Religious+Allusion

It can be argued that one of the most persuasive devices in the Declaration of Independence is religious allusions. Religious, or biblical, allusions come up several times throughout the passage. In the introduction, Jefferson explains that God entitles humans with the right to dissolve political bands that connect them to England and that, " the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God" requires the people to declare their independence. During the eighteenth century, America was predominantly Puritan and held the belief in "purity" of worship and doctrine. The idea of personal Biblical interpretation was central to the belief of Puritans. They demanded overall conformity to the teachings of the Bible, moral purity, with regards to every aspect of life, and faith to the highest level. Puritans believed that man existed for the glory of God and that his first concern in life was to serve God's will and that doing so will result in happiness. So the early Americans, being an extremely religious group of people, have been instructed, by God, will declare independence. America was founded on the ideals of freedom, whether from religious persecution or famine, and democracy. The founding fathers believe in the ideals of democracy and "hold these truths to be self-evident, 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." The people believe they have certain natural rights given to them by God, and that to take away these rights would be going against God. Furthermore, the people want to spread this democracy from sea to shining sea, across the entire North American continent. The purpose of the document is to declare independence from the tyrannical Britain and establish the United States as a free nation. “We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, in General, Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions.” The Supreme Judge aforementioned is God. He ultimately presides over the Earth and watches over the human race, deciding who will go to eternal paradise and who will forever burn in inferno. The people ask God to plead in their favor and sanction their plea for independence.

1. Do you believe the Founding Fathers plea for independence was justified? Or do you believe they simply used God and religion as an excuse to get what they wanted which was independence? 2. Did the Founding Fathers keep their word regarding freedom to all? Why?