Disturbing the Peace: Theological Mandate to Construct an Inclusive Vision of Humanity

Abstract

In light of visual depictions of Obama as nonhuman¹ it is hard to imagine seven words, “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” having more meaning than what they supposedly represent to a population segment that has garnered much media attention in the current political climate in the United States.² These concluding words in the first sentence of the second paragraph of “The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America” have, since 1776, shaped a civil and theological narrative defined by slavery, reconstruction, Jim Crow, and Civil Rights initiatives. These epochs determined, to a great extent, how particular population segments interpreted and applied concepts that are foundational to what it means to be an “American.” A primary premise, irrespective of ethnicity, is a concept of inherent “rights” for all people. Given a yet emerging national conversation about constitutional interpretation and application, we question whether contemporary meanings of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” are informed by a literal approach that fails to address historical complexities. At the same time, we seek to determine whether we can reclaim or perhaps offer a more nuanced analysis of these key terms, which continue to inform national identity and notions of patriotism, in order to articulate a doctrine of humanity that will encourage us to examine polarities attributed to our individual and collective understanding of these words.