Mourn on the 4th of July

On "Independence Day," July 4th, the Empire honors those who volunteered to kill other people in order to avoid paying taxes. The Revolution began with a lawless hoard who did not want to pay taxes, so they used deceit, dressed up like Indians and went to some captains boat and dumped all his tea in the Boston Harbor, committing a criminal offense. This article examines the presuppositions behind America's decision to kill men from Britain Were the deaths worth it?

Our taxes are ten times what they were under Britain;

Our rulers are ten times more corrupt than the British.

Contrasting Then and Now

Thus far, the last decade of the 20th century America has been characterized by the senseless destruction of a country (Yugoslavia) and over one million of its inhabitants (Iraq), and the outrageous murder of human beings and destruction of nearly a billion dollars' worth of property by racists in Los Angeles. This is keeping with the rest of the century - the most atheistic and the most violent in human history.

In contrast, the first decades of America were characterized by the drafting of legal penal codes which were taken verbatim from the Bible, such as the Body of Liberties adopted in 1641 by the Massachusetts Bay Colony, which explicitly provided that no law was to be prescribed contrary to the Word of God, and was annotated with appropriate Scripture references by John Cotton. Crime was low; the country prospered. [It's fascinating the way our recent "bicentennial" erased nearly two centuries of prior Christian society. The Puritans were explicitly dedicated to making America a "city upon a hill," by concretely putting God's Law into effect. By saying America is only 200+ years old, instead of more like 400, Christian Theocratic history is sent down the "Orwellian Memory Hole"].

Sandwiched between these two contrasting decades is the Revolutionary War against Great Britain, which resulted in the formation of the United States of America as a rival "power." Our nation celebrates this event every Fourth of July.

The Declaration of Independence (published July 4, 1776) and the new Constitution (written a few years later) were part of America's repudiation of Biblical authority. The Constitution never mentions "God". The Declaration, which never mentions Jesus Christ, focuses on "Independence" and "rights," and by losing sight of the Suffering Servant, helped change the official character of the nation from the evangelical to the materialistic, and thus helped create the selfish, violent nation in which we now live. America covenanted with God to be a "light to the world." America has instead shown a light of secularism and violence over the globe. A substantial proportion of the 200 million government-inflicted deaths in the 20th century were capitalized by American financial and technological interests, with the approval of America's politicians. America's exports of weapons are substantially greater than her exports of Bibles. America has been a missionary for the wrong side.

Which America was greater?

Which America was greater; that which existed on July 4, 1776, or the America of today?

In our day, taxes are ten times as great as they were in 1776, illiteracy is also about ten times as great (compare an 8th grade final exam from 1776 with an exam from today's public schools), and the State is incomparably more ungodly. Can anyone seriously maintain that America under George XI (or whoever the king might have been had we remained British) could have been any worse than America under the current President?

Clearly, what matters most is the virtue of the people. The system of government really doesn't matter at all. A three percent tax rate and an abstract political theory certainly didn't justify the killing that took place in the war that began July 4, 1776.

Many Christians are very patriotic, and support the Declaration of Independence and America's Revolutionary War for Independence. How can this be? The War for Independence was so plainly unbiblical.

Analyzing America's Declaration of Independence from a Biblical standpoint is an easy task. The following passages should be consulted: Romans 12-13, 1 Peter 2:13ff, Matthew 5:38ff, Proverbs 24:21, and Exodus 23:2. An anachronistic "translation" follows for your convenience.

After we look at the above verses, then we can look at the Declaration of Independence.

Romans 12-13 {1} I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
{2} And be not conformed to the world of the Scottish Enlightenment: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
{3} For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
{10} Be kindly affectioned one to the British with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
{11} Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;
{12} Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
{13} Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitable quartering of troops.
{14} Bless the Red Coats which persecute you: bless, and curse not.
{16} Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.
{17} Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
{18} If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with the British.
{19} Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
{20} Therefore if thine enemy soldier hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
{21} Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
{13:1} Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are set in place by God.
{2} Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, throwing tea into the harbor, or firing muskets upon them from behind trees, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.

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1 Peter 2:11-24 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;
{12} Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.
{13} Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to king George III, as supreme;
{14} Or unto parliament, as unto them that are sent by Him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.
{15} For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:
{16} As free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.
{17} Honour all the British. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour king George III.
{18} Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.
{19} For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.
{20} For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.
{21} For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps:
{22} Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth:
{23} Who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously:
{24} Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by Whose stripes ye were healed.

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Matthew 5:38-48
{38} Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
{39} But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
{40} And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.
{41} And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
{42} Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
{43} Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
{44} But I say unto you, Love your enemies, the British, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
{45} That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
{46} For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the British the same?
{47} And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the British so?
{48} Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

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Proverbs 24:21
{21} My son, fear thou the LORD and the king of the British Empire: and meddle not with them Americans that are given to change of government:
{22} For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both?

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Exodus 23:2 Thou shalt not follow a multitude of Americans to do evil.

The Declaration of Independence [comments in brackets]

The following breakdown will show that the Declaration of Independance was not only a declaration of independance from the king of England, but a declaration of independance from God as well.

When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another,
[When does the Bible say it becomes "necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another"? (Romans 13, 1 Peter 2)]…

and to assume,
[In Black's Law Dictionary, 6th edition, page 122, assume is defined as: "to pretend...or to put on deceitfully."

among the powers of the earth,
[Is it the goal of the followers of Christ to be "equal" with "the powers"? (Jude 8-10, 2 Peter 2:10-12, Ephesians 6:12, Romans 13.]

the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them,
[The terms "Law of Nature" and "Nature's God" are not found in scripture. The laws of nature have nothing to do with the laws of God. It only governs the outward acts of man (secular), not the spiritual.]

a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
[Do we live according to the opinions of mankind? Or do we live according to God's Truth? We are not to respect the opinions of mankind, because scripture considers that a sin (Leviticus 19:15, Deuteronomy 1:17; 16:19, Proverbs 24:23, Proverbs 28:21, James 2:1-4, 9).]

We 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,
[Do we have a "right to life"? The Bible says man has the "right to death" (Romans 3:23; 6:23; 1 Peter 2:21; Luke 17:7-10). Only one who sojourns in Christ has the right to the Tree of Life (Revelation 22:14). Unbelievers have no such right]...

liberty,
[If we have a right to "liberty," why does the Bible command us to work for our slave-masters as if we were working for Christ Himself? (Ephesians 6:5-8; Colossians 3:22-24; 1 Timothy 6:1-2; Titus 2:9-10; 1 Peter 2:18-21). We are not at liberty to do as we please, we are only at liberty to do God’s Will (Romans 8:21, 1 Corinthians 8:9, 2 Corinthians 3:17, Galatians 2:4; 5:1,13, James 1:25; 2:12, 1 Peter 2:16)…

and the pursuit of happiness.
[1 Peter 3:14, "But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled"].

That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men,
[Are governments really instituted by and among men to secure our ‘rights’? (Romans 13). Why does the term ‘rights’ not appear anywhere in the Scriptures? Governments are created by Him and for Him (Colossians 1:16), not by "the people," and not for "the people." The Scriptures say that earthly governments are created to sit on Christ’s shoulder (Isaiah 9:6). Governments are created to follow God's Law and serve Jesus (Psalm 2:10-12). Governments are created for the glory of God, not for our enjoyment, not for our wants, not for our rights]…

deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed;
[According to the Bible, governments derive their "just powers" from God, not from the consent of the governed (Romans 13). According to the Constitution, they have the power to tax, and to declare war. Are these powers made just on the mere say-so of those who voted for the exercise of this "power to destroy"?]…

that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it,
[Does the Bible say we have a right to "abolish" the government? If this is so, why didn’t the servants of Christ in the first century exercise this right and abolish the tyrannical Roman government? Do slaves have a right to "abolish" their masters?]…

and to institute a new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.
[If we were instituting a new government, upon which principles should we build? Should we not build upon the principles of God? Then why does the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution go contrary to God’s Will? If it goes contrary to God’s Will, is America really a Godly country?].

Prudence, indeed, will dictate, that governments long established, should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves
[If we are suffering under harsh masters or tyrants, does the Bible say we should "right ourselves" (I Peter 2, Romans 12, Matthew 5)?]…

by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpation’s, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism,
[Scholars estimate that the total of taxes imposed by the British government upon the colonists was less than 3% of their income. Today, the post-revolutionary government takes 30% of income each year, and up to 90% upon death. Was the British government really the "absolute despotism" that warranted an armed revolution?]…

it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. Such as been the patient sufferance of these colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former systems of government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpation’s, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states.
[Imagine a young man about 23 years old. As an agent of the British Empire, he wears a red coat. He believes that the colonies face a situation of "anarchy" and chaos. For generations, the British government has maintained law and order, and he has been told that this stability is threatened by lawless hoards who vandalize tax-paying merchants while dressed as Indians. Based on reports of a large cache of arms in Lexington and threats of armed revolution, he has been sent away from his family in Liverpool to help maintain order in the colonies. Oh dear. This nice young man has just had a large part of his face and shoulders blown away by the musket fire of an outraged tax-resister. This colonist (and others like him) apparently believed that this young soldier evinced "a design to reduce them under absolute despotism." As the officer lies dying in a pool of his own blood, the revolutionary "minute-man" rejoices (Proverbs 24:17) in his victory over this red-coat's objective of the "establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states." Is this a loving (1 Corinthians 13:5-7) or righteous (John 7:24; Exodus 23:2; Prov. 24:21) judgment of this man? Was this soldier an Adolph Hitler, or a "Godly family man"? Was this revolutionary killing the beginning, or the end, of a Godly nation?].

To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world.
[History of "repeated injuries and oppressions" omitted] [The Declaration of Independence lists many political acts which are said to justify armed revolution. Many of these abuses are rampant in our day, yet no one who waves a flag on the 4th of July is taking up arms to spill the blood of government agents. If the killing of government agents was justifiable in 1776, why isn't it mandatory now?].

In every stage of these oppressions we have petitioned for redress in the most humble terms. Our repeated petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
[Where does the Bible say that servants of Christ are a "free people"? The term "servant" of Christ indicates we are not free, but slaves. We are bondservants of Christ, slaves of Christ].

Nor have we been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them, from time to time, of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us.
[Did Nero have a "warrantable jurisdiction" over Jewish converts to Christ when the Apostle Paul penned his letter to the Romans, or when he banished the Apostle John to the Island of Patmos?].

We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpation’s, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity which denounces our separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, enemies in war, in peace friends
[What is our duty toward our enemies? (Matthew 5; Romans 12; Luke 17). It is true that, in the Old Testament, God commanded His people to kill entire nations, which were idolatrous and made a public practice of committing capital crimes, such as infant sacrifice (Leviticus 18:24). These "Holy Wars" were a form of national capital punishment. Is there any such justification for war after the Priestly work of Christ? (Matthew 20:28, 26:28, Mark 14:24, Luke 22:20, Isaiah 53:12)].

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, do, in the name, and by authority of the good people of these colonies,
[In Whose Name did the Apostles do the things they did (Acts 4:7,10)? Jesus Christ, not the ‘people.’ Whoever does anything in the name of, or under the authority of, anyone but Jesus Christ, then they are not acting in the name of, and by the authority of, Jesus Christ. If these founding fathers were acting under Jesus Christ, they would have said so. The truth is, they were acting in the name of, and under the authority of, someone outside of Christ, by their own admission in their own documents]…

solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, Free and Independent States, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things which Independent States may of right do.
[Would the BATF or the FBI be alarmed if some sizable Christian group declared that it had these powers: the power to levy war, contract alliance (with foreign nations), and challenge the authority of the Federal Reserve Board and the Interstate Commerce Commission? Is it any surprise that the British government was alarmed? If you were a king, would you be alarmed at militias and revolutionary pamphleteers? If you were President, what powers would you exercise if armed "extremists" threatened to declare their state a separate nation and exercise all those governmental powers? Did Jesus and His Apostles claim these powers? No. And if they did not claim these powers, how can anyone else?].

And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honour.
[Is the Declaration of Independence a document that can be supported by a follower of Christ committed to "submission to the powers" (Romans 13) and the "Ministry of Reconciliation" (2 Corinthians 5:17-21)? God's Law shouldn't be too controversial, but it is -- for two reasons: (1) God's Law is found even in the Old Testament; (2) God's Law does not leave "neutral zones" in which we can "be as gods" (Genesis 3:5) and decide for ourselves what constitutes good and evil. Many government officials are leery of such Christians taking the revolutionary rhetoric of the Founding Fathers too seriously. Some do: they store arms. Others don't: they claim to be followers of the Founders, who took up arms against a tax rate of less than 3%, but do nothing in the face of the current rate ten times greater].

Final Thoughts
The Declaration of Independence is just a piece of paper with signatures on it. And you know what a piece of paper with signatures is: a contract! Something that can be re-negotiated and altered at any time.