God > life > choice > sex

As John C. Rankin explains "Genesis and the Declaration of Independence." If new ideas or challenging concepts fail to take root when the seeds are dropped among the weeds, don't bother to go there. He says Thomas Jefferson was a rationalist, a biblically literate man, and surrounded by biblically literate and orthodox Protestant Christians, who followed exactly the order of Genesis in writing the Declaration of Independence.

God = "Creator;"
life = "Life;"
choice = "Liberty;" and
sex = "the pursuit of happiness."

The Declaration begins with God as our Creator who endows us with unalienable rights. The first right is that of life, followed by liberty, which equals the language of choice or freedom. Then the language of the pursuit of happiness, along with that of "property" as set forth in the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments, equals the domain of sex.

Human sexuality in the order of creation is based on the joining of man and woman in marriage, whereupon they establish a new household. The Greek word for "household" is oikonomos, our root for the English word "economics" (same concept as the Hebrew word bayith). The household is the basis for property rights and economic productivity, which in total yields society’s power for the pursuit of happiness.

Rankin at his website, The Theological Education Institute (TEI) promotes his "vision for "first the Gospel, then politics..." and a passion for "the love of hard questions" is always in place; where "the biblical nature of a level playing field" for all debated issues to be equally heard is in place, confident that the truth will rise to the top."

In today's charged political climate, he is indeed refreshing.

Where have you been all my (blogging) life?

Today I found Dennis. He's a library director and theologian. Can't imagine I've not had him on my links, unless he fell off during one of my remodelings or has used a pseudonym.

"Dennis Ingolfsland: I usually write these commentaries in the evenings or weekends from my recliner (hence the name, Recliner Commentaries). I am a library director with masters' degrees in library science and theological studies. I also have a doctor of philosophy in religion and society. I've published about 30 articles, 50 book reviews, numerous scholarly conference papers and I have an insatiable interest in almost everything."

Wow. He's written more on the current campaign and Obama than I have! Wow. What a guy.