The Declaration of Independence does not guarantee happiness, it merely gives you rights to pursue happiness within the bounds of morality and the precepts of civil law.

“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.” So reads “the unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,” entered into Congress July 4, 1776.

The Declaration of Independence does not guarantee happiness, it merely gives you rights to pursue happiness within the bounds of morality and the precepts of civil law. The declaration of 1776 was a throwback to the Magna Carta which codified certain rights within the rule of law to protect citizens from the whims of kings and despots.

The Constitution of the United States of America was enacted in 1787. The first ten amendments to the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, were enacted December 15, 1791, limiting the powers of the federal government and protecting the rights of American citizens, residents, and visitors. We might pause this July 4th to ponder current debates over the immense growth of federal power versus the states and individuals. Have we strayed too far from our Constitutional roots?

Consider debates surrounding religious freedom and state versus church. The foundational document for the Constitution acknowledges God as the ultimate source of our rights, a link to the natural law treatise by Saint Thomas Aquinas in his master work, Summa Theologica.

As the Declaration of Independence acknowledges, our basic rights come from God and are derived from nature, the Natural Law, which, posits Aquinas, is “nothing else than the rational creatures participation in the eternal law.” The eternal law is God’s wisdom in creating the “directive norm of all movement and action.” All things, inanimate and living, have a purpose. Mankind as a unique creation of high order is destined by God for an end. Animals, even chimpanzees with whom we share 98.4% of DNA, operate from instinct, whereas humans have been endowed with the power of free will. Believers accept that God created us for a purpose tied to the gift of eternal life, and we receive from Him direction toward this end.

With intelligence, the power of reasoning, and free will, we can accept God’s laws or the directives of civil society, or we can reject them. Built into man’s nature is a basic understanding of what is good for us and what is not, and if we are to live in an orderly society, certain things are required.

Humanists and atheists along with believers accept the fact that stealing, murder, and cheating are not acceptable norms. We accept that not running red lights is in our best interest. We recognize that paying taxes is necessary to a functioning society even as we debate what is fair. Eating and drinking are essential to life while gluttony and drunkenness are destructive.

We see wisdom in helping those who cannot help themselves while decrying those who abuse welfare and the generosity of citizens. While rooted in human instincts aimed at self-preservation, we applaud work and achievement as a societal good. The ethical pursuit of financial independence is a good of the highest order. The entrepreneur; inventor; creators of new ideas, processes, and technical advancements; diligent professionals and workers of all stripes; investors and lenders—all advance society. Jobs are created and sustained. Taxes are paid, the common good is funded.

Your pursuit of financial independence and happiness for yourself and those who you love and care for is an extension of the natural law and the eternal law. Debt used responsibly can be good and accretive to wealth. Irresponsible debt destroys individuals, couples, families, and companies. It also destroys nations. Will our United States remain free and independent if we owe our souls and future treasure to global bond holders? I asked a Greek taxi driver questions along those lines and his answers are not printable in a family newspaper.

So hoist an American beer in honor of our forefathers who gave so much to give us the rights to pursue life, liberty, and happiness in the land of the free and home of the brave. Pray that it will always be so!

Lewis Walker is President of Walker Capital Management, LLC. Certain advisory services offered through The Strategic Financial Alliance, Inc. (SFA). Lewis Walker is a registered representative of SFA which is otherwise unaffiliated with Walker Capital Management, LLC. lewisw@theinvestmentcoach.com