American Exceptionalism In The Declaration Of Independence

Introduction

The primary purpose of this essay is stated in the title. It is to consider whether certain principles presented in the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence and commonly referred to as human rights are supported by the authority of God 's word. A secondary goal is to consider how society might be influenced to establish and maintain laws which agree with God 's moral authority. Yet a third goal is to consider how free exercise of human rights might be impacted by obedience and disobedience to God 's moral authority.

This essay does not attempt to make a case that the United States of America has special standing with God as a modern chosen nation. I do not dispute that America is exceptional. However, American Exceptionalism applies to exceptional qualities of the United States in relationship to other nations. At its inception those qualities included limited government that exists to protect and defend the free exercise of inalienable human rights. But even these noble principles do not indicate the United States exists because God established an exclusive and

Specifically, the first sentence of the second paragraph captures the American sense of liberty and equality at the time:

“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 pursuit of Happiness.”i

When written, the Declaration of Independence was unique in that it included among its founding principles assertions of universal human equality and human rights that are endowed by the Creator God.ii No nation was ever before established in which these rights granted by God were cited as seminal principles. In this sense the United States was exceptional among all the nations of the