The Fourth of July, The Declaration of Independence, and Human Rights

Last updated on: July 4, 2019 at 3:05 am by Henry Karlson

The Fourth of July, The Declaration of Independence, and Human Rights 2019-07-04T03:05:07-05:00 Henry Karlson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

John Trumbull: The Declaration of Independence / Wikimedia Commons

As photos reveal the deplorable state of migrants crammed into cells, as more and more migrants end up dead as they try to escape the horrors of the lands from which they come, and as exposes reveal the fundamental lack of moral character behind the majority of those charged with the border patrol, a common response, if not the most common response, to these tragedies by Trump supporters is to blame the victims of these abuses for not “obeying the laws.” Even if it were the case that all of them were guilty of minor, petty crimes (they are not), it should horrify people that such abuse is considered justified for minor offenses: for then, other, similar offenses, should suffer similar consequences, and greater offenses, like tax evasion, should have proportionally greater penalties. Those arguing for ill-treatment of the migrants, based often on falsehoods, end up arguing for a powerful dictatorial state which would make everyone liable to grave mistreatment.

Nonetheless, this ideology which promotes the rule of law, whatever the law is, over morality and its promotion of human dignity, contends with and rejects the best principles which the founding fathers of the United States employed to justify the Declaration of Independence:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.

The founding fathers were criminals, according to the laws of the time. When Great Britain wanted to tax them, or limit and control the guns within the colonies, instead of obeying the law, the colonists revolted.[1] They believed that there was a limit to what law could or could not enforce. Human dignity overruled the dictates of the law when the law ignored the rights of the people. While we could argue with the founding fathers what those rights entailed, the principles behind the revolution can be simply stated with the general principle, “An unjust law is no law.” When government becomes tyrannical and ignores inalienable rights, such as the right to seek asylum, or the right of migrants to move and look for a better home, the Declaration of Independence would argue that the destructive nature of that government should lead to the rejection of that government and its claims of authority. Its laws are no longer acceptable, and far from being justification for whatever inhumane treatment such governments inflict upon migrants, they are a demonstration of how the government has lost its claim to rule.

When Americans celebrate the Fourth of July, hopefully they ponder what the Declaration of Independence said about human rights and discern the way their country has been diverted from its best ideals. Instead of parades demonstrating its military might, the leaders of the United States should be getting together, recanting of the evils perpetuated in the name of the United States, and work once again to be a leader for human rights, listening to and following the ideals of the Declaration of Independence over the rules being established by would-be dictators.

[1] How many people who love their guns would willing hand them over if the law told them to do so? And yet, how many who would not do so are among those who criticize migrants seeking asylum in the United States, saying they are criminals who break the law and deserve no aid?

Stay in touch! Like A Little Bit of Nothing on Facebook.
If you have liked what you read, please consider sharing it with your friends and family!

justice

Trump

Declaration of Independence

Laws

Migrants

Trump

Previous Post

July 3, 2019

The Law and Jesus: How Christ’s Fulfillment Of The Law Should Lead Us To Reject The Death Penalty

Next Post

July 7, 2019 Christians Must Choose Between Mammon or Christ, Avarice or Charity

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Abortion Abraham abuse Aesthetics AI Aliens Ambrose Ancestors and Everything Andrew Angels Animals Anne Anthony Antisemitism apologetics Apophatic Apostle John Aquinas Artificial Intelligence Asanga Ascension Asceticism Assumption Atheism Attachment Augustine Authority Avarice Balthasar Baptism Beauty Biden birthright citizenship Bishops Black History Books Buddhism Bulgakov Byzantine Calendar C.S. Lewis Calcidius Catholic Catholicism Catholicism Celibacy Charity Chastity children Chrismation Christ Christmas Christology Church Climate Change Common Good Communion Confession Confirmation Conscience Constantine conventions conversion councils Covid Creation Cross Dead Death Death Penalty Debate Deception Demagogues Demons Desert Monks Desert Mothers Desire destruction development Dialogue Dignity Dionsyius Dionysius Discipline Diversity Division Doctor Who doctrine dogma Dormition Dualism Easter Easter Series Ecumenical Councils Ecumenism Education Election Empathy Environment Error Eschatology eschaton Eternity Ethics Eucharist Evangelism Eve Evil evolution Faeries Faith Fear femininity Ficino Florence Florensky Folktale Fools Forgiveness Freedom Future gender Gentile Gentiles Glory Gnostic God gods Good Samaritan Goodness Gospel Government Grace Great Fast Guns Hate healing Health Heaven Hell Hellenism Heresy Hierarchy Hildegard Hinduism History Holiness Holy Spirit Holy Week Hope Horror Human rights humanity Humility hypocrisy ICE icon icons Identification Identity Idol II Nicea Immigration incarnation Individualism Informal Reflections Inklings Intention Inter-Religious Interfaith Internet Interpretation Intrinsic evil Irenaeus Islam Israel Jacob Jerome Jesus Jews John Chrysostom John of Damascus John the Baptist Joseph Judaism justice Justification kenosis Kindnesss Kingdom of God Kingdom of Heaven Law Law of Moses Lazarus Leaf by Niggle Lent Lenten Reflection Liberation Theology Lies Life Listen Literature Liturgy locutions Logic Logos Love Marriage Martyrs Mary Mass Maximos The Confessor Meanness Meditation Mercy Middle Path Migrants Mind Miracles Miriam Morals Moses Movies Music Muslims Myths Names Nationalism Native Americans New Year Nicea Nicholas Nothing Novatian Obedience Occam's Razor Ordination Origen Original Sin Orthodox orthopraxis Pagans Palamas Palm Sunday Paradise Paschaltide Paul Peace Pentecost person Peter piety PKD Plato pluralism Plurality Poem Poetry Poiltics Politics Poor Pope Pope Francis Pope Leo XIV Post Office Prayer Pride Pro-life Prodigal Son propaganda Prophecy Prophets Providence Putin Racism Reading Reason Reflection Refugees Relationships Religion Religion Series Religious Liberty Repent Republicans Rest Resurrection Rich Rites Russia Sacraments Saints Salvation Salvian Santa Science Scripture Self-Giving Sexuality Sibyl Sick Silence Sin Singlehood Social Justice Society Sodom Solovyov Speculations Spiritual Reflection St. Cyril of Alexandria St. Justin Martyr Suffering Sunday of the Paralytic Man Sunday of the Samaritan Woman Superhero Supreme Court Teaching Technology Thanksgiving The Father the Universe Theological Reflection Theology Theosis Theotokos Thomas Timaeus Time Tolerenace Tolkien Tradition Transfiguration Trinity Trump Truth Uncategorized Unity Universities USCCB Value Vatican II Vegetarian Vices Violence Virtue Vocations War Water Welcome Wisdom Womanhood Women Work World View Worship Writing Zacchaeus

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz