What are natural rights?
Natural rights are those entitlements that belong to individuals by virtue of their nature as rational, sentient beings—not granted by government, society, or majority vote. The foundational ones, as articulated by thinkers like John Locke, are:
- Right to Life: The right to exist and to control one's own body.
- Right to Liberty: The right to act freely according to one's own reason and choices, without coercive interference.
- Right to Property (or ownership of one's productive effort): The right to the fruits of one's labor and to acquire, keep, and use material resources through voluntary means.
These are "negative rights"—they require others to refrain from certain actions, not to provide positive goods.
Here’s a concise, Bible-grounded way to see how Scripture preserves and protects God-given natural rights (life, liberty, and property). In line with Dake’s notes, this flows from a literal reading of creation, covenant, and the moral law, where God is the ultimate Lawgiver and humans are accountable image-bearers.
- Foundation: the image of God and stewardship
- Humans bear God’s image, so human life is sacred and inviolable (Genesis 1:26–27; 9:6). Dake stresses that the post‑Flood mandate establishes human accountability for shedding blood—foundational to civil justice.
- Dominion and stewardship imply responsible, purposeful action under God, not domination of others (Genesis 1:28; Psalm 8). This undergirds liberty rightly ordered to love of God and neighbor.
- Right to life: prohibitions that restrain violence
- Moral law: “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13; Deuteronomy 5:17). Jesus intensifies this by addressing the root of violence—hatred and contempt (Matthew 5:21–22; Mark 7:21–22).
- Civil accountability for homicide: due process, witnesses, and proportional penalties (Numbers 35; Deuteronomy 19:11–13, 15). Cities of refuge protect against retaliatory bloodshed while ensuring a fair hearing—Dake notes this as God’s balance of mercy and justice.
- Rescue/defense of life commended (Proverbs 24:11–12). Government bears the sword to punish evildoers and protect the innocent (Romans 13:1–4; 1 Peter 2:13–14).
- Right to liberty: protections against coercion and oppression
- God liberates from bondage and forbids manstealing/kidnapping—the most direct assault on personal liberty (Exodus 20:2; 21:16; Deuteronomy 24:7; 1 Timothy 1:9–10). Dake treats “manstealers” as plainly condemned.
- Justice must be impartial; bribes and perversions of justice are banned (Exodus 23:6–8; Leviticus 19:15; Deuteronomy 16:18–20; 24:17). One law for native and sojourner preserves equal protection (Leviticus 24:22; Exodus 22:21).
- Prophets denounce oppressive rulers who “devour” the people (Isaiah 1:17, 23; Micah 3:1–3; Jeremiah 22:3). Deuteronomy restricts royal power (Deuteronomy 17:16–20), warning against statist overreach (cf. 1 Samuel 8).
- Right to property: ownership, boundaries, and restitution
- Moral law: “You shall not steal…you shall not covet” (Exodus 20:15, 17). Dake often points out that these negative commands safeguard personal ownership.
- Boundary markers and honest trade: do not move boundary stones; use just weights and measures (Deuteronomy 19:14; 25:13–16; Leviticus 19:35–36; Proverbs 22:28; 23:10).
- Restitution, not mere incarceration, for theft or damage (Exodus 22:1–15). The law ties property rights to personal responsibility and repair of harm—an expression of the “do no harm” ethic (Romans 13:8–10).
- Social compassion without abolishing ownership: gleaning and sabbatical provisions care for the poor while respecting property (Leviticus 19:9–10; Deuteronomy 24:19–22). Jubilee reminds that all property is ultimately God’s, yet it works through family holdings and redemption rather than perpetual state control (Leviticus 25).
- Non‑aggression and the love command
- The Golden Rule and “love your neighbor” forbid initiatory harm and frame rights as neighbor‑regarding duties (Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 7:12; 22:37–40; Romans 13:9–10; Galatians 5:14). Dake highlights love as the fulfillment of the law—thus, aggression is anti‑law and anti‑love.
- “Do violence to no one” captures the ordinary posture of peace (Luke 3:14). James condemns predatory wealth and fraud (James 5:1–6).
- Defensive force versus initiatory force
- Scripture distinguishes self‑defense from aggression. If a nighttime intruder is struck and dies, the defender isn’t guilty of bloodshed (Exodus 22:2–3). Defensive force aims to restore violated boundaries, not to initiate harm.
- Jesus’ “turn the other cheek” confronts personal retaliation and insult, not the state’s duty to punish crime or the right to protect life (Matthew 5:38–42). Dake notes the difference between private ethics and public justice.
- Prudence in dangerous times (Luke 22:36) and defending families and communities (Nehemiah 4:14) sit alongside the call to peacemaking (Matthew 5:9).
- Due process and proportionality: making rights real in society
- Two or three witnesses standard; penalties for false witnesses (Deuteronomy 19:15–21).
- Proportional justice (lex talionis) restrains both private vengeance and state excess (Exodus 21:23–25). Judges are warned against partiality and required to decide at the city gates—public, reviewable justice (Deuteronomy 16:18; Ruth 4:1–2).
- Individual responsibility limits collective punishment (Deuteronomy 24:16; Ezekiel 18).
Putting it together
- The Bible grounds rights in creation (imago Dei), names initiatory violence as sin, and erects a legal order—moral norms, due process, proportionate penalties, and limited magistracy—to deter aggression and secure life, liberty, and property.
- Defensive force and civil authority exist to restore the moral boundary when it’s breached, not to erase it (Exodus 22:2–3; Romans 13:4).
- The love command and the Golden Rule supply the positive ethic that makes the “non‑aggression principle” more than a slogan: do no harm; actively seek your neighbor’s good (Romans 13:10; Galatians 6:10).
In Dake’s summary emphasis: capital accountability for murder (Genesis 9:6), the Decalogue’s negative commands, and the case laws of Exodus–Deuteronomy together form God’s safeguard for human life, freedom, and property—rights given by God, not the state, and protected by just, limited, and impartial law.
In addition:
Here are deeper, Bible‑anchored layers that further show how Scripture restrains initiatory violence and safeguards life, liberty, and property. I’ll group them by legal-moral themes, with key passages you can study.
- Image of God and covenantal grounding
- Humans bear God’s image; unjust harm to a person is an attack on God’s design (Genesis 1:26–27; 9:6).
- Covenants (Noahic, Mosaic, New) frame human accountability under God and give moral architecture for civil order (Genesis 9; Exodus 19–24; Luke 22:20).
- Murder vs. manslaughter and the cities of refuge
- Scripture distinguishes intent and circumstance: willful murder vs. accidental killing (Numbers 35:9–34; Deuteronomy 19:4–13).
- Cities of refuge prevent blood‑feud chaos while ensuring due process—protecting life and liberty until trial.
- Due process, witnesses, and penalties for perjury
- Two or three witnesses required to convict; bribery and partiality forbidden (Deuteronomy 19:15; 16:18–20; Exodus 23:6–8; Leviticus 19:15).
- False witnesses receive the penalty they sought for the accused—deterring coercion by lies (Deuteronomy 19:16–21; Exodus 23:1–2).
- Proportionality and restitution (restorative justice)
- Lex talionis limits vengeance and prevents excessive state force (Exodus 21:23–25).
- Theft is answered with restitution—often double or more—rather than mere incarceration (Exodus 22:1–4; Luke 19:8).
- Assault, negligence, and damages are covered by case laws that calibrate liability (Exodus 21:18–19, 28–36).
- Torts and negligence: duty of care to protect life and property
- Dangerous animals, open pits, and fires create liability if you fail to prevent foreseeable harm (Exodus 21:28–36; 21:33–34; 22:6).
- Building code principle: put a parapet on your roof so bloodguilt does not fall on your house—proactive life protection (Deuteronomy 22:8).
- Property rights, boundaries, and honest markets
- Do not steal or move boundary markers; protect inheritance and fair exchange (Exodus 20:15, 17; Deuteronomy 19:14; Proverbs 22:28).
- Honest weights and measures are a recurring justice theme (Leviticus 19:35–36; Deuteronomy 25:13–16; Proverbs 11:1).
- Contracts, vows, and deeds show transferable ownership under law (Numbers 30; Psalm 15:4; Jeremiah 32:9–14).
- Labor, wages, and Sabbath as “freedom to rest”
- Pay workers promptly; withholding wages is condemned (Deuteronomy 24:14–15; James 5:4; 1 Timothy 5:18; Luke 10:7).
- Sabbath extends rest to servants, foreigners, and even animals—protecting the vulnerable from coercive overwork (Exodus 20:8–11; Deuteronomy 5:12–15).
- Gleaning laws preserve private property while mandating merciful access for the poor (Leviticus 19:9–10; Deuteronomy 24:19–22).
- Limits on state power and warnings about overreach
- Kings must not multiply horses, wives, or wealth, and must submit to God’s law (Deuteronomy 17:14–20).
- Samuel warns that power can become predatory—taking sons, daughters, fields, and produce (1 Samuel 8:10–18).
- Prophets indict rulers who crush the people and pervert justice (Isaiah 1:17, 23; Micah 3:1–3; Jeremiah 22:3).
- Kidnapping, oppression, and personal liberty
- Manstealing (kidnapping for slavery) is a capital offense (Exodus 21:16; Deuteronomy 24:7; 1 Timothy 1:9–10).
- One law for native and sojourner preserves equal protection (Leviticus 24:22; Exodus 22:21).
- Servitude is bounded by release, humane treatment, and anti‑cruelty commands—not perpetual chattel (Exodus 21:2–11; Deuteronomy 15:12–15).
- Self‑defense, policing, and peacemaking
- Defensive force in the face of immediate threat is permitted (Exodus 22:2–3; Nehemiah 4:14).
- Magistrates “bear the sword” to restrain evildoers, not to terrorize the good (Romans 13:1–4; 1 Peter 2:13–14).
- Personal retaliation is curbed; believers pursue peace and leave vengeance to God and lawful authority (Matthew 5:38–42; Romans 12:17–21).
- Speech, reputation, and non‑coercive persuasion
- False witness, slander, and fraud are condemned as coercive harms to life, liberty, and property (Exodus 20:16; 23:1; Proverbs 6:16–19; Ephesians 4:25).
- Conscience is never to be manipulated by force; faith advances by truth, not the sword (John 18:36; Acts 17:2–4; 2 Corinthians 4:2).
- Conscience, civil disobedience, and religious liberty
- Obey rulers generally, but “we must obey God rather than men” when commands conflict (Acts 5:29; Daniel 3 and 6).
- Romans 14 guides liberty of conscience on disputable matters—limiting social coercion inside the community.
- Economic mercy that doesn’t abolish ownership
- Pledge and lending laws protect the poor from predatory leverage (Exodus 22:26–27; Deuteronomy 24:6, 10–13).
- Jubilee resets family land without erasing the principle of private stewardship; redemption mechanisms prevent permanent alienation (Leviticus 25).
- Laws of war: restraint, not totalization
- Offer peace first; discriminate between targets; spare fruit trees even in siege—curbing wanton destruction of life and productive property (Deuteronomy 20:10–20).
How this maps to natural rights
- Life: Sanctity of life, due process in capital cases, tort duties, and limits on vengeance collectively protect bodily integrity.
- Liberty: Bans on kidnapping, oppression, bribery, and partiality; conscience protections; Sabbath rest; limits on rulers—all secure freedom from coercive domination.
- Property: Theft prohibitions, boundary protections, honest trade, contracts, restitution, and gleaning/Jubilee balance ownership with mercy without collapsing into forced redistribution.
A Dake‑style emphasis
- Dake frequently underscores the literal force of the Decalogue, the post‑Flood mandate for capital accountability (Genesis 9:6), and the distinction between private ethics (e.g., turning the other cheek) and public justice (Romans 13). He highlights the case laws as practical guardrails that channel human sin away from violence and toward ordered liberty under God.
Suggested study path (if you want to go deeper)
- Start: Exodus 20; Romans 13; Matthew 5–7.
- Due process and restitution: Exodus 21–23; Deuteronomy 16:18–20; 19.
- Property and markets: Leviticus 19; Deuteronomy 25; Proverbs 11; 20.
- Liberty and limits on power: Deuteronomy 17; 1 Samuel 8; Acts 5.
- Compassion within ownership: Leviticus 25; Deuteronomy 24; Ruth 2.
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It attacks God’s image in man
- Humans are made in God’s image; to shed innocent blood is to strike at God’s workmanship (Genesis 1:26–27; 9:6; Proverbs 6:16–17; Psalm 11:5).
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It breaks God’s moral law (sin = lawlessness)
- Sin is lawlessness (1 John 3:4). Unjust violence violates the Decalogue: “You shall not murder … not steal … not covet” (Exodus 20:13, 15, 17; Deuteronomy 5:17–21), and kidnapping/manstealing (theft of a person) is explicitly condemned (Exodus 21:16; Deuteronomy 24:7; 1 Timothy 1:9–10).
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It violates love of neighbor and the Golden Rule
- Love fulfills the law; love “does no harm to a neighbor” (Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 7:12; 22:39–40; Romans 13:9–10; Galatians 5:14). Initiatory force does harm; therefore it is sin.
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It springs from a corrupt heart posture God forbids
- Jesus traces murder to anger, contempt, and hatred of the heart (Matthew 5:21–22; Mark 7:21–23; James 4:1–2). “Works of the flesh” include enmity, fits of rage, and murders (Galatians 5:19–21).
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It usurps God’s justice and breeds social chaos
- God forbids private vengeance and commands peaceable conduct, leaving retribution to Himself and to lawful authority (Romans 12:17–21). Before the Flood, the earth was “filled with violence,” which God judged (Genesis 6:11–13). The prophets denounce bloodshed and predatory power (Isaiah 1:15–17, 23; Habakkuk 2:12, 17).
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It includes oppression, fraud, and coercion—not just bloodshed
- Scripture treats robbery, extortion, and oppressive force as “violence” (Leviticus 19:13; Proverbs 1:10–19; Amos 5:11–12; Micah 2:1–2). John the Baptist told officials, “Do violence to no man; be content with your wages” (Luke 3:14).
What about force that isn’t sinful?
- Defensive force: Stopping an immediate, unjust aggressor can be blameless (Exodus 22:2–3; Proverbs 24:11–12; Nehemiah 4:14). This restores violated boundaries rather than initiating harm.
- Civil magistrate: Government “does not bear the sword in vain,” but is God’s servant to punish evildoers (Romans 13:1–4; 1 Peter 2:13–14), under due process and proportionality (Deuteronomy 19:15–21; Exodus 21:23–25).
- Wartime restraints: Even in war, Scripture limits destruction and protects noncombatant life and productive property (Deuteronomy 20:10–20).
A simple biblical test
- Is force being initiated against the innocent? (If yes, it is sin: Genesis 9:6; Exodus 20:13.)
- Is it driven by hatred, greed, or contempt rather than neighbor-love? (Matthew 5:21–22; Romans 13:10.)
- Does it bypass God’s requirements of due process and proportionality? (Deuteronomy 19:15–21; Exodus 21:23–25.)
Dake emphasis
- Dake repeatedly grounds this in the imago Dei (Genesis 9:6), the literal force of the Decalogue (murder/theft/covet forbiddances), the capital seriousness of manstealing, and the distinction between private ethics (no retaliation) and public justice (lawful punishment), aligning with the Bible’s condemnation of initiatory violence while permitting defense and just governance.
How violence violates natural rights
Violence (understood here as the initiation of physical force, threat of force, or fraud backed by force against a non-aggressor) is the direct negation of these rights:
- Violation of the Right to Life:
- Killing, maiming, or assaulting someone destroys or damages the very vessel (their body) through which all other rights are exercised. A dead or incapacitated person cannot reason, choose, or pursue their ends.
- Even lesser violence (battery, rape, torture) treats the victim's body as the property of the aggressor, overriding their self-ownership.
- Violation of Liberty:
- Coercion replaces voluntary choice with fear or compliance. A person facing a gun, fist, or mob cannot freely direct their actions. Their will is subordinated to the aggressor's.
- This is why kidnapping, false imprisonment, or the threat of violence are rights violations even if no blood is spilled—the capacity for free action is undermined.
- Violation of Property:
- Theft, vandalism, arson, or trespass use force (or its credible threat) to seize or destroy what someone has created or acquired peacefully.
- Property rights are an extension of self-ownership: mixing one's labor with unowned resources (homesteading), or voluntary exchange, creates legitimate title. Violence short-circuits this process.
In short, violence is the substitution of force for consent. It treats other people as mere objects or resources rather than autonomous ends-in-themselves. This is inherently anti-social and anti-human because peaceful cooperation, trade, specialization, and civil society all depend on the reliable expectation that one's person and possessions will be respected.
Prohibiting violence protects and preserves natural rights
A proper moral and legal order recognizes the non-aggression principle (NAP) in its strong form: no one may initiate force against another. Enforcing this is not "aggression" but a defensive response:
- Self-defense and defense of others: Defensive force is justified precisely because it restores the boundary of rights. Stopping an attacker does not violate their natural rights—it prevents them from completing the violation of yours. (This distinction between initiatory and defensive force is crucial.)
- Rule of law and punishment: A legitimate authority (classically, limited government) prohibits, deters, and punishes aggression. By creating predictable consequences for violence, it reduces its occurrence. This expands the "sphere of liberty" for everyone. When violence is rampant, rights become meaningless because the strong or the ruthless dominate.
- Preservation of civil order: Widespread violence leads to Hobbesian chaos ("war of all against all"). Natural rights are best realized in conditions of peace, where individuals can plan, invest, innovate, and cooperate. Prohibiting aggression creates the stability necessary for those activities.
Philosophically, this view underpins classical liberalism and much of modern libertarian thought. Locke argued that the purpose of government is to protect natural rights; people leave the state of nature and form society specifically to better secure themselves against aggression. Violators forfeit certain protections by their own actions.
Important nuances
- Defensive vs. initiatory violence: The prohibition targets initiation. Retaliation or restitution is restorative.
- Edge cases (imminent threats, children, mentally incompetent, etc.) are handled by proportional response and trusteeship principles, not by abandoning the core framework.
- Collective violence (wars of aggression, state overreach) can violate natural rights on a massive scale when turned outward.
In essence: Violence is the destruction of the conditions for human agency. Prohibiting it is the minimal requirement for a society where individuals can actually exercise their natural rights. Without this foundation, talk of rights becomes empty rhetoric in the face of the fist, club, or gun.