Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Regarding constitutional crises

In "Ireland's Constitutional Crisis" on the First Things website, John Waters discusses the harm visited upon his nation because many of his fellow citizens have forgotten that their constitution does not grant rights upon them. Rather, it enumerates the rights they have because said rights preexist their constitution, having been granted to all persons by the Triune God.

His discussion is helpful not only for the Irish, but for Americans as well. Our own Declaration of Independence asserts that our rights are unalienable because all persons have been endowed with them by our Creator. As this truth becomes less and less self-evident to our fellow citizens, the more likely it becomes that our civil governments will attempt to alienate our rights from us.

Ireland may not be the only nation suffering a constitutional crisis.

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