Lets begin with the history.
The Constitution took 4 months to draw up. There were a total of 55 delegates, they met in smaller committees and as a whole in various locations around Philadelphia. After 4 monthes the Constitution was finally sighned on September 17, 1787 by the states delegates, many would not sign the bill without the Bill of Rights, but it was agreed that the Bill of rights would soon follow. The final Constitution as Ratified by the states consisted of 7 articles and today it has 28 amendments.
The Bases and Principles of the Constitution.
The bases for the the Constition was Natural Law, many people today have not heard about Natural Law, yet the founders spoke often of Natural Law. In the book, the 5000 Year Leap it is described as, "A fundamental presupposition of Natural Law is that mans reasoning power is a special dispensation of the creators and is closely akin to the rational or reasoning power of the Creator himself. In other words, man shares with his Creator this quality of utilizing a rational approach to solving problems, and the reasoning of the mind will generally lead to a common-sense conclution."
Does Natural Law work? well lets see, 55 Godfearing delegates wrote a 6 page document that built the greatest nation on earth, I`d say it works.
What was the founders Intent?
The paragraphs discuss the founders intent on various issues such as Religion, power and the economy.
States Rights
Article 1, section 8 of the Constitution defines the responsibilities of the federal government. Then the framers added the 10 ammendment, which states, The powers not delegated to the United states by the constitution nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people. In other words, the powers not given to the fedral government will remain the responsibility of the States.
This means that ONLY these carefully laid out and well defined responsibilities belong to the federal government, ALL others responsibilities belong to the states and to the people. Then to maintained a system of seperation of powers, the constitution created 3 branches of government, Each branch with specific responsibilities and checks and balances over the others so no 1 branch could get too powerful.
First the Constitution deals with the creation of the legislative branch (article 1) which is based on representation on population size, Congressman were elected by the people to represent the people.
The Senate with equal representation of the states (2 senators per state.) elected by the states, In the 1920`s the 17th amendmend changed this. Under the radical libral president Woodrow Wilson the states could no longer elect the senators, they were now elected by the people. Now we have congressman and senators no longer representing the states rights.
Then in Article 2 the Constitution deals with Executive branch, or the office of the president. And lastly Article 3 deals with the Judicial Branch.
The Founders on Money and Charity
At the Constitutional Convention the delegates determined they would make the American dollar completely independant of any power outside of the American people. They therefore gave exclusive power to issue and control money to Congress. Congress was to be responsible for issuing of money, but that the dollar was not subject to inflation or deflation. It was therefore stated in the constitution that Congress would have the power, "to coin money and regulate the value thereof........" Article 1, section 8, clause 5.All money was to be coined in precious metals. Paper money was considered as 'promise to pay' in gold or silver and not as legal tender as such. Washington stated," We should avoid.....the depreciation of our currency, but I concieve this end would be answered, as far as might be necessary, by stipulating that all money payments should be made in gold and silver, being the common medium of commerce among nations.
How it all went wrong.
This is one area of the constitution that failed before it was ever instituted. At the time of the ratification of the Constitution America was just coming out of a serious depression and under pressure of European and American financial institutions and some bad policy errors, the issuing of money was turned over to a consortium of bankers who set up a privately owned bank called the Bank of America, much like the Federal Reserve of Today.
Thomas Jefferson warned us, "If the American people ever allow the banks to control the issurance of their currency, first by inflation then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them will deprive people of all property until their children will wake up homless on rhe continent their fathers occupied. The issuing of money should be taken from the banks and given back to cogcress where it belongs.
The financiers who gained control of American finance built the economy on debt instead of wealth.Prior to his death Jefferson said, "We are completely saddled and bridled, and....the bank is so firmly mounted on us we must go where it will guide."
The Founders on Charity
The proper role of Government is to protect equal rights not provide equal things.
Protecting equal rights creates a climate of freedom to prosper, providing equal things depresses the freedom to prosper.
Can we the people give government power we do not have ourselves?
For example my neighbor across the street has 2 cars, the people up the road have non, do I have the right ro take from my 2 car neighbor and give to the no car people? thats called theft. So why does the federal government presume to have this power? Because they are out of control thats why.
Re-distribution of wealth has many names and many faces but it is a power the the federal government does not have and we did not give it to them, we could not of given it to them because we never had it in the first place to give. Taking care of the poor and needy never was the federal governments role. How much big government, big spending programs do we now have because the federal government assumed this power, How much money has the federal government stolen form the rich (higher taxes) and given to the poor in the name of "charity"?
Yes as Godfearing men our founders cared about the poor, they themselves were very charitable people, and they understood that it was out Christian duty to take care of the poor and needy. They also understood the dangers of re-distribution of wealth and the idea of limited government, they also never doughted the generousity of the American people to help one another. From their writings we can see that the founders were in agreement with each other on this matter, they agreed that the levels of "fixed responsibilities" had to be strickly enforced. The first and foremost responsibility was with the induavidual themself, the next level of responsibility is the family, then the church, next the county and finally, in cases of desasters and emergencies the State.
The Founders on Religion
The founders made it very clear what they thought was the most important elements to self preservation namely: Religion, Morality and Knowledge.
In 1787, the very year the Constitution was drafted the Congress passed the Northwest Ordinance, This Ordinance stipulated the need to teach religion and morality in all schools. Article 3 of this ordinance states," Religion, Morality and Knowledge being nesessary to good government and the happiness of mankind......"
To understand what the founders had in mind, we shall look at each of these tenets.
Religion - The founders listed 5 fundamental principals of all sound religion. Under such restriction, the only religion to be taught in schools would have to be those which were universally accepted by all faiths rather than denominations doctrines that devide people.
These 5 principles are:
- There exists a Creator who made all things and mankind should recognise him and worship him.
- The Creator has revealed a moral code of behavior for happy living which distinguishes right from wrong
- The Creator holds man responsible for the way they treat each other
- All mankind lives on beyond this life
- In the next life mankind will be judged on their actions in this life.
Morality - This they defined as a standard of behavior knowing right from wrong and choosing to do right.
Knowledge - " An interlectual awareness and understandingof established facts relating to any field of human experience or inquiry"
So Important was this Ordinance that Pres. George Washington referred to it in his Farewell speech, in wich he stated that, religion was the foundation to morality, and both are important for good government.
A new Kind of Religion is Born.
In Europe religion was seen as an enemy of liberty, The French jurist and philosopher, De Tocqueville pointed out, "In France I had always seen the spirit of religion and the spirit of freedom marching in opposite direction to one another but in America I have found them intimately united"
The role of clergy was seen, as the founders put it, to fuel the flames of freedom, stress morality and alert the citizens of dangerous trends.
What about the "wall" that seperates Church and State?
When Thomas Jefferson was in the state senate of virginia he helped pass legislation setting aside a day of prayer and fasting. But when he became president Jefferson said there was no authority for THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT to proclaim religious holiday saying The Constitution had created a Wall of seperation between church and State.
The context of what Jefferson said needs to be understood against the backdrop of history of the time, when the flames of persecution and religious intolerance were burning in Europe, and many of the States were founded by religious movements or had official established religions escaping persecution in Europe.
The Founders knew that for the Federal Government to interferre with the States rights on religion would stir up civil strife In his famous 'Commenteries on the Constitution' Justice Joseph Story pointed out, " Thus the whole power over the subject of religion was left exclusively to the State Government to be acted upon according to their own sense of Justice and the State Constitution."
No wonder these 3 elements have come under such vicious attacks in the school system. School tests have been dumbed down so more students can pass, religion is considered offensive and morality is considered as teaching school children how to put a condom on a cucumber.
