The Wise and Inspiring words of G. Edward Griffin
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Creed of FreedomIntroduction by G. Edward Griffin
There is nothing more common
in history than for oppressed people to rise up against their masters
and, at great cost in treasure and blood, throw off the old regime,
only to discover that they have replaced it with one that is just as
bad or worse. That is because it is easy to know what we dislike about
a political system but not so easy to agree on what would be better.
For most of history, it has been the habit of men to focus on
personalities rather than principles. They have thought that the
problem was with the man who rules, not with the system that sustains
him. So, they merely replace one despot for another, thinking that,
somehow, the new one will be more wise and benevolent. Even if the new
ruler has good intentions, he may be corrupted by the temptations of
power; and, in those rare cases where he is not, he eventually is
replaced by another who is not as self-restrained. As long as the
system allows it, it is just a matter of time before a new despot will
rise to power. To prevent that from happening, it is necessary to focus
on the system itself, not on personalities. To do that, it is just as
important to know what we are for as it is to know what we are against.
Even today, with so much talk
about fighting to defend freedom, who can stand up and define what that
means? For some, freedom means merely not being in jail. Who can define
the essence of personal liberty? Who can look you in the eye and say:
"This I believe, and I believe it for this reason and this reason and
this reason also." The world is dying for something to believe in, a
statement of principles that leaves no room for misunderstanding; a
creed that everyone of good faith toward their fellow human beings can
accept with clarity of mind and strength of resolve. There is an old
saying that if you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything.
The Creed of Freedom that you are about to read is the
rock-solid ground that will allow us to stand firm against all the
political nostrums of our day, and those in the future as well.
The Creed of Freedom
expresses the core ideology that binds all members together. This is
not like the platform of a political party that typically is a position
statement on a long list of specific issues and which changes from year
to year to accommodate the shifting winds of popular opinion. Instead,
it is stated in terms of broad principles that do not change over time
and that are not focused on specific issues at all. If these principles
are followed, then most of the vexing political and social issues of
the day can be quickly resolved in confidence that the resulting action
will be consistent with justice and freedom.
Although I have authored the Creed,
I cannot claim credit for it. Anyone familiar with the classical
treatises on freedom will recognize that most of its concepts have been
taken from the great thinkers and writers of the past. My role has been
merely to read the literature, identify the concepts, organize them
into logical sequence, and condense them into a single page.
When you read the Creed,
please be aware that it is a summary of a much longer dissertation. It
cannot be fully appreciated until after reading the explanations,
definitions, and arguments to support it. Although the Creed
appears here first, it is recommended that, after reading it, you
follow the link at the bottom of this section that takes you to the
more complete explanation.
THE CREED OF FREEDOM
INTRINSIC NATURE OF RIGHTS
I believe that only individuals have rights, not the collective
group; that these rights are intrinsic to each individual, not granted
by the state; for if the state has the power to grant them, it also has
the power to deny them, and that is incompatible with personal liberty.
I believe that a just government derives its power solely from the
governed. Therefore, the state must never presume to do anything beyond
what individual citizens also have the right to do. Otherwise, the
state is a power unto itself and becomes the master instead of the
servant of society.
SUPREMACY OF THE INDIVIDUAL
I believe that one of the greatest threats to freedom is to allow
any group, no matter its numeric superiority, to deny the rights of the
minority; and that one of the primary functions of just government is
to protect each individual from the greed and passion of the majority.
FREEDOM OF CHOICE
I believe that desirable social and economic objectives are better
achieved by voluntary action than by coercion of law. I believe that
social tranquility and brotherhood are better achieved by tolerance,
persuasion, and the power of good example than by coercion of law. I
believe that those in need are better served by charity, which is the
giving of one's own money, than by welfare, which is the giving of
other people's money through coercion of law.
EQUALITY UNDER LAW
I believe that all citizens should be equal under law, regardless
of their national origin, race, religion, gender, education, economic
status, life style, or political opinion. Likewise, no class should be
given preferential treatment, regardless of the merit or popularity of
its cause. To favor one class over another is not equality under law.
PROPER ROLE OF GOVERNMENT
I believe that the proper role of government is negative, not
positive; defensive, not aggressive. It is to protect, not to provide;
for if the state is granted the power to provide for some, it must also
be able to take from others, and once that power is granted, there are
those who will seek it for their advantage. It always leads to
legalized plunder and loss of freedom. If government is powerful enough
to give us everything we want, it is also powerful enough to take from
us everything we have. Therefore, the proper function of government is
to protect the lives, liberty, and property of its citizens; nothing
more. That government is best which governs least.
THE THREE COMMANDMENTS OF FREEDOM
The Creed of Freedom is
based on five principles. However, in day-to-day application, they can
be reduced to just three codes of conduct. I consider them to be The Three Commandments of Freedom:
INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS
Do not sacrifice the rights of any individual or minority for the assumed rights of the group.
EQUALITY UNDER LAW
Do not endorse any law that does not apply to all citizens equally.
FREEDOM OF CHOICE
Do not use coercion for any purpose except to protect human life, liberty, or property.
THE THREE PILLARS OF FREEDOM
Another way of viewing these
principles is to consider them as the three pillars of freedom. They
are concepts that underlie the ideology of individualism, and
individualism is the indispensable foundation of freedom.
For the rational and historical support for The Creed of Freedom, see The Chasm in
the Issues section of his site. This 21-page document will take 10 to
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This page revised on 2006 October 10
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