A Reflection Thanks to the Declaration of Independence
America’s founding principles are Christian, and the basics of the nation as “Western” means Christian Civilization. The United States and its founding are grounded in truths, moral law, and an idea of the human person that is firmly centered on Christian Truth. We find this most clearly expressed in the Declaration of Independence, which clearly states that it is “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.” There, in a nutshell, is Christian truth about human rights.
Since we must always view politics and human things through the prism of the Natural Moral Law, it is necessary to confirm any proposition in light of God’s truth. For Catholics, at least, John Courtney Murray wrote that an important question to see was if the “American proposition” was in accordance with Catholic Truth. As Murray explained, the answer is an undoubtful yes. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches, the dignity of the human person is rooted in his creation in the image and likeness of God (CCC 1700). The idea of human rights and the dignity of the human person, for instance, is clearly present in the Declaration of Independence and in our form of government. “The Declaration of Independence was the promise; the Constitution was the fulfillment,” as Warren Burger explained. In other words, our nation’s form of government is based on permanent truths that are derived from moral law. Taken together with the great benefits of American progress and the beneficial role beneficial role in world affairs, allows us to clearly state that America is a great and good nation, unlike anything the world has ever seen.
As the British writer G.K. Chesterton remarked, “America is the only nation in the world that is founded on a creed. That creed is set forth with dogmatic and even theological lucidity in the Declaration of Independence; perhaps the only piece of practical politics that is also theoretical politics and also great literature. It enunciates that all men are equal in their claim to justice, that governments exist to give them that justice, and that their authority is, for that reason, just. It certainly does […] by inference condemn atheism, since it clearly names the Creator as the ultimate authority from whom these equal rights are derived.”
As such, Chesterton clearly notes that the United States is a very peculiar nation based on a particular creed. This point was recently analyzed in detail by Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) in First Things, noting that America has always been a Christian nation, and Christianity shapes America’s common life, culture, law, and politics. Nonetheless, he explained that with the decline of Christianity in America, social trends are changing for the worse. As Sen. Hawley shows, as secularism becomes more prevalent, American culture increasingly forgets the religious traditions that shaped it, leading to a lack of moral cohesion. He explained that the effects of this shift were clear. American politics are more divided, and cultural conflicts seem unresolvable. There’s increasing disagreement on fundamental concepts like gender. Marriage and family life are declining in importance, with fewer people valuing them. Those who do marry and have children face economic challenges that make family life difficult.
Furthermore, it must always be remembered that America is not only an idea. It is a nation. It is certainly true that among the world’s nations, it is unique in the sense that ideology forms a great part of American self-conception and identity. But the United States is first and foremost a nation-state, with a people joined by common law, history, frontiers (albeit with a border crisis), experiences, economy, culture, and, yes, also ideals. America is not an abstract entity, but she also has a very determined view of the world and a political and economic culture, which has allowed the United States to become the richest, most powerful, and freest country in the world. It is no coincidence that so many seek to enter and become part of the American proposition, though it is up to the American people to see who and how many will be allowed to enter since mass migration can permanently alter or abolish the America of yesteryear.
Regardless of our problems, we must always be grateful for America. That shining city on a hill is an “empire of liberty” that has, through Divine Providence, done so much to make the world a better place and to protect freedom and human dignity around the globe. Yes, there is a lot of work to be done to restore the American moral compass to full health. Most importantly, Christians and conservatives have a duty to resist what St. Pope John Paul II called “the culture of death,” which favors abortion, euthanasia, the degradation of women, the abandonment of the elderly, and anti-human technologies such as cloning and IVF, as well as to cultivate a proper understanding of freedom freedom and substituting it for a culture of life, family, and faith. Nonetheless, we live in a nation that, throughout her history, has shown an almost unbelievable capacity to expand her freedoms to all her citizens, improve domestically, learn from mistakes, recover from setbacks, and triumph repeatedly even when things seemed darkest. The capabilities and extraordinary achievements of the American people are never to be underestimated.
Therefore, we must begin by making the case for a culture of life and affirmation in the public square without fear, as so many are already doing. As such, let us celebrate the fact that we live in a nation that is formed by Christian Truth and aspire to a more conservative, happier, affirmative, and creative society. For, as the philosopher Sir Roger Scruton noted, “experience has taught me that men and women can flee from the truth only for so long, that they will always, in the end, be reminded of the permanent values, and that the dreams of liberty, equality, and fraternity will excite them only in the short-term.”
In short, I am so very proud and thankful to be an American. And so, I would like to conclude with this prayer for the United States from the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception:
O God our Creator, from your provident hand, we have received our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. You have called us as your people and given us the right and the duty to worship you, the only true God, and your Son, Jesus Christ.
Through the power and working of your Holy Spirit, you call us to live out our faith in the midst of the world, bringing the light and the saving truth of the Gospel to every corner of society.
We ask you to bless us in our vigilance for the gift of religious liberty. Give us the strength of mind and heart to readily defend our freedoms when they are threatened; give us courage in making our voices heard on behalf of the rights of your Church and the freedom of conscience of all people of faith.
Grant, we pray, O heavenly Father, a clear and united voice to all your sons and daughters gathered in your Church in this decisive hour in the history of our nation, so that, with every trial withstood and every danger overcome— for the sake of our children, our grandchildren, and all who come after us—this great land will always be “one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.