In the beginning God …
Genesis 1:1
Natural Law
From God, all things flow. God created the ‘order’ of things. This is called Natural Law. The Declaration of Independence refers to this as the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God.
Mankind’s rules for interacting with each other were also decreed by God.
The very first instruction given at the time of the creation of Adam and Eve was that man would hold dominion over all things of Earth except ONE thing … his fellow man.
Due to the fall, man DOES need earthly governance because mankind cannot govern well based upon his own determination of what is right or wrong. That continually changes, on a whim, with the ‘ruler of the day’. So, what will be the foundation of that governance?
The United States was founded upon Judeo-Christian values. In fact, the precepts within the Constitution are biblically derived. But, without God, America IS lost.
A higher permanent source of determining right and wrong is needed in America for this ‘experiment’ in self-governance to succeed.
It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.
~ attributed
No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the Invisible Hand which conducts the affairs of men more than the people of the United States … We ought to be no less persuaded that the propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained …
~ First Inaugural Address, April 30, 1789
If thou wouldst rule well, thou must rule for God, and to do that, thou must be ruled by Him … Those who will not be governed by God will be ruled by tyrants.
~ Letter Written to Peter the Great, Czar of Russia
Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.
~ Address to Military, October 11, 1798
And may that Being who is supreme over all, the Patron of Order, the Fountain of Justice, and the Protector in all ages of the world of virtuous liberty, continue His blessings upon this nation.
~ Inaugural Address, March 4, 1797
We have been assured, Sir, in the Sacred Writings, that “except the Lord build the House, they labor in vain that build it”. I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without His concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the Builders of Babel.
~ In Speech Given to the Constitutional Convention on the Verge of Collapse, June 28, 1787
Common Law
Currently, the United States does not operate under Common Law. It did when it started but has had drastic changes since its founding. That’s another topic for another day.
So, what is Common law?
In a nutshell, what is known as The Common Law is a centuries-long accumulation of discoveries of Natural Laws of human interaction that were borne out of court cases where the decisions were based on religious principles.
The Two Rules
Over time, the common law Judges had determined that virtually all disputes between parties in their cases could be resolved by determining if any violation of one of two fundamental principles had taken place. These two principles, or rules, or laws are agreed upon by all major religions and philosophies: with the Golden Rule serving as their foundation.
These two ‘simple rules to live by’ are very well defined and described by Richard J. Maybury in his book, Whatever Happened to Justice:
- Do all you have agreed to do
- Do not encroach on other persons or their property
It is most likely that ANY strife that has ever happened, or is happening in the world today, either between one person and another, or one nation and another, is due to some violation of either or both fundamental rules.
You are invited to check it out for yourself.
Think of the peace that would exist if people – whether they be the private individual, government agencies, or leaders of nations – would keep these two simple rules in mind before taking action that could cause loss or encroachment on another.
It IS doable. The question, though … is it willable?