Declaration of Independence: Bold, Courageous, Godly

The Declaration of Independence, adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, stands as a testament to stinging audacity, selfless courage and fierce devotion to God.  The 56 signatories to the document embodied those traits which became uniquely American characteristics.

Today youngsters in American schools still study the 1,337-word document, but often educators gloss over the ethos that influenced the representatives of the 13 fledgling colonies to declare their freedom from British rule.  Their bold rejection of the yoke of King George III was without precedent.

Great Britain was the world's super power.  The Royal Navy had 117 ships, dwarfing the armada of any nation on earth.  The British empire stretched from Europe to Canada, India, Africa, Singapore and beyond.  The island nation had three times the population of the colonies: 6.5 million versus 2.5 million.

Yet these upstart Americans had the audacity to challenge British rule. In unambiguous and often defiant language, the authors of the Declaration of Independence denounced their oppressors, referring to the British king as a "tyrant" unfit to be "the ruler of free people."

During the summer of 1776, some colonists celebrated the birth of independence by holding mock funerals for King George III.  It was as if David was shaking his tiny fist at Goliath.

Unflinching courage was required of the 56 men who inked their names at the bottom of the Declaration of Independence.  They were exposing themselves, their personal wealth and their families to great peril.  The English had a standing army in the colonies dedicated to preserving the status quo.

Charles Carroll, one of the signers, was a wealthy Maryland landowner who was an early supporter of revolution against the British.  He declared himself "most willing" to sign the document.  After affixing his name, John Hancock questioned Carroll's dedication to the cause.

Hancock, who boldly stroked his name in large letters, suggested that Charles Carroll was a common name, which meant the latter might claim mistaken identity if he were arrested by the British.  Without argument, Carroll jotted the name of his hometown "of Carrollton" next to his signature.

A member of the signing committee was said to have whispered, "there goes another million."  The reference was to the vast fortune Carroll stood to lose by scribbling his name on the document.  Each signer made his mark out of unselfish devotion to the budding nation and its hallowed principles.

When the Declaration of Independence was approved 238 years ago, the inhabitants of what would become the United States were a faith-filled bunch.  Many journeyed to the colonies to escape religious persecution and for the opportunity to practice their faith without government interference.

There are no fewer than four references to God in the Declaration of Independence.  The authors famously asserted 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."

It was an acknowledgement that God, not kings, governments nor armies, gifted humanity with essential freedoms.  Those rights have stood the test of time, but sadly, the courts, legislatures and atheists have frantically attempted to scrub all references to God from the fabric of the nation.

Today we should all thank God for the guile, courage and religious fervor of those brave individuals who created and signed the document that allowed a fledgling country to become Earth's first shining beacon of freedom.