The Declaration of Dependence

by Gordon Cooper

From Broader View Weekly, July 4, 2008

As we celebrate another anniversary of the signing of that document that severed our ties with Great Britain, and marked the conception of a new and sovereign nation, I believe it is important to re-examine the philosophical and legal reasons behind its origin.

In its beginning brilliant paragraphs, the Declaration sets the stage by stating the legal basis for the dissolution of the political bands that had bound the colonies to the monarchy of Great Britain. Believing it was necessary to inform the members of Parliament as well as the leaders of the other nations of the world that their secession was not only justified but legal and moral, the Continental Congress clearly laid out the basic premises upon which this revolutionary action was built.

An immediate appeal is made to the fact that there is a natural law which supersedes man-made law in certain applications. And this appeal is followed quickly by the recognition of all men being created equally with those famous ‘inalienable rights’ of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. This radical departure from the accepted belief that the monarchy was to be held in higher regard than the common man came as a natural course of thinking when one read carefully the words of the Bible. To even the most skeptical among us, it is indisputable that the men who signed their names to this document had indeed read carefully the words of the Bible. The recognition of and reliance upon God in this, as well as other early writings, proves time and again the fact that these men were students of the Scriptures.

Some may dispute the role that Judeo-Christian beliefs held in the early formation of this nation. They may say that our founding fathers were merely deists and held no particular adherence to any specific God or any holy book. In fact, the document does initially refer to the deity as that form of God who is knowable through the agency of human reasoning alone –“the laws of nature and nature’s God” – but it doesn’t end there.

Further on in the document, the God upon whom they call for assistance, guidance, judgment and protection is clearly the Divine God of the Scriptures. There is a biblical and theological understanding of the role this God must play in their behalf if this experiment in human government is to succeed.

While the history of this nation is – as all human institutions must be, on account of our fallen nature – replete with examples of cruelty and hatred and abuse and criminal activity, it is also filled with examples of mercy, benevolence, sacrifice and charity. Yet through it all, we can not doubt that the entreaty made to God at its formation was answered by a gracious and merciful Creator.

As one reads through the list of grievances leveled at King George III, one can see the justification for separation, but many other groups of people have had similar justifications throughout the ages. Why then did our nation survive the initial conflict against the most powerful army and navy of that era? Why do we have a re-united nation after a bloody war that should have left us fractured and irreconcilable? Why have we conquered so many challenges that would have caused larger countries to trip and falter?

I believe the answer to these and many similar questions lies in the closing paragraphs of this piece of literature whose ratification we celebrate each year. As much as this day is called ‘Independence Day’ and the declaration is referred to as ‘The Declaration of Independence’ – it could equally be called ‘Dependence Day’ and the ‘Declaration of Dependence’. The final paragraph is as follows:

“And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred Honor.”

Herein lays the basic tenet of Judeo-Christian belief, that is: we have a protective Deity upon whom we may rely if our cause is just and yet we are duty bound to sacrifice our own comforts and material goods for the security and sustenance of others.

So as we cut the watermelon and enjoy the fellowship of family and friends while gazing in awe as fireworks light up the summer night, let us renew our declaration of dependence upon Him who has truly blessed this nation.