Principle #1 – The Only Reliable Basis for Sound Government and Just Human Relations is Natural Law.
Matthew 22:37-40 “Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
This year we will be having our presidential elections in the USA and with this in mind I thought it would be good to bring out some of the principles that made America strong, that we seem to be losing. A lot of this is based on the book A MIRACLE THAT CHANGED THE WORLD – THE 5000 YEAR LEAP by Dr. W. Cleon Skousen.
Keep in mind that the same principles that at one time made America strong can also work in other countries as well.
With this series I have a question in mind: What do I want to achieve? First, I need to have a greater understanding of my own country and what were the chief principles involved in her birth, and secondly, when I vote in the coming election I will be asking the question of who personifies these 28 principles the most.
I would say that most Americans (I am included in this) never really understood what our founding Fathers were talking about when they mentioned Natural Law. William Blackstone said that Natural Law is the only reliable basis for a stable society and a system of justice. (Sir William Blackstone 1723-1780)
Our founding Fathers were not only great scholars, but avid readers and one of their favorite authors was Marcos Tullius Cicero. Cicero was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but his thoughts on Natural Law were very biblical.
Dr. William Ebenstein of Princeton says: “The only Roman political writer who has exercised enduring influence throughout the ages is Cicero (106-43 B.C.)—Cicero studied law in Rome, and philosophy in Athens…. He became the leading lawyer of his time and also rose to the highest office of state (Roman Consul). Cicero nevertheless showed considerable personal courage in opposing the drift toward dictatorship based on popular support…Caesar was assassinated in 44 B.C., and a year later, in 43 B.C., Cicero was murdered by the henchmen of Antony, a member of the triumvirate set up after Caesar’s death.”
It was through Cicero’s turbulent experience of the politics of his time and the exhaustive study that he did of different political systems that he came up with Natural Law. Natural Law for him was “identifying the rules of ‘right conduct’ with the laws of the Supreme Creator of the universe.”
Wisdom tells us that Natural Law is the only system for right government, justice and human relations because of what the Supreme Creator has set in motion. In other words, Natural Law then is the order of things that God has set up. To Cicero “Natural Law is True Law. True Law is right agreement with nature.” This is why Jefferson put into the U.S. Declaration of Independence the words: “The laws of Nature and of Nature’s God.”
In closing some examples of Natural Law:
UNALIENABLE RIGHTS
LIMITED GOVERNMENT
SEPARATION OF POWERS
CHECKS AND BALANCES
The right of SELF-PRESERVATION is based on Natural Law.
The right to CONTRACT is based on Natural Law.
Laws protecting the FAMILY and the institution of MARRIAGE are all based on Natural Law.
The right to BEAR ARMS is based on Natural Law.
The principle of NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION is based on Natural Law.
Natural Law has become the People’s Law. This is what Thomas Jefferson meant when he wrote in the Declaration of Independence: “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.”
In my opinion, the candidates that we vote for and put into office need to tell us what they believe about Natural Law.