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The American View

God exists — Rights come from Him — The purpose of government is to secure these rights

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  • What is the Purpose of Government?

    If you ask someone the question, "What is the purpose of government?" here is what most people will say, if they say anything at all:

    "The purpose of government is to make a level playing field."

    "The purpose of government is to do for people what they can't do for themselves."

    "The purpose of government is to provide a safety net."

    Some will even say: "The purpose of government is to provide for the welfare of the children of the state."

    Of course, not surprisingly in today's culture, these answers belie a socialist sentiment.

    But, what, in the American View, is the purpose of government?"

    Well, let's look for a moment at what Thomas Jefferson and our founding founders said the purpose of government was.

    In our Declaration of Independence, the document that sets forth the reason for separation from the English crown, they said:

    1) There is a God
    2) He - God - is the source of our rights
    3) The proper purpose of civil government is to protect and secure these God-given rights.

    So, in the American View, the purpose of government is...to protect God-given rights.

    They went on to say one more pretty important thing. They said that whenever any government - any government - fails to do this...The people should - MUST - alter OR ABOLISH it. While this may sound like a revolutionary statement, this IS the quintessentially AMERICAN View.

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  • The Foundations

    Every culture, every person has them. What are your foundations?

  • What is this American View?

    Briefly stated, "The American View" of government is that there is a God, the God of the Bible, our rights come from Him, and the purpose of civil government is to secure our rights.

    There are many views of government, from equally numerous world views. Americans are blessed that our Founders' Biblical Worldview informed their political philosophy and the framing of our founding documents.

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  • Institute on the Constitution, bringing you The American View