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

[PierzStyx]

I definitely disagree. As a Biblical Christian, I believe in revealed law, not natural law. It's certainly not a Biblical argument to argue that a source of law exists apart from the Lawgiver Himself. Many people get confused when they read the Founders writings, because they frequently used the term "natural" to refer to law, but they meant it within the framework of a (sometimes consistent and sometimes inconsistent) Calvinistic worldview....where "nature and nature's God" meant the Biblical description of the Sovereign Lord who governs the universe in physical and moral matters.

One of the principles of Biblical Christianity is Sola Scriptura, or "scripture alone". The principles of Scripture should be the basis for law in a Christian culture, not anything else.

Natural law is God's law. They are the laws God put into place to order His creation. They come from Him and exist because of Him, not divorced from Him. Liberty is just such a natural law and it is no more wrong to say that it is God's law than to say gravity is God's law. Both laws exist, both come from God's decree. They are both His. Not every natural law is a moral commandment per se (such as gravity) but if your understanding of Creation and eternity is really that shallow I'm sorry. Explaining liberty as a natural law just makes it easier to build bridges with those not of your faith giving you both something you can agree on.

As for Sola Scriptura, I agree with one modifier. The revelations of God, past, present, and future are the basis of Christianity. God's works and words are eternal and never ending. And that the God who is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow works the same today as He did 5,000 years ago, through His prophets. Pharisaical Bible worship leaves many blind to much of God's word when He has so much to give.

[Bastiat's The Law]

Thanks for posting. That is one of my favorite Ron Paul speeches. When people ask me what Christian libertarianism is, I point them to speeches like this one and the Faith and Freedom one.

If more Christians spoke like this instead of the Santorum holier than thou variety we could build a strong coalition of believers and non-believers under a huge tent.

[cajuncocoa]

Rights are meaningless unless they are enforced. If someone was violating your rights you would contact the government to solve this problem. Praying to God is not going to restore your rights.

Thanks Paul, but I know my rights come from force and not from some fairy tale. Human action "precedes" the bible, and I don't have much tolerance for your pandering.

I think you guys are confusing "Rights" with law enforcement.

And I agree with LE, the fairy tale comments are insulting.

[July]

I think you guys are confusing "Rights" with law enforcement.

Yeah.

I think Rand's argument is ok. It boils it down in a really simple way, so a wide variety of people can understand, and that's what we need someone to do. Too many people have the attitude it's the govt's job to grant all of our rights, and if they take away rights or violate them, oh well, that's the law. We saw this with the TSA, the Obamacare ruling, etc.

[tttppp]

I think you guys are confusing "Rights" with law enforcement.

And I agree with LE, the fairy tale comments are insulting.

Rights are nothing unless you enforce them.In the real world its survival of the fitest. There are no such things as rights. That was made up by men who decided to give and enforce rights.

I could also say rights don't come from God because God does not exist. I'm just keeping this simple. Its pretty obvous rights don't come from him.

[cajuncocoa]

Good grief.

[Jeremy]

I like how Ron Paul, Judge Napolitano, etc. say literally the same thing. But when Rand says it a few people get upset? I don't know, I guess some people here think rights come from government.

[showpan]

God right = Natural right.

What rights does your bible say I have?

[tttppp]

What rights does your bible say I have?

Thats a good point. Out of all those pages in the bible, I have never heard of any of them listing rights we have received from God.