Fr. Scott gave some reflections on the "right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" in his homily today. This was in recognition of the influence of St. Robert Bellarmine in the formation of the US Declaration of Independence.
It is a very interesting list of rights. The order. The level of importance of each. Something to thing about.
It is curious to ponder what kind of list most folks would come up with if you ask what are the fundamental responsibilities of each person.
Or what list folks would come up with if it were a collective list rather than individual--we all advocate strongly for our own right to life, of course, but what about the right to life for the guy next door?
I'll go out on a limb here and suggest that most folks--even many well intentioned folks--would put the pursuit of their own happiness over and above someone else's right to life.
Now, folks won't necessarily come out and say that. This is something that comes from simply observing actions. Folks seem to put their time, talent and energy on their own happiness first. People literally exhaust their energy, their creativity and their bank accounts rehabbing their house, planning a vacation or doting over their friends and relatives. With some left over time and energy, some well-intentioned folks devote some resources to protecting the rights of others.
How different life would be if we all believed strongly in the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness--in that order--and included all humanity and not just ourselves! Just imagine how differently we would have to live in order to put that into practice and act as if we really believed it!
I think that helping ensure other people's right to life makes me feel happy. So I would be hitting both of those at the same time. I spent a lot of energy taking action for equality (homosexual rights) and some people ask me why I spend so much time on this. As if being heterosexual means I shouldnt be a part of the movement! I think that really shows how people think--that they should only fight the fight if it concerns them personally. Well, on that famous march on Washington DC in which Martin Luther King spoke, there were white people in the audience too. A minority, being a minority, needs the support of the majority in order to win any battle.
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