“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other,” John Adams said. Washington and Franklin also spoke about the need for a moral citizenry.
They all realized that a government allowing citizens freedom to pursue happiness in their own ways can’t survive unless a majority of those citizens feel obligated to pursue happiness morally, that is, responsibly and with integrity.
Voltaire, who opposed all established religions, nevertheless said, “If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him.” Much human morality is based on belief in a spiritual authority higher than both our own egos and government, an authority that requires us to act morally.
Most world religions value service, self-sacrifice and compassion. Rather than encouraging self-gratification, most religions declare that a supreme spiritual power requires us to be guided by something like the Golden Rule: treating other people as we want to be treated.
Most religions teach that this supreme power radiates love and wants love to rule in our lives, rather than anger and hate, which cause us to treat others differently from the way we want to be treated. (See some Letters.)
Without such general morality, often based on such religion, freedom produces anarchy, decline and eventual self-destruction.
Whether or not we’re religious, let’s live responsible, moral lives, as if it were required of us by a higher spiritual authority. Let’s ensure that our society thrives by exercising our freedoms responsibly.
Lee Nahrgang,
Denton
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