FW from Greg Wallace: Supposedly Deistic nature of the Declaration of Independence

[Volokh, Eugene]

> ------ Forwarded Message
> > From: Greg Wallace <wallace4 at earthlink.net>
> > Date: Mon, 20 Dec 2004 21:40:21 -0500
> > To: Law & Religion issues for Law Academics 
> > <religionlaw at lists.ucla.edu>
> > Subject: Re: Supposedly Deistic nature of the Declaration 
> of Independence
> > 
> > It's difficult to accept the view that Jefferson and his generation 
> > deliberately intended terms such as "nature¹s God" and 
> "Creator" not 
> > to be understood as "religious language" when you compare 
> these terms 
> > with the language used in official religious proclamations 
> of the day.
> > 
> > Between 1775 and 1787 the Continental Congress issued at least 
> > seventeen such proclamations. They repeatedly stressed God's 
> > providence, a belief shared by both traditional Christians and 
> > religious rationalists that God is concerned about and guides the 
> > affairs of both people and nations. The first such proclamation, 
> > issued June 12, 1775, explains that it is "our indispensable duty 
> > devoutly to acknowledge [the] superintending providence" of 
> the "great 
> > Governor of the World," especially "in times of impending 
> danger and 
> > public calamity." In 1776 John Witherspoon, the president 
> of Princeton (and hardly a
> > deist) who chaired a committee of Congress to make 
> recommendations to the
> > states for a day of fasting and prayer, wrote that "it 
> becomes all public
> > bodies, as well as private persons, to reverence the 
> Providence of God, and
> > look up to him as the supreme disposer of all events, and 
> the arbiter of the
> > fate of nations." Similarly, the preamble to what has been 
> called the first
> > national Thanksgiving Day proclamation, dated November 1, 
> 1777, states that
> > "it is the indispensable Duty of all men to adore the superintending
> > Providence of Almighty God; to acknowledge with Gratitute 
> their Obligation to
> > him for Benefits received, and to implore such farther 
> Blessings as they stand
> > in Need."
> > 
> > The proclamations were directed to those who were inclined to pray, 
> > and often specifically to Christians. For example, the 
> closing words 
> > of the first proclamation read: "And it is recommended to 
> Christians, 
> > of all denominations, to assemble for public worship, and 
> to abstain 
> > from servile labor and recreation on said day." The form 
> remained much 
> > the same throughout the period. The preamble would give the reasons 
> > for the proclamation, a specific date would be set for the day of 
> > prayer and fasting, and various requests to be offered up 
> to God would 
> > follow. The people would be encouraged to acknowledge God¹s 
> overruling 
> > providence, confess and turn from their sins and seek forgiveness, 
> > pray for Divine favor and success in their struggles 
> against England, 
> > and seek God¹s blessing on their leaders, institutions, and 
> community. 
> > Allusions to the Bible are frequent, and the language sometimes is 
> > distinctively Trinitarian with references to "Jesus Christ" 
> and "the 
> > Holy Ghost." Most references to God, however, are more 
> general, such 
> > as "Divine Providence," "our great Creator," "Supreme Disposer," 
> > "Great Governor of the universe," "sovereign Lord of heaven and 
> > earth," "righteous Governor of the world," "gracious Benefactor," 
> > "Supreme Being," "Divine Redeemer," "the Giver of all 
> good," "Supreme 
> > Ruler of all human events," "Almighty Being," and "all-bountiful 
> > Creator."
> > 
> > It seems that Jefferson's terms were quite in step with the general 
> > religious language of the day--language that apparently was used by 
> > both Christians and religious rationalists.
> > 
> > Greg Wallace
> > Campbell University School of Law