250 Years Under Divine Providence: A Christian Commemoration of the Declaration of Independence
As the United States approaches the 250th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, those who cling to the inerrant Word of God and the fundamental truths of the Christian faith have abundant reason to give thanks. This singular document, forged in the furnace of trial and signed at the risk of life and fortune, stands as a powerful witness to the biblical reality that all legitimate rights and authority ultimately derive from the sovereign Creator. The Long Train of Abuses: The Historical Necessity of Separation To grasp the full weight of the Declaration, we must understand the historical pressures that made it not merely desirable but necessary. In the years following the French and Indian War (1754–1763), Great Britain faced enormous debt and turned to the American colonies for revenue. What began with the Stamp Act of 1765 and the Townshend Acts soon revealed a pattern of tyranny. Colonists endured taxation without representation,...