What a blessing to be an American! As such, we are the recipients of the most incredible circumstances on earth. Forged by the wisdom of our founding fathers and paid for with their blood, we are blessed to live in a nation where basic liberties are enshrined in our founding documents. Praise God for the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and especially the Bill of Rights which enumerates our freedoms that shall not be infringed upon.
The Declaration of Independence includes numerous references to God and appeals to His sense of justice. In the opening paragraph, the signers of this history-shaping text refer to “the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God.” Right out of the gate, there is an unapologetic assumption of a Divine Being who has so arranged the universe and our world as to have established laws for its orderly operation. Those laws, as the Declaration goes on to explain, not only refer to the celestial and natural worlds, but also to the operation of human government and the treatment of individuals.
In the Preamble, which many students were and are required to memorize, our forefathers stated clearly, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
They understood that our basic unalienable rights came not from government nor from the cosmos, but from our Creator Himself. These are God-ordained liberties and are to be extended, enjoyed, and protected by all people. Since these rights do come from God and not from any human or human institution, they cannot be cancelled or restricted by any human or human institution, including our own leaders or government. These basic premises were entwined into the very footers of our nation like rebar in concrete, and have shaped many other nations since.
Sadly, it took The Civil War to ensure the understanding that all equally created men and women includes those of all skin colors. We’re still working to patch that crack in our nation’s foundation. Nevertheless, even opposition to slavery arose from deeply held Christian beliefs that it was sinful to own other humans and to deny them their own God-given rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
After listing several grievances against Great Britain’s King George, those courageous leaders went on to assert their independence from the motherland “appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world.” The closing line of this momentous document further states their “… firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence…” before pledging to one another their lives, fortunes, and sacred honors. It’s abundantly clear where these men drew their truth from and how that truth shaped their actions.
Over half of the 56 signers of the Declaration were educated in schools established for the training of ministers and had received what we would today consider seminary degrees. Many also served as ministers of the Gospel or were active in other Christian service.
While many decry any reference to Christianity today, our Supreme Court once conducted a thorough review of American history. After citing more than 60 examples, the justices concluded that “this is a religious nation,” and went even further to state that, “this is a Christian nation.”
More recently, President Eisenhower proclaimed, “Our government makes no sense unless it is founded in a deeply felt religious faith.” If, in fact, we were created, as the Declaration declares, then it’s clear we have a Creator. And since created beings don’t get to choose the One who creates them, we are well advised to learn to know, serve, and worship the One who did regardless of what we believe about our nation’s Christian underpinnings.
As we celebrate our national birthday this month, let’s learn from our wise founders and turn our eyes and hearts toward our Creator as did they. Blessings, George
