Quote:
Question:
What was the basis for our good ol' American documents?
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A: Western Philosophical Thought and its influence upon our so-callled Founding Fathers - writings of philosophers and political philosophers such as John Locke's 17th century views on social contract theory, natural law, and limited government - which were echoed by Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence.
17th century John Locke:
The state of nature has a Law of Nature to govern it, which obliges everyone, and reason, which is that law, teaches all mankind who will but consult it, that being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty or possessions.
18th century Thomas Jefferson - Declaration of Independence:
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights; that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.
And that became the basis for many parts of the US Constitution - such as the 1st Amendment:
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/constitution/html/amdt1.html
Richard's $.02 
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“Sometimes the Bible in the hand of one man is worse than a whisky bottle in the hand of (another)… There are just some kind of men who – who’re so busy worrying about the next world they’ve never learned to live in this one, and you can look down the street and see the results.” - To Kill A Mockingbird (Atticus Finch)
“Almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so.” - Robert Heinlein
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