The Mission
By Craig L. Claybrook, Reciter of the Declaration
For decades and decades, Americans enthusiastically read the Declaration of Independence in the public arena, in schools, and on Fourth of July. We now celebrate our independence but not the document that gave us our independence. It seems to have disappeared into oblivion. So, what can be done to launch the Declaration back onto the national stage? And, why is this so important?
Consider this reasoning: 1) the significance and impact of the document, 2) the "Foundational Underpinnings" of the document, 3) the deliberate demise of the document's "worth," and 4) the overwhelming need for a triumphal return of the document.
First, the significance and impact of the document. Church historians tell us that the Declaration is "one of the two most significant documents in human history, second only to the Bible." The reason for this is that, not only was it instrumental in ending the tyranny of the king of England, but it was also instrumental in terminating a whopping 2000 years of tyranny in Western Civilization. The magnitude of this achievement is staggering! It obliterated 2000 years of tyranny, dating back to the beginning of the Roman Empire and before the time of Christ! The only feat surpassing the Declaration would be Christ's redemptive death on the Cross and His offer of forgiveness of sin to mankind!
The other document happens to be The Constitution of the United States. It took 116 days for the Founding Fathers to draft the Constitution in 1787 but the countries that were set free by the Declaration were still foundering in a governance quandary. In an act of magnanimity, the Founders sent copies of the document to all of those countries. The recipients thought the Constitution was magnificent so, they all became "Constitutional Republics," as did all fifty of our state governments! Scholars tell us that these two documents stand out as "the pinnacle of Western Civilization since the time of Christ!" Today, the Constitution is under merciless attack by secularists who defy our glorious and God-given beginnings.
Second, the "Foundational Underpinnings" of the document. Secular historians tell us that the pathway to the Declaration of Independence began when the British attacked Lexington, Massachusetts "at dawn on April 19, 1775." But church historians inform us that the pathway started 700 years prior to that! They also let us know that three pivotal events profoundly shaped America's Foundational Underpinnings: 1) In 1075, Pope Gregory VII admonished the kings and rulers of Western Europe to stay out of the church's business. 2) In 1215, Cardinal Stephen Langton introduced his spectacular document, the Magna Carta to "reign in" political tyrants. 3) In 1517, Luther tacked his ninety-five theses onto the Wittenburg door, then inadvertently created two reformations, one religious and one political. Both continue to this day. Politically, he became known for his "Resistance Theory: disobey unjust rulers and laws."
Why were these events so vitally important? Pope Gregory VII started the march to America's freedom with what became known as "freedom of religion." It also became the Founder's driving motivation. It also set forth the original meaning of "separation of church and state." Cardinal Stephen Langton's 3500-word Magna Carta was designated as Britain's foremost legal document and it still holds that distinction. It dealt with the foremost legal issue of the Middle Ages, "limiting the power of kings." The Founders used it extensively. Martin Luther's theses caused the pope to put him on trial for heresy. When he argued that "it was wrong for anyone to act against his conscience in religious matters," he set off a firestorm that became known as "liberty of conscience." The Founders used this as their rallying cry. These three "episodes" in our nation' Foundational Underpinnings paved the way for the Declaration.
Third, the deliberate demise of the document's "worth." The demise of the Declaration started out, oddly enough, in a court of law. The 1947 U.S. Supreme Court was considering a case known as Everson v. Board of Education, which had to do with taxpayer dollars being used to transport children to parochial schools. An amicus brief from an atheistic organization introduced the Court to "wall of separation of church and state" with a twist. Pope Gregory VII's original "separation" in 1075 was meant "to keep the state out of the church's business" but this had never been codified into law. In order to "secularize America," the Court then revamped it to mean the exact opposite of its original meaning. (All of this took place during an era when roughly seventy percent of the population attended church.)
This unprincipled decision lay dormant until the 1963 Supreme Court dredged it up when considering Murray v. Curlett, a case filed by atheist Madalyn Murray O'Hair to ban Bible reading in public schools. Prayer had already been banned in 1962 but this case became the spectacle that launched America's "secularization/de-Christianization" onto the national stage. This resulted in an onslaught of court cases in the '60s and beyond. What were the results? In short, a multitude of younger folk took the plunge into illegal drugs and "free love." The decade ended with a tribute to this "de-Christianization" called Woodstock and, by decade's end, America's educational system had gone from being "the envy of the world" to utter chaos: plummeting classroom discipline and skyrocketing teen pregnancies.
How does the Declaration fit into this? Quite simply, the Declaration contains four references to God. These four references are found in the first two sentences and last two sentences, effectively forming bookends around the Declaration. This was the Founders' way of "shouting from the rooftops" that God is "in" the Declaration and "in" the founding of this country! But in recent years, secularists took it upon themselves to deliver the "crowning blow" to the Declaration of Independence and America's Foundational Underpinnings by eliminating History from the curriculum of most public schools—the ultimate "demise!" Another noteworthy detail is that the Chief Justice who ramrodded "separation" in 1947 received the award for "The Most Influential Supreme Court Justice of the Twentieth Century!"
Fourth, the overwhelming need for a triumphal return of the document. These four references to God provide the key elements to "launching the Declaration onto the national stage." They stand in sharp contrast to the Court's 1947 definition of "separation of church and state." But how many people today even know about this contradiction? ... or about Pope Gregory VII's original "separation of church and state?" ... or about those three pivotal events? ... or about America's Foundational Underpinnings? Or the fact that these four references are "the most consequential components of the Declaration!"
As for the "demise of worth," a plethora of people and organizations can see the need for restoring the Declaration back to its rightful place of authority over our land. We are an army in need of a vision so, focus on: 1) grasping the magnitude of "the two most significant documents in human history, second only to the Bible," and "the pinnacle of Western Civilization since the time of Christ," 2) recognizing that the hand of God is still "on" the Declaration, 3) comprehending that, without these four references to God, the Declaration would have been "an empty shell of a document," and 4) joining forces with others. All of these things are key!
These four references to God serve as a catalyst for "launching the Declaration onto the national stage." They also serve as a catalyst for spiritual awakening. They go "hand in hand." Thank you for your help in "launching" the Declaration with your prayers, concern, and effort!
Suggested reading: Never Before in History—America's Inspired Birth, published by Discovery Institute, Seattle WA