Posted on 02/12/2015 10:19:21 AM PST by PROCON
During a heated discussion over gay marriage, CNN morning Anchor Chris Cuomo opined that the unalienable rights endowed to all Americans do not come from God.
Cuomo was debating Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore on the constitutionality of same-sex marriage. Near the end of the back-and-forth and after Moore argued that rights cannot be handed down by men, Cuomo blurted out:
“Our rights do not come from God, your honor, and you know that. They come from man... That’s your faith, that’s my faith, but that’s not our country. Our laws come from collective agreement and compromise.”
(Excerpt) Read more at cnsnews.com ...
That is a clear over-simplification. Please take the time to read the document, which spells out the specific grievances--most of which deal with complaints against the centralization of power, and the failure to heed the long list of specific acts previously complained of--including, for example, fully empowering local Courts to deal with local concerns. The idea of a "Supreme Court," with authority to remake local institutions, would have been anathema in that context..
It’s a shame it took sixty posts for this notion to be defended, but not a surprise.
Clever. But your answer in no way argues against such rights having their source in God. Or do you believe that if one simply believes in a god that that god really is a god? Your assertion is breathtaking. I will leave it to you and others to interpret in which way breathtaking.
The Constitution does not grant us rights.
Throughout the Bill of Rights, you'll see phrases like, "Congress shall make no law", "... shall not be infringed", "the right of the people . . . shall not be violated . . .", and if there is any doubt as to just where these rights arise, here is the 9th amendment; "The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people."
Sadly, the government has been so relentless in it's creep, with the complicity of a complaint citizenry, that we even have to discuss just where our rights come from.
Alabama 1901, Preamble. We the people of the State of Alabama ... invoking the favor and guidance of Almighty God, do ordain and establish the following Constitution ...
Alaska 1956, Preamble. We, the people of Alaska, grateful to God and to those who founded our nation and pioneered this great land ...
Arizona 1911, Preamble. We, the people of the State of Arizona, grateful to Almighty God for our liberties, do ordain this Constitution ...
Arkansas 1874, Preamble. We, the people of the State of Arkansas, grateful to Almighty God for the privilege of choosing our own form of government ...
California 1879, Preamble. We, the People of the State of California, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom ...
Colorado 1876, Preamble. We, the people of Colorado, with profound reverence for the Supreme Ruler of Universe ...
Connecticut 1818, Preamble. The People of Connecticut, acknowledging with gratitude the good Providence of God in permitting them to enjoy ...
Delaware 1897, Preamble. Through Divine Goodness all men have, by nature, the rights of worshipping and serving their Creator according to the dictates of their consciences ...
Florida 1885, Preamble. We, the people of the State of Florida, grateful to Almighty God for our constitutional liberty ... establish this Constitution ...
Georgia 1777, Preamble. We, the people of Georgia, relying upon protection and guidance of Almighty God, do ordain and establish this Constitution ...
Hawaii 1959, Preamble. We, the people of Hawaii, Grateful for Divine Guidance ... establish this Constitution ...
Idaho 1889, Preamble. We, the people of the State of Idaho, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, to secure its blessings ...
Illinois 1870, Preamble. We, the people of the State of Illinois, grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy and looking to Him for a blessing on our endeavors ...
Indiana 1851, Preamble. We, the People of the State of Indiana, grateful to Almighty God for the free exercise of the right to chose our form of government ...
Iowa 1857, Preamble. We, the People of the State of Iowa, grateful to the Supreme Being for the blessings hitherto enjoyed, and feeling our dependence on Him for a continuation of these blessings ... establish this Constitution ...
Kansas 1859, Preamble. We, the people of Kansas, grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious privileges ... establish this Constitution ...
Kentucky 1891, Preamble. We, the people of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberties ...
Louisiana 1921, Preamble. We, the people of the State of Louisiana, grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberties we enjoy ...
Maine 1820, Preamble. We the People of Maine ... acknowledging with grateful hearts the goodness of the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe in affording us an opportunity ... and imploring His aid and direction ...
Maryland 1776, Preamble. We, the people of the state of Maryland, grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious liberty ...
Massachusetts 1780, Preamble. We...the people of Massachusetts, acknowledging with grateful hearts, the goodness of the Great Legislator of the Universe... in the course of His Providence, an opportunity ... and devoutly imploring His direction ...
Michigan 1908, Preamble. We, the people of the State of Michigan, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of freedom ... establish this Constitution ...
Minnesota, 1857, Preamble. We, the people of the State of Minnesota, grateful to God for our civil and religious liberty, and desiring to perpetuate its blessings ...
Mississippi 1890, Preamble. We, the people of Mississippi in convention assembled, grateful to Almighty God, and invoking His blessing on our work ...
Missouri 1945, Preamble. We, the people of Missouri, with profound reverence for the Supreme Ruler of the Universe, and grateful for His goodness ... establish this Constitution ...
Montana 1889, Preamble. We, the people of Montana, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of liberty ... establish this Constitution ...
Nebraska 1875, Preamble. We, the people, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom ... establish this Constitution ...
Nevada 1864, Preamble. We the people of the State of Nevada, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom ... establish this Constitution ...
New Hampshire 1792, Part I. Art. I. Sec. V. Every individual has a natural and unalienable right to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience ...
New Jersey 1844, Preamble. We, the people of the State of New Jersey, grateful to Almighty God for civil and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy, and looking to Him for a blessing on our endeavors..
New Mexico 1911, Preamble. We, the People of New Mexico, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of liberty ...
New York 1846, Preamble. We, the people of the State of New York, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, in order to secure its blessings ...
North Carolina 1868, Preamble. We the people of the State of North Carolina, grateful to Almighty God, the Sovereign Ruler of Nations, for ... our civil, political, and religious liberties, and acknowledging our dependence upon Him for the continuance of those ...
North Dakota 1889, Preamble. We, the people of North Dakota, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of civil and religious liberty, do ordain...
Ohio 1852, Preamble. We the people of the state of Ohio, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, to secure its blessings and to promote our common ...
Oklahoma 1907, Preamble. Invoking the guidance of Almighty God, in order to secure and perpetuate the blessings of liberty ... establish this ...
Oregon 1857, Bill of Rights, Article I. Section 2. All men shall be secure in the Natural right, to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their consciences ...
Pennsylvania 1776, Preamble. We, the people of Pennsylvania, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of civil and religious liberty, and humbly invoking His guidance ...
Rhode Island 1842, Preamble. We the People of the State of Rhode Island ... grateful to Almighty God for the civil and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy, and looking to Him for a blessing ...
South Carolina, 1778, Preamble. We, the people of the State of South Carolina ... grateful to God for our liberties, do ordain and establish this Constitution ...
South Dakota 1889, Preamble. We, the people of South Dakota, grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious liberties ... establish this Constitution ...
Tennessee 1796, Art. XI.III. That all men have a natural and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their conscience ...
Texas 1845, Preamble. We the People of the Republic of Texas, acknowledging, with gratitude, the grace and beneficence of God ...
Utah 1896, Preamble. Grateful to Almighty God for life and liberty, we ... establish this Constitution ...
Vermont 1777, Preamble. Whereas all government ought to ... enable the individuals who compose it to enjoy their natural rights, and other blessings which the Author of Existence has bestowed on man ...
Virginia 1776, Bill of Rights, XVI ... Religion, or the Duty which we owe our Creator ... can be directed only by Reason ... and that it is the mutual duty of all to practice Christian Forbearance, Love and Charity towards each other ...
Washington 1889, Preamble. We the People of the State of Washington, grateful to the Supreme Ruler of the Universe for our liberties, do ordain this Constitution ...
West Virginia 1872, Preamble. Since through Divine Providence we enjoy the blessings of civil, political and religious liberty, we, the people of West Virginia ... reaffirm our faith in and constant reliance upon God ...
Wisconsin 1848, Preamble. We, the people of Wisconsin, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, domestic tranquility ...
Wyoming 1890, Preamble. We, the people of the State of Wyoming, grateful to God for our civil, political, and religious liberties ... establish this Constitution ...
I will go you one better, if rights come from man, they are not rights.
“Our rights come from the framers and they left them to us to protect and defend.”
These rights were articulated by the framers, they didn’t come from them. That’s why, I presume, they used the words “endowed by their Creator”. They didn’t say “endowed by us most wise men”. If “rights” were granted by men, they would be no more than a matter of taste, and they could be made non-existent by men. That is to say, they would not be inherent, not truly rights at all. They would be, as I said, arbitrary privileges. You want free speech? Well, I want free ice cream.
Our rights are a phenomenon of our creation, because we were created with purpose and free will. They can be frustrated by men (He gave them free will), but they cannot be taken away. We protect and defend them because they are, inherently, ours.
Taking away Rights he doesn’t like is the idea.
Pray America is waking
Wow. A so-called journalist said this?!
chris Cuomo, A chip off the old block.
On the contrary, it proscribes--clearly interdicts--the legal authority of laws that infringe on the life, liberty & pursuit of happiness of any specific people; making it the right of that people--once their patience is exhausted--to act as the Founders. That is the whole justification for rising up and reconstituting a Government--something, by the way, actually done in England in 1215, 800 years ago, this year, also.
Cuomo just demonstrated the rationale of the socialist collective thinking in the Democrat (in name only) political party and why it decided to removed any referemce to God at their 2012 national convention. Where there is no God there is no sin. Therefore to lie and decieve others to serve the collective’s evil purposes is good. And that concept is also foumd in the Koran.
Not unlike the great Whitesnake song “Here I go again on my own, going down the only road I’ve ever known.”
PROCON, I hate to pick on you, but do you even know where the term “American Exceptionalism” came from? If you know this, then you win the prize. It is from Alexis de Tocqueville’s “Democracy in America.” Because he came here from France in the 1830’s and thought we were the cat’s meow. That what we were doing here was unlike anything else he had seen or witnessed. That our geographic location, the spirit of our people, our system of government and most importantly, (long forgotten I think) our love of liberty made us unique among nations. Which was true and still is true...I constantly pray.
How in the world did a Constitutional debate get intertwined with a debate on the Declaration of Independence? Neither the Constitution nor the first 10 amendments to the Constitution advise that our rights came from God.
The Declaration of Independence does, however. It’s a mission statement, though, not a document of law.
Here’s what the Bill of Rights does say right off the bat (something I’m sure you all know):
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”
An amendment which both political parties and the American people as a whole have repeatedly ignored more often than I consider acceptable. And not just about the religion part, either.
Traditionally, our rights come from Hammurabic, Greek, Roman, and Judeo-Christian morality, and I’m sure that’s what the founders thought, and that’s what I believe - because it would suck if we were bound to Confucian or Islamic morality or tradition. But as a stand-alone document - you can’t bring God into the mix when you discuss Constitutional law. I dunno if that was on purpose by the founders or not. Maybe they were all just secretly drunk on the day they signed it.
We declared independence in 1776 and the Constitution was ratified in 1788. 12 Years between and different people were signing and writing the two documents. Talk about apples and oranges.
Don’t you think it’s interesting that the DOI mentioned that are rights are given by God and the Constitution says diddly squat about it?
I’m a strict Constitutionalist - period. I don’t give a rat’s backside what anybody “believes.” I don’t care what anybody said in a paper or a leaflet or an essay subsequent to the ratification of the Constitution. Either you go by the laws of the land or you don’t. If they had so wished as a collective, the founders were smart enough to have put something in the Constitution to say:
“the holy scriptures and all their teachings shall be obeyed at all times and should be considered the law of the land and let it be known that all laws contained within this document are derived and handed down by the scriptures and the word of our Lord, God. Let it be known henceforth that all laws in this document are from our Lord, God, and that America is exceptional in his eyes.”
Well, it bloody well doesn’t say that or anything like that.
And no, I’m not an atheist. On the other hand, I’ll fight anyone, anytime with a shovel, a stick, or an empty Hostess Cupcake box before I accept a theocracy in this country.
I don’t think you ought to have to register your firearms and I don’t think the US Govt has any right to monitor that at all. I think the Constitution is pretty clear on that as well. And yet, we screw around with that constantly.
I don’t think I should have to apply for a permit and pay a fee to a municipality before I conduct a large, peaceful public protest or gathering. No abridging, see? We screw around with that RATHER CLEAR amendment as well.
The Constitution is pretty clear. The only reason there’s debate on it is because, in reality, so many people just don’t want to follow the law that was set out and they don’t have the guts to change the laws they don’t agree with.
And guess everything that happened in WW II Germany was okay too. /sarc
I didn’t see it but sounds like Judge Moore chewed him up and spit him out.
Even if one does not believe in “God” per se, in order to secure your inalienable rights you still have to admit that rights come from something higher and greater than mere humans otherwise humans with ill intent can take them away and JUSTIFY doing so!
And as an amendment to this post, I’ll say also that the Bill of Rights were ratified in 1791, so add a few more years between DOI and BOR. 15 to be exact.
Libertarians (at least some that I’ve seen) don’t believe they come from God either.
There’s just something wrong with the Cuomo family...
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