The Constitution and Bill of Rights of our democratic republic were, and remain, the most original and revolutionary political and moral thought ever, in recognizing and protecting individual rights and limiting the power of the national government.
Many say our Constitution is based on Judeo-Christian ethics. I say it was based on Universal Morality, recognizing that purpose of the government should be to protect the rights of the individual.
Even though Judeo-Christian values and ethics are compatible with our Constitution, and even though most of the founders were Christian, the Constitution was never limited to Jews and Christians. It covered believers of all religions, as well as non-believers. The Constitution was never exclusionary, it was the most accepting political document in history.
All governments limit individuals. The best government leaves as many choices as possible to the individual, limits its own powers, and protects all individuals equally. We will never find perfection, but the closer we come, the better we will be, both as individuals and as a society.
The American Constitution and the Bill of Rights allows you to believe and act as you wish...as long as you play by the rules and allow others the same freedoms you have. If you attempt to force others to agree with you, then the government is sworn to use retaliatory force in defense of the others.
Freedom does not guarantee success or happiness. It allows the individual the right to choose the path he wishes to travel, and the price he is willing to pay for it. When an individual makes a mistake or fails, only he, and those close to him, pay the price. Very few individuals succeed at the highest level, but those that do can take many with them.
Within a powerful central government, the many that do not succeed at the highest level can take us all down with them.
Within a powerful central government, politicians can offer favors and tax benefits to their benefactors, at the expense of others.
Within a powerful central government, interest groups can buy influence and gain benefits at the expense of others.
The beauty of the founders is that they knew this would happen, if they didn't limit the power of the national government...and the sadness is that, over the years, we let it happen anyway.
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