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.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…
Did you know that of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence, 41 owned slaves and of those 41, only one freed his slave after signing the Declaration? Although they are hailed and remembered as the founding fathers of this country, the reality is that in the 18th century men made decisions much as men do today: with whatever is in his best interest.
Abolitionist Thomas Day said: "If there be an object truly ridiculous in nature, it is an American patriot, signing resolutions of independency with the one hand, and with the other brandishing a whip over his affrighted slaves.” This reminds me of people with the Bible in one hand and a weapon in the other, relishing their right to bear arms in the name of God but ignoring their fellow citizen’s rights to basic freedoms labeled as unalienable.
By definition, unalienable rights are those granted to every human by nature and cannot be repealed or restrained by human laws; per the declaration, among them are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. This is perhaps where many people get confused and associate unalienable rights with biblical law; although nowhere in the Declaration of Independence or the US Constitution does it say anything about the Bible, Christianity or Jesus. However, within the Constitution, The First Amendment grants freedom of assembly, speech and religion. By government law, I cannot use the Bible to take anyone’s rights away, and God will not authorize it (see Romans 13:1); so to associate constitutional law with Godly principles is naïve and irresponsible.
Yet people continue to infringe on the rights of others, in the name of God! Confused? Do not be. Americans love their rights so much that many of us cannot separate church and state within ourselves. A vast majority of Americans practice a form of religion called Patriotism, with a belief so strong in the laws of the land that it usurps a spiritual and loving connection to God. The American Government is not God, and does not represent His word. The radicals that use God’s word to thwart legislation in congress cannot make people obey God. Embracing Godly principles is a spiritual journey not a legal one; and we must recognize the difference.
Faith in His love is a personal choice that individuals must make for themselves; however, some Americans feel that it is their duty to make their fellow citizens bend to their will of God. That speaks volumes about the human condition and herein lies the double standard. We often want to judge others by standards that we do not live up to ourselves, at the displeasure of God (see Romans 2:1). When at best, all we can do is encourage people to see the light of Christ within us, not shove it down their throats using the law.
There is no condemnation in Christ Jesus (see Romans 8:1-3), we cannot brow beat people into submission to God; we must be witnesses to His Glory and allow people to choose for themselves who they will serve. God calls us individually to be a part of the body of Christ; and when we embrace Godly principles, we are better able to navigate through corrupted laws and ordinances.
We must remember that wealthy, white, male landholders created and signed these documents that secured a nation’s separation from sovereignty, set up policy to secure free commerce for business owners and grant rights to its citizens. The decisions based on the needs of these represented parties, rarely if ever included women, people of color, children, the poor, the infirm or the elderly. Each of these citizens had to fight for the right to be included in this covering. Outside of inclusion in the aforementioned, the only law that a white man had to fight for was the right to marry his boyfriend. Even though this is against biblical principle, it goes back to the Preamble and the unalienable rights granted to citizens of this country.
And this is why God has the final say in judging His people, because He is blameless and not compromised by sin. The sacrificial Lamb that is Jesus Christ is the example for all humanity to follow not just citizens, with rights, in a country. Unlike America’s founding fathers, we must act out of love and service to others, not simply for the benefit of ourselves. We must embrace the spirit of love and walk in purpose to the Glory of God.
Prayer: That your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, Philippians 1:9-10
For additional insight read The Declaration, Romans 2, 1 Peter 2
