The Truth of Creator-Endowed Attributes
The one who designs and creates something knows more about his creation than anyone else. The creator knows the characteristics of his creation, its functions, and its limitations. Inherent within the creation are certain attributes and potential uses. Thus, a creator “endows” his creation with its essential make-up. For example, a car manufacturer knows how a car should function based upon its design. If a gasoline engine is used in a car, gasoline must be used to make it run. The engine will not run on water. The owner of the car has the ability to put water into the gasoline tank, but that would be foolish because the engine was not designed to run on water. Irrespective of how much the owner would like to run his car on water, the design of a gasoline engine does not permit it.
America’s founding fathers acknowledged the existence of the Creator and they understood that all people are created by the Creator. Despite different skin colors, shapes, strengths, abilities, physical features, or location of birth, all human beings are basically designed with the same body systems. There is also a spiritual dimension to human beings because the Creator is Spirit. In fact, the Bible informs us that human beings are created in God’s image (Genesis 1: 26) and are living souls (Genesis 2:7). With these nonphysical attributes, come additional abilities such as thought, choice, emotion, and desire. Both the essential physical systems and the nonphysical dimensions of people were designed by the Creator and are always present regardless of variations in appearances, abilities, and perspectives.
In 1776, those given the task of articulating the philosophy of government for a new nation were seekers of truth. They did not deny the obvious regarding the created order and the nature of man. They knew that humans are more than just physical material. They recognized that the Creator endows human beings with minds, wills, and emotions that provide the ability to choose, the ability to communicate and associate with others for different purposes, and the ability to be productive as “mini creators” and stewards. All people “are endowed by their Creator” with certain attributes and gifts that are part of their essential nature, and no one can legitimately take these away because they came from the Creator. So, from a governmental perspective, the Creator of human life endowed human beings with certain unalienable gifts as part of their nature and being.
