Independence Day…From Political Control
On July 4, Celebrate Independence From Political Control Of Man’s Mind Day.
Celebrate man’s independent mind. Celebrate four centuries (400 years) of basic cultural change from Christianity to reason. From the unfocused, misintegrated, faith-based Christian mind to the 18th century Enlightenment, focused, integrated, rational mind as the moral guide to life and politics. Celebrate the American morality of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, not the Christian morality of sacrifice, suffering and death.
“It has previously been a crime to think [but now man has escaped] the long and sorrowful night [of Christian tyranny], with its frenzy, religious fanaticism and mad enthusiasm. Reason, which is the glory of our nature. Man must feel confident in his own energies.” [Elihu Palmer, militant spokesman].
“We have it in our power to begin the world over again.” [Revolutionary writer, Thomas Paine].
“Reason the only oracle of Man” [Revolutionary warrior, Ethan Allen].
“Fix reason firmly in her seat and call to her every fact, every opinion.” [Thomas Jefferson].
Guided by the new respect for reason, people wanted a new politics for man the independent thinker. They wanted political protection, not of blood-drenched, misery-creating, religious tradition, but of man the individual. Man was no longer a lost fragment of God but a real, independent individual. Not a divine soul imprisoned in an evil body, but a real individual, a soul/body unity.
Man the individual needed political protection from religion and from other people. He needed individual rights to protect his individual freedom in society. He needed political protection of his mind’s guidance of his actions for his life.
“And to secure these rights governments are instituted among men.” [Thomas Jefferrson].
“The grand end of government is for the support, protection, and defense of these rights.” [John Adams].
The state’s new function is as the servant of the individual. It’s not a sovereign possessing primary authority, but an agent possessing only delegated authority. And it can and should be destroyed and replaced if it fails to protect individual rights.
The Founders recognized that democracy, as well as religion and aristocracy, is an enemy of individual rights.
“The will of the majority, to be rightful, must be reasonable, the minority possess their equal rights, which equal laws must protect.” [Thomas Jefferson].
“The rich are people as well as the poor, they have rights as well as the others, they have as clear and sacred a right to their large property as others have to theirs which is smaller; that oppression to them is as possible and wicked as to others.” [John Adams].
Stephen Grossman, Fairhaven
•••
Click here to download the 7/2/26 issue: 07-02-26 Homecoming_REV
Support local journalism, donate to the Neighb News with PayPal
