Nowadays an impressive endeavor is being made to safeguard the liberty of men and nations. In the midst of all these plans, one should be well aware that liberty can be permanently secured and confidently enjoyed only as it derives from the Christian concept of existence, the spiritual understanding of God and man.
The framers of the Declaration of Independence stressed the inalienable right to liberty for the citizenry of the American republic. They could do this because they recognized God as the creator of man, and discerned in some degree that the man of God's creating is not a miserable enslaved mortal.
As one recognizes his divine origin, one rightly ascribes to oneself the ability to cultivate the Christ-nature, and to let Christliness become the predominant factor in thought and deed. In human affairs true respect for oneself is evidenced in a due regard for the rights of others similarly motivated, consideration for their opinions, tolerance when their views are different, and willingness to submit to the majority rule whenever this majority is exercising its rights lawfully. Here is the essential difference between democracy and dictatorship. Where carnal-mindedness prevails, man is conceived of as enslaved to materiality; bondage is inevitable, and liberty is lost.
