As Americans celebrate the 232nd anniversary of the signing of The Declaration of Independence, one scholar notes the document is more a submission to God than an assertion of rights.
Dr. Larry Arnn is president of Hillsdale College in Michigan. In a recent article published on TownHall.com, Arnn calls The Declaration of Independence "a most remarkable declaration." He says that it is remarkable to remember that all who supported the document and all who signed the document were committing acts of treason punishable by death. But perhaps most remarkable was the documents four references to God. "The posture of The Declaration of Independence is an appeal to heaven. And so it's really a beautiful thing if you put the four places that God is mentioned together in the declaration. He's mentioned as the maker of the laws of nature and of nature's God – which makes him a legislator. He's mentioned as the supreme judge of the world – which makes him a judge. He's mentioned as divine providence – which makes him an executive. And he's mentioned as the creator – which is like being a founder," Arnn explains. Dr. Arnn says the message of the declaration is that the powers of government could only be rightly united in the hands of God. "So the posture of the document is one of humility before God, and although it is a revolutionary document – very emphatically – it begins as a document of obedience to the laws of nature and of nature's God...," Arnn contends. Arnn concludes that the The Declaration of Independence "...is a submission [to God] at the same time as it is an assertion [to the King of England]."
Dr. Larry Arnn is president of Hillsdale College in Michigan. In a recent article published on TownHall.com, Arnn calls The Declaration of Independence "a most remarkable declaration." He says that it is remarkable to remember that all who supported the document and all who signed the document were committing acts of treason punishable by death. But perhaps most remarkable was the documents four references to God. "The posture of The Declaration of Independence is an appeal to heaven. And so it's really a beautiful thing if you put the four places that God is mentioned together in the declaration. He's mentioned as the maker of the laws of nature and of nature's God – which makes him a legislator. He's mentioned as the supreme judge of the world – which makes him a judge. He's mentioned as divine providence – which makes him an executive. And he's mentioned as the creator – which is like being a founder," Arnn explains. Dr. Arnn says the message of the declaration is that the powers of government could only be rightly united in the hands of God. "So the posture of the document is one of humility before God, and although it is a revolutionary document – very emphatically – it begins as a document of obedience to the laws of nature and of nature's God...," Arnn contends.
Arnn concludes that the The Declaration of Independence "...is a submission [to God] at the same time as it is an assertion [to the King of England]."
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