by
Paul A. Byrne, M.D.
Liberty to protect and preserve life is negated if the ability to defend (gun laws) and the ability to take care of our own health (Decisions by Committee) is taken away.
Liberty is the endowed right from man’s origin. The Declaration of Independence in the 2nd paragraph states: “We hold these truths to be self-evident–and are endowed with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The person has “mastery over desires and over acts.” The Latin for this is “liberum arbitrium” The translation is mastery of desires. There are many authors who translate these two words as “free will”. Liberum Arbitrium is correctly rendered as mastery, power, and domination over acts. “Liberum” is rendered rightly as “of desires.” “Liber” is also “book” and “free.” Liberum, with arbitrium, is correctly rendered mastery over acts and more precisely “desires”. This is very important because the mastery of desires and of acts begets or effects the right of liberty. Liberty is a gift and the right to do good and avoid evil.
The human person manifests God’s Goodness and also manifests the Natural Moral Law. Good of its very nature is desirable. Man is the master of desires and by the right of liberty is enabled to do good and avoid evil. The Natural Moral Law is the rational person’s participation of the eternal Law. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among 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 rights and powers of the human person related to the Natural Moral Law are expressed in the rules for the practice of this law. The practices of moral actions are formulated in rules:
1.) “Good ought to be done, evil must be avoided.”
2.) “Good may not be withheld.” (Feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty. Mt. 25:35).
3.) “Evil may not be done.”
4.) “Evil may not be done that good might come of it.”
Justice is to render to each what is due, which means do good and do no evil. This is important. Our Civil Government is instituted among Men to establish liberty and justice for all. For this reason, Civil Government is God’s Helper deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.
The liberty that comes from truth is the evidence that the person, created by God, is unique and unrepeatable, the subject of the right of liberty. The Declaration of Independence proclaimed the reason for Civil Government as the safeguard of justice. “Governments are instituted among Men deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” This means that our Government, in justice, is designed and empowered, by, “WE THE PEOPLE”, to protect life, preserve life, and enhance and intensify the quality and the sanctity of life. The Government of the United States of America has proclaimed “to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitles them.” This Government is the first in history to base its powers derived from the Law of Nature and Nature’s God. The Law of Nature is the fact that God created all that exists, most importantly, the human person to increase and multiply, fill the earth, subdue it, and rule over it.