Loren Lippincott
Christianity deeply influenced the drafting of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, serving as the foundational bedrock for its political philosophy. The document’s core tenets, including human equality, unalienable rights and divine justice, originated from biblical doctrines and the Christian natural law tradition. Not surprising since 29 of the 56 signers held seminary degrees.
The American Revolution represented a radical departure from centuries of European political thought, which historically rested on the “divine right of kings.” To justify dissolving ties with Great Britain, the Founding Fathers sought a moral and philosophical framework that transcended human law. They found this in Christian theology, specifically in the belief that all human beings are created equally in the image of God. This biblical assertion forms the theological basis for the Declaration’s most famous premise: “We hold these truths to be self-ev ident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.”
Prior to that time in history, this radical notion of equality was primarily a Christian assertion. Historically, the church championed the idea that every individual possesses inherent spiritual value in the eyes of God, irrespective of birth, position or worldly status. By integrating this theological worldview into the political sphere, the Declaration argued that rights do not come from a monarch or the state, but from Almighty God. Consequently, when a government violates these God-given rights, the people have a moral and just mandate to reform or abolish it.
These rights are called inalienable — a phrase not used much today — which means that since they are God-given they cannot be taken away lightly. They include life, liberty, the right to private property (and to defend that property and yourself along with your family), the right to equal justice before the law and the freedom to worship God according to the dictates of one’s own heart.
When Thomas Jefferson, then 33, was drafting the Declaration he almost exclusively referenced John Locke’s 400-page “Treatise on Government,” written in 1680. Locke referenced the Bible over 1,500 times in this work, amounting to nearly four references per page. Jefferson’s fellow delegates, such as John Witherspoon and John Adams, ensured the document spoke of God as an active force in human affairs. Adams himself later reflected that the beliefs that birthed the nation were ultimately the “general principles of Christianity.”
Christianity also influenced the Declaration through its teaching of a higher moral law. The signers believed that human legislation was subordinate to divinely ordained moral standards. By appealing to the “Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions,” the Continental Congress adopted a heavily religious tone of accountability. They viewed their cause not simply as a political rebellion, but as a righteous defense of natural justice aligned with God’s will.
Founder George Mason made the point that humans are judged in the hereafter, but nations are judged in the here and now, and thus America as a nation is accountable to God.
Examination of 15,000 writings from the founding era shows that of the 3,154 quotes cited in those writings, 34 percent were taken from the Bible.
(That’s four times more than the second most quoted source, Charles Montesquieu at 8.3 percent. Meanwhile, William Blackstone is at 7.9 percent and John Locke, 2.9 percent.
(Note: This research, conducted over ten years, was secular in nature and was reported in the book “The Origins of American Constitutionalism.”) Each year our nation sets a new world record for the longest standing constitution. The average age of constitutional governments is 17 years, but this year America celebrates 250 years!
Ultimately, the Declaration of Independence represents a complex blending of Christian theological principles and Enlightenment political philosophy. While not designed as a strictly sectarian Christian creed, it drew heavily upon Judeo-Christian concepts of moral law. By intertwining theistic moral laws with new political philosophies arising from the Enlightenment period, the founders fundamentally transformed the concept of freedom, successfully anchoring the new nation’s founding charter in God-given rights.
Even today, these concepts remain the cornerstone of our liberty. As George Washington noted in his farewell address, “Of all the habits and dispositions, which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports.”
Loren Lippincott represents Legislative District 34 in the Nebraska State Senate. Read his column in the Nance County Journal.