Freedom, Responsibility, and Independence Day
Faith in the Public Square
Lompoc Record
July 1, 2007
Independence Day is once again at the door reminding us that the United States was founded on the principles of liberty and happiness for all. Although we've not always lived up to our ideals, in principle we are a people committed to equal justice and opportunity. These commitments are enshrined in the words of our founding documents. The Declaration of Independence insists that “Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”
These freedoms have at times been abridged and set aside in the name of security or the defense of the nation, and often we've come to regret those decisions. Living as we do at a time when the government has taken steps to limit our civil rights and freedoms, questions are already being raised about the usefulness and constitutionality of these actions. Seemingly threatened from outside, we see increasing threats to our freedoms from inside the nation.
To claim that we're a free people doesn't mean that there are no limits to our freedoms. The issue is with how limits are constructed and imposed. The Declaration of Independence tells us that it's the people - not the executive, Congress, or the courts - who ultimately make that choice. Each body is accountable to the American people, and the rules and regulations imposed by them are supposed to protect not the elite but the people as a whole. Thus, traffic and environmental laws and bans on smoking in public buildings are appropriate because they protect and serve the common good.
When I think of the freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution, I think of my right to speak my mind, publish my thoughts, worship as I please, assemble when and where I wish, and petition the governing authorities. These First Amendment rights should be treasured and protected, but even here there are limits, for I must remember that my freedoms must be balanced by those of my neighbor. This concern for the needs of the other brings us back to the overarching principle enshrined in the commandment to love one's neighbor as one's self. Whether self-imposed or not, limits must be motivated by a concern for the common good.
Our founders understood the need for checks and balances. Although they were, in general, optimistic people who trusted the people to make wise decisions, they also understood the ever-present potential for the powerful to abuse the power entrusted to them, and so they decentralized government. When living, as we do, in an age when power is increasingly being entrusted to the hands of a few, we should remember our calling to balance freedom and responsibility, especially as we get ready to celebrate the Fourth of July.
July 1, 2007
Lompoc Record
July 1, 2007
Independence Day is once again at the door reminding us that the United States was founded on the principles of liberty and happiness for all. Although we've not always lived up to our ideals, in principle we are a people committed to equal justice and opportunity. These commitments are enshrined in the words of our founding documents. The Declaration of Independence insists that “Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”
These freedoms have at times been abridged and set aside in the name of security or the defense of the nation, and often we've come to regret those decisions. Living as we do at a time when the government has taken steps to limit our civil rights and freedoms, questions are already being raised about the usefulness and constitutionality of these actions. Seemingly threatened from outside, we see increasing threats to our freedoms from inside the nation.
The Declaration of Independence insists that the government serves at the pleasure of the people, but we're witnessing the emergence of an increasingly strong executive branch, which is taking on imperial tendencies. This is, of course, being done in the name of security, but once liberties are lost, they're difficult to reclaim.
Consider for a moment the president's claim that he has the authority to designate citizens and foreign nationals as “enemy combatants,” thereby placing them beyond normal constitutional protections. I agree with John Whitehead, of the Rutherford Institute, that this is a dangerous and unconstitutional act.
“In a world where the president has the power to label anyone, whether a citizen
or permanent resident, an enemy combatant and detain that person indefinitely
without trial, no liberty exists and everyone is potentially an ‘enemy combatant'.”
This isn't a matter of partisan politics (from what I know of John Whitehead, he's a conservative); it's about protecting our liberties as a people - no matter who the president is. The problem is that the current president has been especially concerned with claiming power for himself.
To claim that we're a free people doesn't mean that there are no limits to our freedoms. The issue is with how limits are constructed and imposed. The Declaration of Independence tells us that it's the people - not the executive, Congress, or the courts - who ultimately make that choice. Each body is accountable to the American people, and the rules and regulations imposed by them are supposed to protect not the elite but the people as a whole. Thus, traffic and environmental laws and bans on smoking in public buildings are appropriate because they protect and serve the common good.
But, as St. Paul says, while freedom is great, it's not always beneficial (1 Corinthians 10:23). Anarchy is freedom, but it usually ends with chaos and destruction. Because we often think of freedom in individualistic terms - “I can do what I want, when I want.” - we often forget how our lives intersect. But, as Rabbi Jonathan Sacks writes: “With freedom is born responsibility.” And this goes both ways - without freedom we can't be held responsible and without a sense of responsibility freedom leads to unfortunate ends - if not for me then for my neighbor.
When I think of the freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution, I think of my right to speak my mind, publish my thoughts, worship as I please, assemble when and where I wish, and petition the governing authorities. These First Amendment rights should be treasured and protected, but even here there are limits, for I must remember that my freedoms must be balanced by those of my neighbor. This concern for the needs of the other brings us back to the overarching principle enshrined in the commandment to love one's neighbor as one's self. Whether self-imposed or not, limits must be motivated by a concern for the common good.
Our founders understood the need for checks and balances. Although they were, in general, optimistic people who trusted the people to make wise decisions, they also understood the ever-present potential for the powerful to abuse the power entrusted to them, and so they decentralized government. When living, as we do, in an age when power is increasingly being entrusted to the hands of a few, we should remember our calling to balance freedom and responsibility, especially as we get ready to celebrate the Fourth of July.
Dr. Bob Cornwall is pastor of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Lompoc (www.lompocdisciples.org). He blogs at http://pastorbobcornwall.blogspot.com and my be contacted at lompocdisciples@impulse.net or First Christian Church, P.O. Box 1056, Lompoc, CA 93438.
July 1, 2007
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