You have no constitutional rights

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. ? That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. …

That quote from the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence is one of the most profound statements ever recorded. Upon that simple premise, "endowed by our Creator," the greatest nation on the face of the earth was constructed. Unfortunately, the average public-school trained American would not recognize the phrase, nor the document from which it was written, but they would be able to recite the found-nowhere-in-our-founding-documents phrase "separation of church and state."

If you tell a lie long enough, loud enough and often enough, the people will believe it. The secret to get someone to believe a lie is constant repetition. Just tell it over, and over, and over again." – Adolf Hitler

It appears as if Hitler was right. Remember this: He who frames the argument wins the debate.

We have fallen into the trap once again. We have allowed "them" to frame the argument and choose the words that we can use.

Anti-Christian bigotry is running un-checked. Please notice that the attack on religious freedom in America is on Christianity. No one is trying to silence the religious freedom of Muslims or atheists or humanists. Quite the contrary. We are told to "understand" Muslims, to be sensitive to the atheists and to tolerate the humanists and their various denominations of "isms" (environmentalism, feminism, secularism, socialism, communism), which we teach openly in our schools.

Having watched this forward march against Christianity, and having been the target of one of the attacks, I have come to realize that once again, the opposition has done a great job of forcing us to play by their rules. Allow me to explain.

I have my constitutional rights.

I have First Aamendment freedoms.

The First Amendment gives me the right to pray.

I am guilty of having used all of those arguments in my struggle against the civil magistrates. It is only recently that my eyes have been opened to the folly and the same snare that all Christian leaders have been snagged in. If we are to win this battle, we must grasp the Truth. Listen closely; this is crucial. If we do not catch this, we will never free ourselves from the enemy's snare.

Our rights are God-given rights. They are not "constitutional" rights.

Take some time and read the U.S. Constitution. You will see that it does not grant any rights to anyone. Instead, while setting up the federal government, the document (the first ten amendments) also prohibits the government from interfering with various aspects of human freedom. The first ten amendments limit what the government can do. They shouldn't be called the Bill of Rights; they should be called the Bill of Limitations.

Every time we crow about "our constitutional rights," we are playing right into their hands. Our rights are God-given. The purpose of the Constitution is to protect our God-given rights and to limit government authority. Thus the correct question is not "What rights does the Constitution give to the American people?" but rather "What powers does the Constitution grant to the government?"

Take the current case of Lt. Gordon James Klingenschmitt the Navy chaplain on trial for praying in Jesus' name. Does his right to pray come from the government? Is the First Amendment the only reason he should be allowed to pray? Did the Constitution grant him that right? What about George Washington and the patriots who battled for our independence? From where did they receive their right to pray? In fact, weren't they fighting to tell King George to stop trampling on their God-given rights? Isn't it ironic that today, merely 230 years after the Declaration of Independence was signed, we once again think our right to express our faith comes from the king? Well, it does come from the King, but not the king most Americans bow before.

Come on now. Who gives you the right to pray? Who gives you the right to speak your mind? Who gives you the right to carry a gun? Who gives you the right to live? These individual God-given rights were in existence before our government was established.

Our national motto is "One Nation, Under God." Read these definitions of under. It speaks of authority, covering, rank and subjection. "Under God" does not mean He merely sits above us, but that He rules over us.

With the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the historical concept of government sovereignty got turned upside down. Government was no longer sovereign and supreme, America declared to the world. No, individuals have the power and government officials are subordinate and inferior to the citizenry, as Lincoln so aptly put it: "Government is of the people, by the people and for the people."

The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people; it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government – lest it come to dominate our lives and interests. – Patrick Henry

No wonder they are so intent on removing God from this nation. If there is no god, then government is god.

But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar. John 19:15

So … who's your daddy?

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Framed Bill of Rights

Coach Dave Daubenmire, founder and president of Pass The Salt Ministries and Minutemen United, is host of the "Pass The Salt" radio show heard in Columbus, Ohio. In 1999, Daubenmire was thrust into the cultural war when sued by the ACLU for praying with his football teams while coaching in Ohio. He now spends his energy fighting for Christian principles in the public domain.