Celebrate the Declaration of Independence

 

 

A gift from my wife, Sherry

   There are listed in the Declaration of Independence twenty-seven grievances against the King of England which served as justification for the colonists to separate from England. These twenty-seven, profoundly serious, conditions were offered to “a candid world” so that the world may know that the colonists were not merely “political hotheads” in revolt against proper authority. These collective grievances proved that the ruling authority had lost its moral integrity and thus the people were right in freeing themselves of mistreatment.

The United States Constitution is to be measured by how well it serves to remedy the grievances listed in the Declaration.

One such grievance stated in the Declaration which the Constitution gives remedy follows:

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

A diligent reading of history will reveal that during colonial times the King of England would allow the military to move soldiers into personal homes, with or without the consent of the homeowner. That is not just an inconvenience imposed by government, it was a serious intrusion upon a person’s property and privacy.

Thus, in composition of the Constitution, we have Amendment 3 which protects against such intrusion…

No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

We often celebrate the first and second amendments which provide us with rights of free speech and possession of arms. But also, we see here in the 3^rd amendment a right that we so often take for granted.

The other amendments also serve to provide a relationship between government and the people such that liberty may be preserved while avoiding anarchy or oppression.

As we celebrate the Fourth of July this weekend, let us be aware of the direct connection between the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States.

An Appeal to Christians Who Pray

 

Today the U.S. Supreme Court found in favor of petitioner Joseph Kennedy regarding his right to pray. The Bremerton School district had terminated him for having publicly prayed at midfield after a game. Congratulations to Mr. Kennedy.

But also, I put forth this appeal to Christians, especially Christians who are in a position of prominence, such as politicians, actors, ball players: resist the temptation to make a public spectacle of prayer and personal piety.

I remind you of our Lord’s words in Matthew 6: ⁵ And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

⁶ But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

 

In the same chapter Jesus speaks of the personal practice of fasting…we should not make our piety a show of “look how good I am.” We should be humble in our practices.

It is acceptable for a public figure, or anyone, to be incidentally photographed in a candid moment of prayer. People pray before consuming dinner. They pray before surgery or making decisions. But when I see notable people, all facing the camera, in a posture of prayer, and even holding objects of religious veneration, then I know that the moment was planned, choreographed, and posed. It lacks genuine piety or humility and seems only as a self-serving opportunity to make some political or cultural point or comment.

There are no political solutions to spiritual matters.

Jesus taught us in Matthew 4: 8-10 that gaining control over earthly kingdoms is not the means by which one worships and serves God.

The Supreme Court of the United States, is an earthly kingdom. That this body of interpreters of the Constitution, not the Bible, has decided that a person has the political right to pray on the fifty yard line of a high football field before a general public, does not mean Christians should abandon the teachings of Christ to instead make a public display of just how much right we have to show how pious we are.

Let the Supreme Court decide what are and are not our citizen rights.

Let Jesus instruct us as to how we may best live out those rights in authentic Christian manner.

Those that care enough to know what the case was all about and how the justices decided, the opinion of the Court can be found here:

https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/21-418_i425.pdf