The American Spiritual Platform

Last week, I claimed that the American nation was born with a profound ethical faith. This week I expand on the claim.

The American Spirit Essays #5

Previous: Never Without a Religion.

Today’s entry in the American Spirit essay series isn’t really an essay.  Last week, I made the case that America’s founding incorporated an intentionally incomplete spiritual basis—a platform, rather than a system.  I even provided a one-page short-form cheat sheet, suitable for framing.  Today’s entry gives it a bit more flesh.  It also contains footnotes, because I would never ask anyone to take my word about something as elemental as America’s spiritual basis.  If you’re a reader, you deserve to know where I think I found these ideas among our nation’s foundational documents. 

Remember: They key to a spiritual platform is to lay out shared core elements that different faiths and denominations can complete in different ways.  Any denomination comfortable with the platform can provide a fully American completion.  Denominations incompatible with parts of it are incompatible with America.

That said:

I.              America is a distinct and exceptional nation

• We Americans form a unique nation.  We approach other nations as our equals, respectful of their opinions, values, beliefs, and cultures.¹

• The shared truths we Americans hold to be self-evident define us as a nation.  They are what makes us exceptional among the nations.  People who do not share those truths cannot claim to be American.²

II.            The defining beliefs of the American nation are modest, foundational, and axiomatic

• Our Creator’s natural law endowed both humanity as a whole and every individual human with certain inalienable rights.³

• We Americans believe that Our Creator endowed all humans with such rights.  While we encourage others to share those beliefs, we recognize that other nations and people may believe differently.⁴

• Our Creator granted inalienable natural rights only to individuals.  Governments are man-made entities existing for the sole purpose of securing those rights.  Governments may not legitimately infringe upon natural rights or freedoms.⁵

III.          Inalienable individual rights under natural law

a.     Equality:

• We are all created equal and entitled to equal dignity without regard to the unequal conditions of our births.⁶