As we approach Independence Day it behooves us to look again, this time very closely, at the document that initiated the “War of Independence,” inspired by the Constitution that established the United States of America: the Declaration of Independence.
“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.” The Declaration of Independence substantiated the concept of equal rights for everyone. If it was intended, as some now hold, those rights were only for a certain section of people, the founders could have written: “rights for Whites only.” In fact, the Declaration contains the most inclusive words penned in American history and they have come to represent a moral standard to which the United States should strive; it is a mission statement with principles through which the United States Constitution should be interpreted.
However, without the second clause referencing the Creator, it can easily be misconstrued and used toward a selfish extreme, resulting in the degeneration. Much to the denial of some who would enforce the notion of a godless secular state as they run amok emphasizing the last clause and taking those rights to the lowest common denominator without the Creator.
Throughout the history of America, most Americans have accepted all three clauses in light of the New Testament that refers to the Supremacy of Christ: The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. “For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.…”
Dwight Messner, Grand Forks
