Senator Tim Kaine, representing the Commonwealth of Virginia, has sparked a nationwide wave of concern by expressing his troubling interpretation of a core tenet in the Declaration of Independence. The former Democratic vice presidential nominee appears to suggest that our rights are derived from politicians rather than being inherent gifts from Almighty God.
“The assertion that our rights don’t stem from our laws or government is deeply concerning,” Kaine commented, likening the belief that rights are “bestowed by the Creator” to the Islamic legal framework observed in Iran.
“The idea that rights do not emanate from laws or government, but derive from the Creator—that mirrors the beliefs of the Iranian regime,” he elaborated. “It’s a theocracy grounded in Shia (sic) law that targets various religious minorities, including Sunnis, Bahá’ís, Jews, and Christians. They act on the premise that they comprehend natural rights as defined by their Creator. Hence, the notion that our rights are not derived from legislation is profoundly alarming.”
It’s imperative to grasp Kaine’s implication—he draws a parallel between our foundational documents and Islamic sharia law. Our nation was established on the principles of Judeo-Christian values, not Islamic doctrines.
President Trump publicly rebutted Kaine’s statements during a speech at the Museum of the Bible, expressing his dismay at the senator’s remarks.
“It’s tyrants who negate our rights, those rights endowed by God, and it’s through this Declaration of Independence that we affirm our Creator’s bestowal of the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” Trump remarked. “The senator from Virginia ought to feel a sense of shame.”
“As president, I will relentlessly defend our nation’s proud legacy, safeguarding the Judeo-Christian ethos that underpins our founding with utmost commitment,” Trump emphasized.
Dr. Ben Carson took to X to voice his perspective, decrying Kaine’s dismissal of the belief that rights originate from our Creator as “deeply disturbing.” He exclaimed, “This is anti-American. When lawmakers assume the power to award rights, they also believe they can revoke them. This is precisely the dilemma facing many Democrats today. I urge the senator to revisit the Declaration of Independence, which articulates that our rights are endowed by God rather than government.”
It should be noted that Senator Kaine is not an outlier in the far-left spectrum—he’s a conventional Democrat from Virginia. Thus, the implication is that the Democratic Party is now comfortable discarding the Christian influences embedded within our founding documents.
My experience at the DNC convention in Charlotte in 2012 still resonates; during that gathering, delegates openly booed and jeered at the mention of God, even attempting to remove references to Him from the Party platform. Hence, perhaps Kaine’s comments shouldn’t be shocking after all.
Speaker Mike Johnson found Kaine’s remarks to be astonishing as well.
“On the brink of the 250th anniversary of our Declaration, a sitting U.S. senator claims we should abandon fundamental self-evident truths,” Johnson wrote. “If our rights originate from government rather than God, then the government possesses the authority to simply rescind them. While some Democrats may relish that power, it’s a notion that shouldn’t be articulated publicly.”
In light of this discourse, it’s worth mentioning that I authored a book titled “Twilight’s Last Gleaming: Can America Be Saved?” wherein I posit that our Founding Fathers envisioned the United States as a Christian nation. My belief is resolute: without a central focus on God, our nation is destined to veer off course.
John Adams, our second president, notably remarked that our Constitution is “wholly inadequate for anyone other than a moral and religious people.”
Moreover, Teddy Roosevelt stated that the teachings of the Bible are so interwoven with the fabric of our civic and social life that it would be virtually impossible to discern our identity without these teachings.
Even Harry Truman, a Democrat, proclaimed, “this is a Christian nation,” just as Woodrow Wilson maintained that America was established as a Christian nation.
This leads to the question: why are Democrats so inclined to excise Christianity from the public domain? My assertion is that they seem to believe themselves fashioned in their own image—an image disconnected from that of their Creator. It’s quite audacious to have once hailed Barack Hussein Obama as Chicago Jesus.
Adams’s insight is clear: devoid of God in the public arena, chaos reigns in the culture. This tumult became apparent throughout the four years of the Biden Administration—moral clarity blurred, where right was denoted wrong and vice versa. Our societal fabric appears to be frayed beyond recognition.
Your rights are divine gifts—granted by God, not dictated by the government. No politician possesses the power to retract what God has bestowed. This clarity is especially true in the United States, the most remarkable nation on the planet.
This notion, revolutionary 250 years ago, continues to resonate powerfully today: the United States of America—united under God.
Syndicated with permission from ToddStarnes.com—a platform established by best-selling author and journalist Todd Starnes, a recipient of both the RTNDA Edward R. Murrow Award and the Associated Press Mark Twain Award for Storytelling.
