Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee opines, "Our worth comes from God."

When a candidate for U.S. President says this, it's particularly relevant, because it implies that individual rights are not inherent to the nature of man -- but are granted by an external force.

It doesn't matter whether that external force is supernatural, as Huckabee claims, or secular, as one of his rivals on the Democratic side would claim. Either way, according to this view, individual rights are "granted" -- not inherent.

The fate of freedom depends entirely on which idea holds more sway. You either have rights, or you're given them. If you're given them by the government, then government can take them away whenever it sees fit. If you're given them by a supernatural being who appoints someone to govern you -- well, the very same applies.

And guess who's applying for the job of supernatural appointee?