I posted this incredibly sad cartoon the other day after yet another terrorist attack at one of our nation’s schools. Since then, I have been puzzling over the idea of “God-given” rights. What are they and how are they different from human-given rights? I started to read some definitions and articles about it; the word in the Declaration of Independence is “inalienable”. The idea was that all men – and they meant white, property-owning men – are born with the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The role of government, according to the Bill of Rights Institute, is to protect those rights for every person. We know from history – our own, specifically – that this nation was not founded with that in mind, which is why we have amendments to the Constitution, the first 10 added soon after that document was created. It is those rights that continue to be at the center of our siloed discourse and unified ignorance.
It is often said that my rights end where yours begin. This is a fairly simplistic approach, to be honest, because it isn’t always true and isn’t often practiced. I have the right to play my music loudly as long as it doesn’t hinder your ability to hear. I have the right to drive as long as I don’t crash into someone or something else. I have the right to own a gun as long as I don’t shoot you. I can burn an American flag in protest as long as I don’t set something else on fire and as long as it’s my flag. You and I might not like the rights others have, but that doesn’t really matter. My right to worship God in my own way cannot get in the way of your right not to; that’s why we should never have religion sponsored by a public entity. That’s another one we don’t seem to have a handle on.
A God-given right – an inalienable right – also has its limitations. The 5th Amendment of the Constitution says that those rights cannot be taken away without “due process of law”, an important distinction. The point that too many people in this country miss is that everybody else has the same God-given rights that I have. If a public school allows me to have a Bible study during lunch, it must also afford the Church of Satan the same opportunity. If it’s good for one, it’s good for all. So, given the problems with how many religions there are in the world, it’s better to leave the religious training of our children and adults to their choice of faith community. Recently it was reported that the governor of Texas is supporting a bill to put the 10 commandments in every classroom, and another bill wants to have chaplains/pastors in every school. Last year, Representative Boebert (CO) called the separation of church and state “junk”; she wants the church to direct the actions of the government. I bet we can guess which church she would choose.
This is lazy and reckless; and it is blatantly unconstitutional. It is also un-Christian. No reading of Scripture justifies this kind of abusive behavior, and as long as the Supreme Court stays sane, it will never happen. It is an important reminder that whenever religion and government get into bed together, only monsters will be born from that. The last time that happened, God tried to drown the world. It seems that God doesn’t like those rights messed with either.
Prayer – Holy God, You have given us rights that cannot be taken from us. Help us to be grown up enough to make sure those rights are for everyone. Amen.