From libertarian Michael A. LaFerrara:
A common refrain used by conservatives to defend liberty is that our individual rights are “God-given.” “God-given” is left hanging with no further elaboration necessary. This leaves the defense of freedom at the mercy of others, including other theists, who simply retort, “Oh no, they’re not.” What then?
My view is that freedom is a requirement of human life, rooted in man’s nature and his relationship to existence, and that individual rights are the principles that can be derived from the observable facts of reality. Does this leave religious people incapable of effectively advocating for rights? Not at all.
We who love liberty and Americanism need to explain WHY we have rights.