"The Theology of the Declaration of Independence"

Excerpt:

The point here is that because your right to life and liberty are from God, no one can legitimately enslave or kill you, even if you consent to it. This was not a mere incidental addendum idea, it was central to Lockean political philosophy, which maintained (as the declaration does) that the government derives its powers from the consent of the governed. If a person can consent to be killed or enslaved then they can consent to the government enslaving them also to having the arbitrary power to kill them and hence tyranny can be
legitimate.

The reason tyranny is illegitimate is because, “No body can give more power than he has himself; and he that cannot take away his own life, cannot give another power over it.”

The declaration then makes a metaphysical claim: God exists.

It makes an epistemological claim about faith and reason: that belief in God is rational independent of proof.

It makes an implicit claim of political philosophy: religion is not a private thing that should not influence public life but rather, theological claims should influence public life.

Finally it makes a moral claim; that consenting adults do not have a right to do whatever they like with their own bodies, rather there are “Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God” that bind all human beings, that they are compelled to follow even if all parties consent otherwise.

Governments are legitimate to the extent in which they respect these laws.

For the rest of this excellent article, go here:

The Theology of the Declaration of Independence MandM