转贴一段话有感当今美国在背离它的origin

Part II of C Bradley Thompson's series on reply to his critics is also an excellent read, and furthers his argument that the American Revolution was an Enlightenment revolution of individual rights, and not a Christian revolution of the common good.
"American constitutionalism, as it was established at the time of the founding, was grounded on a principle the opposite of the Aristotelian-Puritan dictum (i.e., “what the law does not command, it forbids”) and all forms of Christian politics up to the Reformation. For America’s founders, the law permits what it does not forbid. In America’s individual-rights republic, the law forbids the initiation of coercive force or fraud, but it otherwise leaves men alone to pursue their spiritual and material values free of government interference. The purpose of government in America is to “secure these rights.” The Declaration says nothing about making men good, virtuous, pious, or promoting the “common good” above and beyond protecting rights, despite the fact that America’s revolutionary Patriots all believed in the importance of living a good, virtuous, and pious life."

所有跟帖： 

• "the law permits what it does not forbid" -中间小谢- ♂ (375 bytes) () 12/03/2020 postreply 10:26:12

• 哇，词语微调，结果大不同啊。。。 -尘凡无忧- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/03/2020 postreply 10:50:38

• 这个只怕不能随便微调LOL据说德文是最严谨的所以早期的科研都是德文写LOL -颤音- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/03/2020 postreply 11:33:18

• 我的理想国是 The law forbids what the majority hates -老键- ♂ (177 bytes) () 12/03/2020 postreply 13:15:22