Before the Declaration was finalized, Thomas Jefferson shared his personal struggle, being torn between a “cordial love” for the British union, and the pain of his conscience to not “yield to the terms of the Parliament”.

“Believe me, dear Sir: there is not in the British empire a man who more cordially loves a union with Great Britain than I do. But, by the God that made me, I will cease to exist before I yield to a connection on such terms as the British Parliament propose; and in this, I think I speak the sentiments of America.
—Thomas Jefferson, November 29, 1775

Declaring independence from the tyranny of King George III was not easy and not without much debate. Should the 13 colonies remain loyal to the King? Should they humbly submit to the King’s demands? What really was so wrong with the rule of Britain? Didn’t the King do so many good things for the people? Didn’t Britain provide protection and many other benefits? In the end, the men of the Second Continental Congress chose to follow their consciences and forge a new path based on the facts of their situation and not their duty to be loyal to their leader.

The Declaration of Independence was the document that “justified the independence of the United States by listing colonial grievances against King George III, and by asserting certain natural and legal rights, including a right of revolution.” (source)

The first paragraph sets the tone for the Declaration. It presents the Declaration as a reasonable and logical petition, and also clearly declares the purpose of the colonies to “dissolve the political bands” and to separate from the King’s authority:

WHEN in the Course of human Events, it becomes necessary for one People to dissolve the Political Bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the Powers of the Earth, the separate and equal Station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent Respect to the Opinions of Mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the Separation.

The next paragraph begins with the famous statement:

“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, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness—”

But the ending of this paragraph is of great importance:

“The History of the present King of Great-Britain is a History of repeated Injuries and Usurpations, all having in direct Object the Establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid World.”

The Americans were not upset because of one or two grievances. They were furious because of the “history of repeated injuries”. The pattern of tyranny had to be broken.

Next, the Declaration lists 27 charges against the King. These facts demonstrate the King’s tyranny and violation of people’s rights. Although there was an over-abundance of emotion among those preparing the document, they focused on these facts.

Then the Declaration makes an appeal to those still feeling they must remain part of the British empire in order to be loyal to their British friends and family. The Declaration reminds everyone that the American colonies had already exhausted humble petition, repeatedly asking for dialogue regarding the charges, only to be answered by “repeated injury”. The colonies had already warned their British brothers and sisters. They had already made repeated attempts to reform the government. They already reminded and appealed, only to see the leaders become “deaf to the Voice of Justice”.

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.

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. 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 Usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our Connections and Correspondence. They too have been deaf to the Voice of Justice and of 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.

The final paragraph speaks for itself and utterly declares the right to freedom:

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, solemnly Publish and Declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be, FREE AND INDEPENDENT STATES, that they are absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political Connection between them and the State of Great-Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as 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. 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 Honor.

How did this elder reply? Eventually he calmed down and we reached an “agree-to-disagree” type state. But his first reply back was this:

I am sorry, but change what? Admitting that we broke into a house 20 years ago and won’t do it again? Admitting all of our sins? Really, what will that do? You really want all my sins or just certain ones? Okay, we broke into a house illegally 20 years ago. I didn’t know about it, but I suppose it is true. Now what?

We really have to cover one another’s sins. This is love too, don’t you think? Do we have to let everyone know all the sins committed by all the members of UBF around the world? Where does it stop?

Honestly, I have too much to worry about in my daily life of trying to serve Jesus where I am to worry about that.

Aside from the obvious points about how a Christian elder should react, this response reveals something else troubling to me. I see a clear lack of respect for the Fourth Amendment and the law of the land in America. His reference above to an illegal breakin is because I recently revealed my role in a breaking and entering situation (My Confession). I don’t want “all people’s sins” to be confessed publicly. What I want is one sin confessed publicly; the sin of how James and Rebecca Kim were treated in 1990 in Toledo. How could an elder American Christian brush off an illegal act so lightly? If the police had been called in 1990, they would not have taken things so lightly.

Soon it will be Constitution Day here in the US. I plan to blog about this amazing document to remind myself and others that we who are living on American soil must abide by American laws. The Ohio breaking and entering law is based on the Fourth Amendment.

The Fourth Amendment to the US Constitution states that people in America have the right to be secure in their own homes. All their belongings belong to them. No on has a right to enter another person’s house, search through their stuff and pack it into a truck.

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

(source)

In order to renew my understanding of the U.S. Constitution, I will be starting a new blogging series about various related topics and the document itself. I still believe this document is of great importance to humanity.

Some quotes about the Constitution:

“A constitution embodies the fundamental principles of a government. Our constitution, adopted by the sovereign power, is amendable by that power only. To the constitution all laws, executive actions, and, judicial decisions must conform, as it is the creator of the powers exercised by the departments of government.”

“As the British Constitution is the most subtle organism which has proceeded from the womb and long gestation of progressive history, so the American Constitution is, so far as I can see, the most wonderful work ever struck off at a given time by the brain and purpose of man.” (W. E. Gladstone’s famous remark about the Constitution)

“The term ‘rigid’ is used to describe the U.S. Constitution, in opposition to “flexible”, because the provisions are in a written document which cannot be legally changed with the same ease and in the same manner as ordinary laws. The British Constitution, which is unwritten, can, on the other hand, be changed overnight by act of Parliament.”

“The book which had the greatest influence upon the members of the Constitutional Convention was Montesquieu’s Spirit of Laws, which first appeared in 1748. The great French philosopher had, however, in turn borrowed much of his doctrine from the Englishman John Locke, with whose writings various members of the Convention were also familiar.”