The Foundation of American Freedom

This week, my university sent out an email regarding July 4th that really caught my eye. They referred to “The Backbone of Our Independence” as entrepreneurialism, celebrating secular universities as hubs of innovation.

I support the notion of business. Enterprises, creativity, and free markets do drive prosperity and reward initiative. Yet, it’s important to note that business doesn’t create freedom; it actually relies on it. Markets flourish only when justice, rights, and human dignity are already established. So, really, business is more the result of independence than its source.

When we celebrate Independence Day, it’s crucial to reflect on the actual foundation of American freedom. The Declaration of Independence does more than just announce a separation from Great Britain. It articulates the reasons why that separation is not only justified but essential. “We hold these truths to be self-evident,” it states, “that all men are created equal and endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights.”

This one line indicates that our rights derive from God, not from government or the marketplace. Human equality is not contingent on personal ability, wealth, or status. Instead, it’s founded on the shared truth that we all bear the same image of the Creator.

This principle isn’t merely a historical note; it remains the bedrock of freedom today. Without it, terms like “human rights” and “justice” might just devolve into empty slogans. If rights aren’t God-given, where do they originate? Who bestows them, and who can revoke them?

The Declaration stands in stark contrast to the United Nations’ 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights. While it claims that people “have” rights, it fails to clarify where those rights come from or why they hold significance. There’s a lack of any moral framework that transcends human consensus, God’s image, or natural law, implying that rights are merely what the international community agrees upon.

This notion is perilous. If rights arise from consensus, they can easily be rescinded by that same consensus. If rights are handed out by governments or global commissions, they can be redefined or abolished whenever it suits convenience. There’s no firm ground here—just shifting sand.

Today, many Americans seem to lean toward a softer, godless concept of dignity. They talk about justice yet reject the concept of a higher judge. They seek rights without a Creator, happiness devoid of empathy, and freedom that lacks personal responsibility. However, rights without a divine origin don’t bring true security, and happiness disconnected from God fades into mere illusion. It’s precarious.

This approach to separating freedom from that divine source isn’t likely to endure. Our freedoms—legal, political, scientific, and economic—thrive best in an atmosphere enriched by a belief in human dignity that’s anchored in something greater than ourselves.

We inhabit a world that acknowledges God. This distinction matters. A society that operates on contracts negotiates rights while upholding a commitment to truth. This isn’t just a theological difference; it speaks to the heart of civilization itself.

Rejecting the Creator won’t lead to progress; it undermines the very foundation that makes progress possible. C.S. Lewis pointed out, “You can’t continue to ‘explain’ forever. You can see that the explanation itself has been explained.”

We need to explain God and the reasons behind our existence.

As we celebrate this Fourth of July, let’s remember the real essence of freedom and what sustains it. We often claim we’re free, but our freedom is tied to adherence to laws that transcend any courtroom or committee. We are made by a Creator, which ensures we are equal—no exceptions.

While entrepreneurship has its role, the American endeavor didn’t stem from a business proposal. It began with a profound acknowledgment of God’s sovereignty. To truly appreciate this experiment, we must never forget what made it possible in the first place.