Perfect time to reflect
on how we treat others

Speaking of Religion
The Rev. Dr. Tim Griffin

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 — Declaration of Independence

Thomas Jefferson articulated the myth that underlies our national and political identity in the Declaration of Independence, the best-known portion of which I have cited above. In referring to the Declaration as a myth, I am not suggesting that it is untrue. I am pointing out the role it has played in forming our national and political identity. That is, after all, the function of myths, i.e., a myth is a story or other kind of account that tells us who we are, often by appealing to supernatural being(s) or events from a formative past, and by expressing enduring ideals to which we subscribe.
Jefferson’s myth is pretty straightforward. He claims that human beings (unfortunately for Jefferson this was limited to propertied white males) have been created by God with certain rights in place. Implicit in Jefferson’s reasoning is that whenever these "unalienable rights" are not respected, the human political realm is acting contrary to the will of the Creator. Thus, when Jefferson calls these rights "unalienable" his point is not that they cannot be denied — they clearly were being denied to many colonists by the King George — but that they should not be denied.
And more than that, Jefferson is implying that denial of these rights by human governmental authority is an act of hubris, i.e., an instance in which the human is usurping the authority of the divine Creator. In such circumstances, the human authority, by virtue of its hubris, no longer deserves the respect or support of the citizens/subjects and revolt is justified.
Jefferson’s argument, which built upon the work of other political philosophers of his day, most notably John Locke, is persuasive. It was nonetheless controversial because it represented a rejection of the longstanding myth of the divine right of kings. In short, adherents of this myth maintained that the political power of earthly sovereigns, such as George in England, owed to God.
Similarly, inequality — even among propertied white males — was an accepted arrangement also owing to God’s will. Although the divine right theory had been losing ground for some time by July 1776, it still held sway, particularly as concerned the treatment of an empire’s colonies.
We might see this conflict between the English imperial powers and the colonists as a conflict of myths. In short, which account best explains the relationship between God’s will for the created order and political reality? Is the political authority God’s emissary on earth and therefore (with very rare exceptions) justified in whatever He does, or is the sovereign’s authority a grant by God limited by certain "unalienable rights" that are possessed by all?
Historically, it would seem that the latter position, the position Jefferson defended in the Declaration of Independence, prevailed.
Still, the principles set forth in the Declaration are ideals that are not static and require more than lip service. As I noted above, Jefferson evidently did not believe that the rights he articulated applied to women, slaves or even unpropertied white males. Thus, when we now acknowledge that these rights extend to all, regardless of race, gender or property, our attitude is evidence of an advance in understanding.
So might we reflect, on this 231st anniversary of the signing of the Declaration, how we are doing with respect to the ideals of our national myth and how much room there is for improvement?
When the gap between rich and poor is growing increasingly greater can we say we believe "all" have a right to the pursuit of happiness? When we have engaged in pre-emptive war on the basis of inaccurate information provided by our government, can we say we believe that "all" are entitled to life? When we kidnap people from around the world and detain them without trial or due process, can we really claim to believe "all" are entitled to liberty?
We are rightly proud when we extol the ideals upon which this nation is founded, but our pride is empty if we do not demand that our government instantiate those ideals, and respect those "unalienable rights" both here and abroad. ••
Father Tim Griffin is priest-in-charge at the St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, at 1946 Welsh Road in Bustleton.