FREEDOM AND LIBERITY

One of the factors creating American exceptionalism is the precision in the use of words our founding fathers used in writing the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. They were well of the more than 600 years of history where men sought freedom and liberty from the dictates of kings. With this perspective, a unique understanding of the times and human nature, they wrote about freedom and liberty. 

We think of freedom and liberty as the same thing, synonyms. But the founders defined them differently. Freedom was the right to do whatever you pleased. Liberty was freedom plus morality. Therefore liberty was freedom constrained by doing what is right. They were very intentional in using these terms. John Adams said, “Our Constitution was only made for a moral and religious people.” 

The Declaration of Independence uses the word liberty rather than freedom. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all Men are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” The creator intended us to be free but subject to morality that is founded in the 10 Commandments and the teaching of Jesus and the apostles. 

The First Amendment to the Constitution, The Bill of Rights, gives us five rights. They were probably grouped together, rather than listed separately, because they’re linked together so closely. Three are listed as specific freedoms. They are freedom of speech, freedom of the press and freedom of religion. The use of the word freedom means these rights are not encumbered in a way. We have the freedom to say whatever we want, to print whatever we want, and to worship God in any way we want. Note that it does not give us the freedom to do whatever we want. They did believe that each man was accountable to God and therefore it was safe to use the word freedom in these three areas.

Liberty was the paramount consideration. Patrick Henry expressed it well: “Give me liberty or give me death.” The founding fathers knew from history that government by its nature always wants to control with laws and regulations and therefore needs to be constrained.

In our time when the lessons of history are so soon forgotten or ignored, it is critical to our lives, liberty and the pursuit of happiness that we and the leaders we elect take careful note and heed the intent of the founding fathers who laid the base for our form of government sound in principle and of, by, and for the people.