Sen. Rand Paul: Right to privacy comes from God, ‘precedes’ the Constitution

[July]

Sen. Rand Paul: Right to privacy comes from God, ‘precedes’ the Constitution
BY BRIAN BROWDIE / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

A Libertarian-leaning senator says the right to privacy comes from a higher authority than the federal government.

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul argued Thursday that people have a legal right to be left alone that emanates from God.

"It precedes the Constitution, it preexists, it comes, if you believe in God, from your Creator," Paul said in a speech at the conservative Heritage Foundation. "It comes in a natural way. It's yours."

"I think some conservatives get this thing wrong," Paul added. "They say, 'Oh you don't have a right to privacy because it's not in the Constitution.' Well, there's not a right to private property in the Constitution, either."

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/poli...icle-1.1127931

[July]

The full speech is here: http://www.heritage.org/events/2012/...ternet-freedom

Rand talking about Internet Freedom at Hertiage Foundation.

[phill4paul]

"I think some conservatives get this thing wrong," Paul added. "They say, 'Oh you don't have a right to privacy because it's not in the Constitution.' Well, there's not a right to private property in the Constitution, either."

Which is why you don't own your property. You rent it or you license it and abide by laws. He does not make a good argument with this.

[showpan]

Oh no...not another "God right"

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion


Amendment IV

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

If they knew we were going to have phones and internet and automobiles, etc, I'm willing to bet they would have included them in that list or worded it differently. Their intent is still clearly recognized as our right to unreasonable search. Spying would definitely fall under unreasonable search. Just because the corporate supreme court says otherwise. Who actually thinks our forefathers would be content with having our personal conversations recorded and our movements tracked?

[trey4sports]

yuck. I always thought Rand was a closet skeptic.

[July]

I think he's trying to explain natural rights.

[cajuncocoa]

I think he's trying to explain natural rights.

Yes. I've read where Judge Nap makes the same claim.

[Bastiat's The Law]

yuck. I always thought Rand was a closet skeptic.

Where did you get that? Some of the pillars of the liberty movement are staunchly religious...Ron Paul, Rand Paul, Judge Napolitano, Thomas Woods, etc. And you know what that is perfectly fine by me, I stand behind them 100%. I'm also a staunch atheist.

[Indy Vidual]

What happened to Aqua Buddha?

[Mahkato]

Liberty is an extremely Christian virtue to those who understand and known what actual liberty is and means, so don't be surprised if you see a growing number of Christians advocating for liberty, especially those in the more conservative Christian organizations. Liberty is the foundation for the most ethical system of society, so it can attract non-Christians as well. I absolutely LOVE the feeling of a room packed wall to wall with hard-core Christians and hard-core atheists (and everyone in between) all cheering for the principles of liberty and non-aggression.

[Indy Vidual]

Liberty is an extremely Christian virtue to those who understand and known what actual liberty is and means, so don't be surprised if you see a growing number of Christians advocating for liberty, especially those in the more conservative Christian organizations. Liberty is the foundation for the most ethical system of society, so it can attract non-Christians as well. I absolutely LOVE the feeling of a room packed wall to wall with hard-core Christians and hard-core atheists (and everyone in between) all cheering for the principles of liberty and non-aggression.

+1 for a Big Tent.

[trey4sports]

Where did you get that? Some of the pillars of the liberty movement are staunchly religious...Ron Paul, Rand Paul, Judge Napolitano, Thomas Woods, etc. And you know what that is perfectly fine by me, I stand behind them 100%. I'm also a staunch atheist.

He can be whatever he wants to be, but in all the speeches he has given i always got the feeling that he kind of acted more religious than he truly was. But whatever, I just will tune out when he goes into religion mode.

[Sola_Fide]

Liberty is an extremely Christian virtue to those who understand and known what actual liberty is and means, so don't be surprised if you see a growing number of Christians advocating for liberty, especially those in the more conservative Christian organizations. Liberty is the foundation for the most ethical system of society, so it can attract non-Christians as well. I absolutely LOVE the feeling of a room packed wall to wall with hard-core Christians and hard-core atheists (and everyone in between) all cheering for the principles of liberty and non-aggression.

Yes, you're right. There was a time in this country when Christians were at the forefront of the struggle against government. Whenever Christianity intersected with politics, the result was the notion of liberty. I would argue that the reason for this was a cultural Calvinism that is just not as widespread today. It was a kind of Christianity that saw tge entire Bible applying to all of life. But anyway, expect to see more and more Christians and Christian political organizations respond to the ideas of liberty in the future.

What has always been basic to Christianity is property and sound money. Christians are beginning to see again that these principles of Scripture apply to all of life.

Basically, when Christians understand that government is not exempt from the prohibitions against theft and murder, you will see a lot of minds changing.

[jmdrake]

He can be whatever he wants to be, but in all the speeches he has given i always got the feeling that he kind of acted more religious than he truly was. But whatever, I just will tune out when he goes into religion mode.

Ummmm.....you know his dad is a confirmed Christian right? I remember back in the day someone saying Ron Paul was a "closet white supremacist" just because they were. Get a clue. Liberty is popular. It's popular with Christians and skeptics, gays and "homophobes", blacks and white supremacists etc.

[trey4sports]

Ummmm.....you know his dad is a confirmed Christian right? I remember back in the day someone saying Ron Paul was a "closet white supremacist" just because they were. Get a clue. Liberty is popular. It's popular with Christians and skeptics, gays and "homophobes", blacks and white supremacists etc.

yeah, really? I guess only skeptics come from skeptical homes... right?

[jmdrake]

Oh no...not another "God right"

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion


Amendment IV

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

If they knew we were going to have phones and internet and automobiles, etc, I'm willing to bet they would have included them in that list or worded it differently. Their intent is still clearly recognized as our right to unreasonable search. Spying would definitely fall under unreasonable search. Just because the corporate supreme court says otherwise. Who actually thinks our forefathers would be content with having our personal conversations recorded and our movements tracked?

Yeah. The text of the constitution protects internet privacy as is. Privacy on your "person"...that covers your cell phone. Your "houses"...that covers your land line and internet connection. Your "papers"....that covers your documents, electronic or not. Your "effects"....that covers anything else you can think of.

[jmdrake]

yeah, really? I guess only skeptics come from skeptical homes... right?

Well in this case Rand being a "skeptic" seems to only come from your imagination. But you tell me. What about Rand made you say "He's not like his father. He's a skeptic." Do you think he sounds more like a social conservative than his dad because he's less of a social conservative?

[DEGuy]

I think Rand is just trying to remind people that people have natural rights, and the Bill of Rights was put in as a contract forcing government to respect those rights. I get pissed off everytime a politician says anything that has the phrase, "...that right is granted by the consitution..." Totally wrong. The constitution is there to protect rights from our own government.

[Bastiat's The Law]

Liberty is an extremely Christian virtue to those who understand and known what actual liberty is and means, so don't be surprised if you see a growing number of Christians advocating for liberty, especially those in the more conservative Christian organizations. Liberty is the foundation for the most ethical system of society, so it can attract non-Christians as well. I absolutely LOVE the feeling of a room packed wall to wall with hard-core Christians and hard-core atheists (and everyone in between) all cheering for the principles of liberty and non-aggression.

It's a beautiful thing and we can accomplish so much together.

[trey4sports]

Well in this case Rand being a "skeptic" seems to only come from your imagination. But you tell me. What about Rand made you say "He's not like his father. He's a skeptic." Do you think he sounds more like a social conservative than his dad because he's less of a social conservative?

Are you so insecure that you have to attack me just because I mentioned that Rand might be a free-thinker? Nonetheless conceding the fact that he is indeed a christian.....

[Bastiat's The Law]

He can be whatever he wants to be, but in all the speeches he has given i always got the feeling that he kind of acted more religious than he truly was. But whatever, I just will tune out when he goes into religion mode.

You want to hear something totally ironic coming from an unabashed atheist. One of my favorite speeches by Ron Paul is the religious speech he gave in Iowa. Of course he was asked to speak on religious matters, because its not really Ron Paul's nature to do so otherwise; he tends to believe religion is a private matter and doesn't wear his religiosity on his sleeve. It was absolutely brilliant how he tied the Bible and the allegory of Jesus and the money changers with the government debasing the currency in today's world. He then went on to compare Israel’s desire for a king with the encroaching power of the Federal government saying that we as a culture have made the Government our king. He also addressed the notion of war and peace. "The Bible doesn't say blessed are the war makers" was a phrase he used. The religious right desperately needs to hear this message, and it coming from religious people like Ron Paul and Thomas Woods, preaching peace is beautiful and very appropriate.

Anyway, here's the speech.

[Bastiat's The Law]

Are you so insecure that you have to attack me just because I mentioned that Rand might be a free-thinker? Nonetheless conceding the fact that he is indeed a christian.....

Nobody should attack you over it. I could see how you could come to that conclusion. The Pauls are something you rarely see in politics, maybe throwbacks to an earlier time, in that they don't wear their religiosity on their sleeve in an attempt to win votes. They are the anti-Huckabee, anti-Santorum candidate in that they are much more private in their faith, unless asked about it. Holier than thou podium thumpers are a huge turn off to me because Christians as a group are very low hanging fruit and are easily led astray by these types of politicians.

[trey4sports]

You want to hear something totally ironic coming from an unabashed atheist. One of my favorite speeches by Ron Paul is the religious speech he gave in Iowa. Of course he was asked to speak on religious matters, because its not really Ron Paul's nature to do so otherwise; he tends to believe religion is a private matter and doesn't wear his religiosity on his sleeve. It was absolutely brilliant how he tied the Bible and the allegory of Jesus and the money changers with the government debasing the currency in today's world. He then went on to compare Israel’s desire for a king with the encroaching power of the Federal government saying that we as a culture have made the Government our king. He also addressed the notion of war and peace. "The Bible doesn't say blessed are the war makers" was a phrase he used. The religious right desperately needs to hear this message, and it coming from religious people like Ron Paul and Thomas Woods, preaching peace is beautiful and very appropriate.

Anyway, here's the speech.

Yeah i rememebr that speech as well. It was definitely one of his premier speeches of '12 and he tailored it just perfectly to the crowd.

[specsaregood]

LOL @ the butthurt atheists. Rand even went out of his way to include you in the line:

"It precedes the Constitution, it preexists, it comes, if you believe in God, from your Creator," Paul said in a speech at the conservative Heritage Foundation. "It comes in a natural way. It's yours."

Nothing he said requires a belief in God to agree.

[LibertyEagle]

Are you so insecure that you have to attack me just because I mentioned that Rand might be a free-thinker? Nonetheless conceding the fact that he is indeed a christian.....

One can be a Christian and also a free-thinker, ya know.

People, please let this be a big tent.

[jmdrake]

Are you so insecure that you have to attack me just because I mentioned that Rand might be a free-thinker? Nonetheless conceding the fact that he is indeed a christian.....

I haven't "attacked" you. Not unless you are insecure about your imagination. Oh, and your insinuation that Christians and free thinkers are mutually exclusive is itself an attack.

[tttppp]

Rand is completely wrong. There are no rights that come from God. All the rights we have, came from people who had to fight for them. Rights aren't just given to you.

[July]

Being a free thinker/skeptic, or cynic... and being spiritual/religious... aren't mutually exclusive in the same person. Sometimes the one leads to the other. How many, when you first started to learn about the meaning of liberty, came to that realization after a period of disillusionment and skepticism of what you thought your previous worldview was? It's like that for some people.

[cajuncocoa]

Rand is completely wrong. There are no rights that come from God. All the rights we have, came from people who had to fight for them. Rights aren't just given to you.

Our Founding Fathers believed differently:

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. ~ Declaration of Independence

[tttppp]

Liberty is an extremely Christian virtue to those who understand and known what actual liberty is and means, so don't be surprised if you see a growing number of Christians advocating for liberty, especially those in the more conservative Christian organizations. Liberty is the foundation for the most ethical system of society, so it can attract non-Christians as well. I absolutely LOVE the feeling of a room packed wall to wall with hard-core Christians and hard-core atheists (and everyone in between) all cheering for the principles of liberty and non-aggression.

Our Founding Fathers believed differently:

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. ~ Declaration of Independence

And they are wrong too. People had to fight for those rights. The founders complely ignored the fact we had to go to war to win those rights.