Finding America: Our History Flows From our Belief in Self-Evident Truths

By Peg Luksik
11/4/2011
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

Church and community are the preferred providers of social welfare programs

There is an American culture, forged from a melting pot of ethnicities, and embraced by generations of settlers who came seeking to become part of this nation. They built the most exceptional nation the world has ever seen. That is our American heritage.

Let history show that we rose to defend it!

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HARRISBURG, PA. (Catholic Online) - What, exactly, makes this nation "America"?

It's not economics. Economic conditions are always the result of a nation's culture and policies, not the cause. We need to ask what created the culture and policies that made us the most prosperous nation in history.

The answer tells us what we, as a nation, believe. Our Founders began by saying, "We hold these truths to be self-evident".

Our entire history flows from our belief in those self-evident truths.

In modern language, the truths of America's heritage are:

God exists and is the highest authority. The American Revolution can only be justified if there was an authority above the King - an authority whose standards the King was violating. A government can only be wrong if there is something higher to measure its actions against.

Our Creator is the source of our unalienable rights. If there is no Creator, we are not endowed. We can only have whatever the government decides to give us. And what a government gives, a government can take. For rights to be unalienable, they must be beyond the reach of the government.

The voice of the church is a necessary part of a free society. It doesn't matter what denomination, the presence of the church is a constant reminder to everyone that the government is not the final answer.

There are legitimate limits on the power of the state. If there is an authority above the state, and there are individual rights beyond its reach, then there must be limits on what the state is allowed to do. The United States Constitution clearly defines those limits.

The government is accountable to the people for its conduct. Government is the entity that the people establish to protect their unalienable rights. Since the people establish the government, the government is accountable to them. This is both a right and a responsibility.

Government functions should be handled at the most local level of government possible. In order for the people to hold the government accountable, every government function should be handled at the most local level possible.

Every person must be treated equally before the law. No one can be above, or below, the standards of the law. No person or group can be above, or below, both its protections and its requirements.

Every person deserves the opportunity to direct his own destiny. No government has the legitimate power to guarantee the success of its citizens, or protect them from their failures.

The fundamental unit of American society is the family. Strong families require the lowest level of government services or interventions; therefore, the most effective way to keep government within its legitimate limits is to preserve and protect the traditional family.

Church and community are the preferred providers of social welfare programs. We do have an obligation to assist those in need. Church and community programs provide that assistance without creating a mentality of entitlement.

That is our American heritage. It has been paid for with the lives, fortunes, and honor of our Founders, and protected with the blood of generations of our military men and women.

Today, we are its guardians. Let history show that we rose to defend it!

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Peg Luksik is the Chairman of the Center for American Heritage. Learn more about the heritage of this exceptional nation at www.centerforamericanheritage.com

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Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

Keywords: America, heritage, American heristage, liberty, solidarity, freedom, Peg Luksik

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1 - 7 of 7 Comments

Theresa H
1 year ago
Most certainly, the Founding Principles of the USA are based on the fact that "all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." We are (or were) from our Founding "a religious people." (John Adams noted that our Constitution was "made only for a moral and religious people.") One may wonder today: Are we a "moral and religious people" anymore? ....And is it any wonder, then, that we are falling apart--beginning with the family, the fundamental unit of every society, to the Government and everything in between. Might not the Lord be saying to us, just as much as He said to Israel long ago: "Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, sons who deal corruptly" ? It seems to me, at this point, that we are fast orchestrating our own demise.... Not for nothing did our Blessed Mother call 3 small children--and all of us--to prayer and penance almost a century ago. And things have not got any better since then; to the contrary....
Everett Mann
1 year ago
I agree with the article but I urge Ms Luksik and Sister Jacqueline would stop trying to re-write the Declaration of Independence. The language is "...endowed by THEIR Creator..." and not "Our" Creator. There would be a huge difference in the meaning if Mr Jefferson used Our.
Pete Brady
1 year ago
Peg, excellent article.
Sister Jacqueline Corcoran
1 year ago
We must understand, The United States founded on the dream of a Free Nation and when our Founders, which was Attorney's at Law, created the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States because of the way Americans was treated by King George which was considered a Tyrannt. Our Founders also wanted to make clear that, All Men are Created Equal, That they are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that amoung 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(the People). That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the 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 Safty and Happiness. Because of The Declaration of Independence of United States of America, this document made us a Free Nation, Under God. Our Founders built The Declaration of Independence and Constitution of the United States of America on the fact that, we believe in the Heavenly Father.
Rob
1 year ago
Excellent post Robert. The dems are easy targets. They openly embrace things that are terrible and some things outright evil. But what we fail to do is ask the other side, then why do you permit it? What have you done about? Good sir, you've been in office since 1971, what the heck have you done about abortion? Why are their deficits and debt? What's your record on pro-life issues? Since we don't do that we indirectly support these immoral laws. Abey, you mention that we have a party and it's leader who stand for everything against God, I would argue with you on that. I think you misunderstand who the real god of this nation is. It's money, pure and simple. We are going to give our conservative candidates a pass on every social issue of the day because our god money is in trouble. And about the only trinity we believe in these days is me, myself and I.
Robert Burford
1 year ago
The trouble with holding government accountable is that we don't. We elect the same people to local,state and national office every year and then why do we expect different results. If we really wanted to hold government accountable we should offer an elected office as a function of how much we pay them. If we like the job they do we should be able to vote them a bonus. If we do not like the job they do, give them the minimum wage and tell them to pack their bags at the end of their term. My Republican congressman has held office since 1971. In that time he has initiated public works projects for his district but you never hear a thing about him. He has the best health insurance and retirement of anyone in his district but is never held accountable for the unemployment in his district which is the highest in the state nor has he done anything to stop it. We don't hold our leaders accountable. In national office there is a difference. McCain did not get elected because the electorate did not like the direction the government was going under the Bush administration. If you want a chuch centered government then we must elect church centered leaders that will support life, and marriage as a sacrament.When we as an electorate start holding them accountable we will have started to do our moral and civic duty and support family values.
abey
1 year ago
But then what happens when the leader of America & his party stand against everything that is God., deceitly embracing Pagan gods & their culture, understood, if seriously looked into the present Govt. policies. Is this not called Betrayal of the highest order ?

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