Spirited, Lucid, and Scriptural Argument for the Existence of the Right to Life, Liberty, and Property
The right to life, liberty, and property originate from the Biblical viewpoint that every individual is equal, meaning that they have special inalienable natural rights. God gave human beings permanent rights; no person can take them away. The fundamental human law of nature is the preservation of humankind. In the book of Isaiah 45:23, God proclaimed that every human being is equal and, in return, one has to pledge allegiance to His commands. Thus, the Bible created every individual’s sense of importance, leading to the implementation of the right to life, liberty, and liberty. However, murderers lost their right to life since they disobeyed the laws that God had drafted. The Bible teaches that any person who takes human life deserves to die (Leviticus 24:17). For this reason, the US government punishes anyone who commits murder.
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The negative and positive rights express the significance of human life, freedom, and property. According to Biblical teachings, human life is sacred, and thus, the government should focus on emancipating people from slavery (Luke 4:18). One of the fundamental negative rights is enlisted under the First Amendment, which states that people have the right to express themselves through free speech (National Archives, n.d.). The Bill of Rights limits the government’s powers and allows people to conduct their activities provided they do not interfere with others. Freedom from slavery, the right to practice religion, and freedom from violence are also examples of negative rights whose basis is found in the Bible. According to the Bible, the goal of human life is the pursuit of happiness (Matthew 13:44). For this reason, the negative rights allow human beings to express themselves freely, interact with anyone, join any religion, and be free from slavery. The Bible also directs the government to enhance the citizens’ happiness by providing essential services. Some of the positive rights include the right to education, healthcare, and job opportunities. While the government has to ensure its citizens are healthy, the people have to obey the laws.
Justice In Light of the Existence of Said Rights
Democratic governments ensure that justice prevails by protecting the rights of their citizens. In the US, justice can be defined by incorporating the rights to life, liberty, and property. Justice refers to the equal treatment of every person by the government. For instance, a government achieves justice when it eliminates slavery, protects the citizens from violence, and allows people to assemble as they want, provided they do not interfere with others. A just government has to avoid interfering with its citizens’ activities, regardless of their age, race, gender, or background (Patrick, 2020). Justice is achieved when a government respects its citizens’ opinions and viewpoints. Besides, every human being has immutable rights that the government has to protect equally. In a just society, anyone can own property regardless of their social class or race. Justice is a moral principle that respects human life. It forbids the government from categorizing human beings as properties. Hence the reason the US government repealed the segregation laws. Human rights activists are always criticizing the government for failing to uphold the negative rights. For instance, racial segregation laws were unjust since they forbade African Americans from enjoying the rights shared by other American citizens ( Kleintop, 2018) . Besides, the government achieves justice when it offers public services to its citizens equally. The government has the responsibility to offer education and healthcare to its people regardless of their background. Free healthcare and education and fair minimum wage laws are examples of positive rights. A society is said to be just when everyone is healthy and happy with their lives. People have entrusted the government to lead, and thus, leaders have to treat them with respect and dignity to achieve justice.
References
Kleintop, A. L. (2018). Life, liberty, and property in slaves: white Mississippians seek ‘just compensation’ for their freed slaves in 1865. Slavery & Abolition , 39 (2), 383-404. https://doi.org/10.1080/0144039X.2017.1397334
National Archives. (n.d.). The Bill of Rights: What does it say? https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/bill-of-rights/what-does-it-say
Patrick, J. (2020). Justice . Annenberg Classroom. https://www.annenbergclassroom.org/glossary_term/justice/
