Patriotism: First Principle

We will be reviewing the 28 basic principles of our Founding Fathers. These are expounded upon quite comprehensively in the book: "The Five Thousand Year Leap" by W. Cleon Skousen. If you don't have your own copy yet, these little tidbits will hopefully edify and add to your patriotism education. All quotes are from his book, I have given references to books he quotes as well so you can study these things on your own.

The first principle discusses what the Founding Fathers based a wholly good and dependable government on: Natural Law. There are several constitutional examples and even our daily lives reflect this type of law. This is because our Creator has endowed us with abilities to see, hear, understand and then take action based on the light and knowledge within us. As we learn about this principle of Natural law, it becomes evident that our Creator must have these abilities as well, and in perfect form. The idea that the use of good sense will lead to wise choices is a point that seems unnecessary to make, but in our world today our government (along with many others) is experiencng power struggles. Power has the ability to be a great tool and a great vice (that's a pun for all you fix-it people out there!). As a tool it creates vision in a people that motivates them to invent, creating miracles of advancement never before imagined. As a vice it blinds the eyes and hearts of men to the common good of the people. Common sense therefore is becoming much more uncommon, the good of the people goes down the continuum to a point of reference called "the good of the minority becomes power over the the majoirity" this focuses our good on less and less people. Common sense would then lead us to power in the people instead of struggling to have power OVER the people. The Founding Father's understood this well, as you can see reference to "the laws of Nature and of Nature's God" in The Declaration of Independence.

The Founding Fathers background of study included Cicero. He spoke of natural or true law in this way: "True law is right reason in agreement with nature; it is of universal application, unchanging and everlasting." (Quoted in Ebenstein, Great Political Thinkers, p. 133--see p. 40 in The Five Thousand Year Leap). It is clear to see in the description of the laws of Nature's God, words that easily describe that God who created them: true, right, universal, unchanging, and everlasting. Therefore we summarize this point in saying that these laws do and have applied to first-all people, second-in all ages, and third-for all time and into eternity.

It is therefore reasonable to consider the idea that our countries laws should reflect and have their basis in Natural Law. Cicero explained this as he wrote of those who try to pass laws that disagree with Natural Law: " For if ignorant and unskillful men have prescribed deadly poisons instead of healing drugs, these cannot possibly be called physicians' prescriptions; neither in a nation can a statute of any sort be called a law, even though the nation, in spite of being a ruinous regulation has accepted it." (Ibid., p. 134-35--see p. 40 in TFTYL)

The Founders understood that Natural Law--which imbues so many of our rights--is from God. Therefore our rights and freedoms we do justly ascribe to our God. John Locke: "The state of Nature has a law of Nature to govern it, which...teaches all mankind who will but consult it, that being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions...." (Second Essay Concerning Civil Government, Great Books of the Western World, vol. 35 [Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. 1952], p. 26, par.6.--see also p. 124 in TFTYL)

So, how can man discover these laws for himself? How are we educated on their applications once we understand them? William Blackstone: "The doctrines thus delivered we call the revealed or divine law, and they are to be found only in the Holy Scriptures." (Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England, 1:59-60 see also TFTYL p. 132.) Do we have laws against murder (Thou shalt not kill)? Do we have laws protecting possessions from stealing? (Thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not covet....) There are other laws we base our societites off off which are found in the Bible as well.

The last point to make under Natural Law is of our responsibilities under it. I will not go into all of them but referring to previous thoughts in this post, we can come to conclusions that lead us to some obvious responsibilities, (i.e. we will not kill others except to defend our own life, we want our property protected and understand that with that we are not going to take anyone else's stuff etc.) so I will conclude with what I see as the most important because it encompasses all others: If I reverence and respect my Creator I must therefore reverence and respect His laws. Blackstone: "This law of nature, being coeval with mankind and dictated by God himself, is of course superior in obligation to any other." (Ibid., Introduction, sec. 2, par. 39. see also TFTYL p. 134.)