A recent letter writer tried to make the case for a redefinition of marriage by stating that "This is not a matter of religious freedom but a matter of civil liberties." This statement begs the question "How do we set the boundaries of civil liberties?" Should we give special rights to some groups (homosexuals) and exclude others (pedophiles)?
The Founding Fathers had a great understanding of the tenets of liberty. We can glean much from the historical record of their writings' and speeches. George Washington, first president of the United States of America and Father of our nation said " Religion and morality are the essential pillars of civil society." John Adams, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights and our second president stated "We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion . . . Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."
The founding fathers understood that the Bible contains the precepts that bring personal and national liberty. John Jay, original Chief-Justice of the U. S. Supreme Court , "The Bible is the best of all books, for it is the word of God and teaches us the way to be happy in this world and in the next. Continue therefore to read it and to regulate your life by its precepts." Ken Kerston wrote that some time ago a political science professor at the University of Houston researched the question: "Who did the founding fathers quote the most?" They examined 3,154 documents. This study found that the Founding Fathers heavily quoted three writers: Blackstone, Montague, and John Locke. However, he also found that they quoted scripture 16 times more than these three writers. Why? Because biblical truth provides the only true foundation for liberty in society.
If Washington and the Founding Fathers understood that true liberty was erected upon the pillars of scriptural precepts, maybe we should continue to let scripture set the boundaries for marriage and family. How does the Bible define the family unit? One doesn't have to look very far into the pages of scripture to find that God created the family unit to be one man and one woman (Adam and Eve) bearing and raising children.
Our Nation has endured great challenges since its inception. We have endured those challenges only as courageous men and women have taken risks to ensure that the pillars of Truth in our free society have remained intact. May God raise up a new generation of patriots who will adamantly defend family and freedom in our great nation.
Rick Headley
Marietta
