natural state and therefore contrary to Natural Law.
The founders applied these beliefs when the penned the “all men are created equal and endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights….Life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. These basic rights flow from their belief in Natural Law. They desired a government founded on these same beliefs because they understood that as along as the government was bound by a belief in Natural Law our rights were sacred and undeniable. That which is given by God cannot be taken by man.
Where we have run awry of this principle is in removing God from our government. Where rights are given by God they are unalienable; where rights are endowed by the government they can be taken back by the government. The founders understood this and therefore attributed our rights to God’s graciousness and not to the whims of the ruling class.
The one shinning example of government's transgressions on Natural Law is in the area of property rights. Taxes may seem innocuous but they represent an attack on our rights. The government has no right to take from one and give to another even if consent is given by the majority. Remember that no man can alter or repeal Natural Law. Once we begin to weaken our rights by consent they erode at an ever increasing rate. Taxes lead to more taxes which lead to confiscation of property and so on. If you think this is far fetched I encourage you to revisit the Supreme Court’s decisions on eminent domain and the seizure of private property for the good of the community.
I know I have oversimplified the concept of Natural Law. I have done so for the sake of expediency and not to skew the translation to prove a point. I encourage you to take the time to read up on the concept yourself.
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