It Declares it!
"A Beautiful Declaration" Terry Dashner
We the people...
We are a people of God. We are the people of the United States
of America. We've come from every kindred, tribe, and nation to
this nation--one nation under God. Our nation is a great nation,
and we are blessed to call America our home.
How it came about...
America's discontent with the British attempts at taxation began
in the 1760s. Americans had rallied behind the now famous
slogan, "Taxation without Representation." During this decade of
dissent, colonists demanded only their "rights" as Englishmen to
be upheld by the British Parliament. In the beginning, they had
no thoughts of drawing away from England by declaring national
independence. That, however, was to change after the meeting of
the Second Continental Congress, which convened in Philadelphia
in May of 1775.
With the continuing Redcoat advances and the oppressive laws of
King George against the colonists, a pamphlet began to circulate
in 1776 that rekindled the waning spirits of the patriots, while
calling for national independence. Thomas Paine's pamphlet,
Common Sense (1776), attacked the English monarchy and called
for America's independence. These words were fire.
On June 7, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia resolved before
Congress that "These United Colonies are, and of right ought to
be, free and independent States." A committee consisting of
Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Robert
Livingston and Roger Sherman was selected to draft a formal
declaration of independence. The draft, almost wholly
Jefferson's work, passed on July 2, with 12 colonies voting in
favor and New York temporarily abstaining. The ensuing debate
made the most significant changes in omitting the clauses
condemning the British people as well as their government, and,
in deference to the Southern delegates, an article denouncing
the slave trade.
In Europe, including Britain, the Declaration was greeted as
inaugurating a new age of freedom and self-government. As a
manifesto for revolution it yielded to the French Declaration of
the Rights of Man and the Citizen, although its importance
increased in the United States. After the federal union was
organized in 1789, it came to be considered as a statement of
basic political principles, not just of independence. And the
rest is our history.
A Declaration of God-given rights to all men...
The Declaration of Independence is on display for the public in
the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C. It is a
remarkable document. By the way in this famous document, the
Creator is acknowledged as the highest law in the universe,
granting all men certain God-given rights that cannot be usurped
by any other person or government on the face of the earth.
Keep the faith. Stay the course. Jesus is one day coming for His
creation.
Pastor T.