The belief that each individual has a right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is the founding doctrine of our country. Because each person being a unique individual though, the meaning behind these words can change from person to person. This is what makes these ideals so great.

The right to life is just that, the right to live. Each individual has the right to live their life in whatever way they choose to do so. In that sense, they have the liberty to make the decisions that they do to influence their life. These two connect to form an individual’s own pursuit of happiness. They have the liberty to make the decisions that push the life they live in pursuit of what they imagine to be happiness.  The ability of this doctrine to flex from person to person is what makes it so beautiful, as it allows people to be individuals.

This doctrine especially applies to political regimes. Whether the political enforcements are good or not is entirely up to the individual, hence the reason politics are even a thing. A person has the liberty to choose if and for whom to vote for, in the hopes that that person will help push their constituent’s lives closer to happiness. As flawed as politics may be, they are one of the easiest ways for a person to act on these doctrines.

The very ideal that one would be in the mind of God and know what he thinks and intends is sacrilegious in itself. 1 Corinthians 2:11 reads, “For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.” How are we to know the intentions of God, if you even believe in one? Every person has the liberty to decide that one candidate may have the “hand of God” over them, but that in no way makes it the truth. However, the very notion that having a ruler appointed by God would fix everything is ignorant to the Christian belief itself, which states that nobody other than God himself is perfect, meaning even the “nations ruled by people of his choice” would still be flawed.

Politics keep countries from imploding on themselves by ruling. That is it. There is no “but at the sacrifice of many great freedoms that were offered by the hand of God,” about it. Politics are not a necessary evil, they are just necessary. Whether they are evil or not is dependent on the individual. With that in mind, one could find it evil if leadership wasn’t isolated to mankind and mankind alone, “as God wanted.” Even the kingdoms ruled by “people of his choice” went through wars and famines. The simple fact is that we don’t know what God wants from our politics. Anyone that does claim to know, is going against their own beliefs, and God himself.

All we do know is that we must use our liberty to vote in those we as individuals believe can help further our pursuit of happiness.  Early voting ends Nov. 2, and the final day to vote is Nov. 6 for the Texas senate. It is our responsibility as citizens to vote, even if they may be “the people’s choice”.