Kindred,
What is the foundation of law?
I googled the definition of law and nowhere does
ethics come up in its definition, or protection of civil liberties or ensuring public
safety. It basically states that law is
a system of rules that members may enforce with penalties.
Disconcerting.
Also, of concern in this definition of law is the word
may.
Members may choose to enforce
or not enforce the law. And nowhere does
it state that the initial law created must be fair and just.
Luckily, the Founding Fathers recognized the dangers
of making laws without rules and checks and balances.
While the Framers held “these truths to be
self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by the
Creator with certain unalienable Rights”, * they recognized that abuse of power
and inequalities can arise in “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”.
Therefore, they set forth these unalienable Rights in
the Constitution and encased it in the rule of law and a system of checks and
balances by making the Constitution the supreme law of the Land.
Because the Constitution begins with “We the people….”,
the Constitution applies to all people in the Land whether explicitly defined
or not, and the rights defined cannot be denied to any person within its jurisdiction
the equal protection of the laws.
The rule of law basically states that no one or
institution is above the law (accountability), the laws are to be just (applied
evenly and protects fundamental rights), publicly promulgated (open government),
and independently adjudicated.
But what happens when there is no rule of law or no
enforcement of the laws?
Then laws become meaningless; there is no equal
protection of the laws, no governance, no legal standing and therefore, no legitimate
government and no standing with the people and with humanity.
This same precept goes for morality and ethics.
If people sin, commit crimes against the Lord and
humanity, and are unrepentant and unatoned, then these sinners are unethical
and unholy; and therefore, have no moral authority or standing with humanity and
the Lord.
To be in good standing with the Lord and humanity, do
not sin. If you do sin, confess, repent
and atone.
*Note: From
Declaration of Independence (which is a separate document from the
Constitution).
