“We hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men are created equal. That they are
endowed with their Creator with certain inalienable rights. That among these rights are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness—” (U.S. Declaration of Independence)
In our ever more secularized society it ought to be pointed out that the founding fathers of our nation understood the existence of our Creator to be a truth so self-evident that no sane person would deny it. However, I would not be surprised if dedicated atheists are even now searching to find some appeal that would modify that salient text of our nation’s origin. The Creator Whom we know to be God gives to every human being certain rights that are natural to the state of humanity, among them being the rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
The “right to life” has been challenged in courts for more than a generation. It’s still a hot topic of controversy between the advocates of the Right to Life opposed by the so-called “Freedom of Choice” abortionists. The victory won by abortionists is being reviewed and reconsidered in our time even by those who originally had been radical advocates of abortion. The arguments revolve around the questions: Is an unborn creature developing in a woman’s womb a child or a fetus? In that it is clearly living, whose life is it anyway—is it his [or her] life, or does it belong solely to the mother to dispose of as she sees fit? At the other end of our days, who has the right to terminate life—the person him/herself, society, or the same Creator Who gave us life? The pro-life President Bush will soon find himself in the position of appointing a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court whose decisions may bring about the change believers call for, and all the more must our prayers include wisdom, counsel and openness to the Holy Spirit for the President.
Liberty also comes in conflict with human rights, since absolute liberty is impossible. All forms of liberty are moderated in some form. Society and most religions forbid suicide. We are not free to take our lives, nor the lives of others—unless our nation declares war and identifies the enemy. Another expression of freedom is being called into question in modern times when liberty is identified with democracy. Have we liberated Iraq by our invasion and institution of free elections, or have we acted against the will of the people of that nation? Or can it be explained by the concept that our own liberty depends on the pacification of any state that poses as a threat to our nation’s security?
Even the right to pursue happiness is not a clear matter. Athletes are not allowed to inject steroids into their bodies, drug addicts are caught and either treated or imprisoned, and all sorts of aberrant sexual expressions are prosecuted. All the above are for the betterment of society and its citizens. One cannot express personal forms of happiness if they are injurious to others, to society in general, or even to one’s self.
At a deeper level we will find it difficult just to give a comprehensive definition of happiness. It’s like religion—it depends on who is explaining it. And like religion it’s a mystery. If we are to bring others to Jesus Christ, we have to learn what makes them happy. We must convince them that absolute joy comes only with unconditional surrender to our Lord, then by conforming our lives to all that we share with God and those who follow Him, sloughing off whatever does not fit into the pattern of the saints. We then will realize that by losing our selves for Christ’s sake, He will give us back a wholesome, total person that we may not have discovered during the time when we were in search of happiness in ways and places that bring about the opposite.