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The Declaration refers to the bless- ings of liberty as "self-evident," which means the natural rights of all man- kind are provable within the nature of the human person. "We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." The first two of these unalienable rights are "life" and "liberty." Accord- ing to Locke, from whom the lan- guage was borrowed, man is equal by nature and in a "state of liberty," but not given license to take away anoth- er's life or liberty. 5 The third is "the pursuit of happiness." The "pursuit of happiness," distinct from Locke's "property" right, stands as a more noble human end, and one based on "habits of virtue" 6 according to Aristotle. Man is a political animal" 7 meant for community and man is meant to pursue the good. 8 American founder John Adams' letter after the signing of the Declaration states: "All sober inquirers after truth, ancient and modern, pagan and Christian, have declared that the happiness of man, as well as his dignity, consists in virtue." The American appeal to 5 John Locke, Second Treatise on Government, Sec 6 (1689). 6 Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, 1176b30. 7 Aristotle, Politics, 1252b1. 8 Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, 1094a. independence with the blessings of liberty was not merely directed to particular circumstances with Brit- ain, but to a universal and permanent standard of justice presented by the "Laws of Nature and Nature's God," and founded on virtue as the path to "pursue happiness" in the good. Yet, in the 21 st century, the bless- ings of liberty proclaimed by the founders and endowed by God are often confused with "civic rights" that result in gross violations of natu- ral rights of others. Modern political thought influ- enced by the European Enlightenment has led to a contemporary society where politics define the "blessings of liberty" in terms of independence from community and relationship with others. This sense of individual free- dom is displayed grotesquely in the current abortion debate in America. So-called "right to abortion" ballot propositions are in several states this year, including Colorado. Unre- stricted and unregulated abortion for all 40 weeks of pregnancy on healthy mothers and healthy babies is not a right; it is a depravity of natural rights, particularly of the unborn child's life, liberty and ability to pursue happiness. Furthermore, while par- ents do have a natural right over the care of their children, these abortion laws also remove the parental right to be notified if their minor has an abortion. This means "right to abor- tion" amendments could allow girls as young as 13 years old to have an abortion under the direction of their boyfriend or school counselor without their parents' knowledge. This is not liberty, it does not embrace life and data show that it causes deep unhap- piness for the mother and her family. ⊲ Natural Rights v. Civil Rights 13 DENVER CATHOLIC | OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2024 ...all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE