The Second Key

Posted Oct 8, 2010
Dan:
If the freedom of the whole is enhanced, abridgment of the freedoms (free-will) of individuals is just?

If so, then there are no inviolable “rights” specifically apportioned to man by God (Natural Law) and the conception that many staunch “constitutionalists” seem to have that certain unalienable rights are “set in stone”, i.e. defined a priori by God from eternity as unassailable, is incorrect.

JJ
This is a good point to bring up. To understand this as it should be the Second Key of Judgment must be brought into the equation. The use of judgment is difficult for the majority because they want black and white answers, teachings and directions.

To the black and white traditionalist the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is set in stone. They are God-given and that is it. End of discussion.

The words of Thomas Jefferson are very inspiring and true on the level that he meant to communicate them. Within ourselves we all feel a sense of a right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. But from a larger angle of vision these right have often been violated. Sometimes they are violated for the good of the whole and sometimes for selfish purposes.

For instance, during World War II our soldiers had to take the lives of many Nazis so the freedom of the whole could be enhanced. Many of those Germans fighting for Hitler were living the best life they knew how just as you and I are, but they were caught in a terrible situation. In that situation their right to life was not unalienable and their lives were taken so the quality of the life for the billions could be enhanced.

Now let us look at Chairman Mao who felt that it was fine to sacrifice up to half his people to achieve his goals. Fortunately, he did not go that far but around 70,000,000 Chinese were starved to death, sacrificed in war or murdered by him. It seemed to such souls that they had no right to either life, or liberty or the pursuit of happiness.

Yes, outwardly that’s the way it seemed but inwardly it is different. Inwardly it seems that we should have these rights and that God has implanted that feeling within us. Because we have this basic desire within us the words of Jefferson register very strongly and their overall truth is recognized.

It’s a good thing that Jefferson wasn’t trying to be technically correct or he would have written:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident most of the time, that all men are created equal except for various circumstances and some are better looking than others, some are healthier, wiser and richer. They are basically endowed by their Creator with certain Rights that are true most of the time, that among these are Life, except when someone takes it, Liberty, except when imprisoned and the pursuit of Happiness when there are not forbidding obstacles in the way.”

You have to admit that the way the Declaration was actually wondered is a whole lot more inspiring than the technical truth.
Copyright 2010 by J J Dewey