Love Thy Neighbor: The Universal Moral Principle
There is a universal moral principle that governs all human interactions. It is often referred to as “Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself” and it is a precept underlying every major religion and philosophy. For everyone who believes that all people are created equal, this moral demand for reciprocal treatment is self-evident.
Also known as the “Golden Rule,” this overriding moral principle simply obligates each of us to treat others the same way that we believe that we deserve to be treated by them. This treatment can be summarized as – Everyone is morally obligated to never violate and always protect the Love Thy Neighbor (LTN) Rights of every other citizen.
Every American’s LTN Rights
Although there would certainly be differences as to detail and emphasis, most morally decent Americans would agree with the three categories of LTN rights that follow:
A. LTN Natural Rights: As cited in the Declaration, LTN Natural rights include the Rights to Equality, Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. Liberty includes the Right to Do Things (including Free Expression) and the Right to Not Do Things that are against one’s conscience. The Pursuit Rights include the Right to Voluntarily Contract with others and to Own Property that has been earned, produced, or gifted.
B. LTN Dignity Rights: Every American is endowed with rights to human dignity. These Rights include Respectful Treatment, Physical Well-being, Environmental Safety, Honest Representations, Honest Institutions (including government), Privacy, Compassionate Care, and the Right from Bigoted Hatred.
C. LTN Morality Rights: Every American has the LTN Rights to enjoy their brief mortal existence as a Morally Decent Person living with Morally Decent Others in a Morally Good Society. A morally decent person is a citizen who consistently strives to never violate and always protect the LTN rights of all Americans.
A Moral Conflict over Social Elements
All conservative versus liberal disputes focus on the morality of America’s social elements. A social element is defined as any component of society that in any way impacts the LTN rights of individuals – either by protecting those rights or violating them. Examples of social elements include abortion restrictions, affirmative action quotas, criminal deterrence, cultural customs, defense spending, federal debt, illegal immigration, popular culture, and our welfare system.
