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Abstract

The American Ethic: Two hundred fifty years ago, In 1776, the American colonies faced a pivotal decision: whether to remain under British rule or to assert their independence. The Founding Fathers chose to separate from Great Britain and proceeded to clearly articulate both their justification for independence and the fundamental principles of liberty and justice upon which the new nation would be built. The Declaration of Independence, drafted primarily by Thomas Jefferson, was far more than a proclamation of political separation, it also presented the framework for a novel rights-based ethical system which made the extraordinary claim of universal individual liberty...

In summary, 250 years after the Declaration of Independence, it is worth remembering that America’s Founding Fathers established a rights-based ethical system deeply rooted in the western tradition and heavily influenced by Christian humanism. The framework was designed to protect the dignity and rights of everyone created in the image of God while unleashing extraordinary human potential.

It is also worth recalling exactly where those rights originate. They do not come from any social contract that can later revoke them. As Thomas Jefferson famously declared, we are “endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable Rights.” Because these rights come from God, no government, no social contract, no democracy, and no minority or majority for that matter, has the legitimate authority to take them away.

Thank God it’s a free country!

Happy 250th Birthday America!

God Bless you, your family, and the United States!

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