The US Constitution and Declaration of Independence

The US Constitution and Declaration of Independence

Comparing the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution have played a significant role in shaping American history and the current form of leadership used in the country. The Declaration of Independence officially broke the political ties between Great Britain and the American colonies and introduced the principles and ideas behind a fair and just government. Consequently, the U.S. Constitution outlined how the government would operate. The Declaration of Independence was introduced in 1766 before the United States Constitution was introduced, thus shaping the ideas that led to the development of the provisions in the U.S. Constitution. According to Bogle (2023), the U.S. Constitution was introduced in 1787 to outline the laws all American citizens were required to obey. One of the main distinctions between the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution is the purpose of the two documents. The purpose of the Declaration of Independence is to acknowledge that the United States is a country that is independent of England, has its rights, and includes various grievances against the King of England (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, 2023). Conversely, the purpose of the U.S. Constitution is to inform United States citizens what they are expected to do and acknowledge the power of American citizens in the country’s governance.

The second difference between the two documents is the amendment of their content. The contents of the Declaration of Independence have never been amended since it was developed. Consequently, the United States Constitution has been altered several times to respond to concerns raised by citizens about various laws (Rosen & Rubenstein, 2023). Another difference between the two documents is their importance in American history. According to Gillespie (2023), the Declaration of Independence was important because it signified breaking away from the control of the King of England. Consequently, the U.S. Constitution was important because it defined the powers of federal and state governments and the checks and balances limiting the control of governing bodies.

The Separation of Church and State

The Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were signed at a time when there was limited involvement of the church in state affairs. I think those who signed the Declaration of Independence did not present their thoughts about the separation of church and state or the separation of God from government, but those who signed the United States Constitution did. One of the signers of the U.S. Constitution, Alexander Hamilton, stated, “The sacred rights of mankind are not to be rummaged for, among old parchments, or musty records. They are written, as with a sun beam in the whole volume of human nature, by the hand of the divinity itself; and can never be erased or obscured by mortal power.” This statement suggests that Alexander Hamilton acknowledged that a divine power controls human nature and cannot be controlled by human power, which is why God cannot be separated from government. However, those who signed the United States Constitution promote the separation of state and church based on the First Amendment, which states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances” (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, 2023). This statement suggests that the government cannot intervene to give people the power to create a religion, thus drawing a line between government and religion.

Biblical Worldview

The separation of state and church lays the foundation for developing universal human rights relating to religion. According to Dixon (2011), universal human rights are applicable across political, economic and social boundaries. The right to worship has raised controversy in many regions across the world because some governments occasionally decide to ban some religions by considering them as cults based on their teachings and how they treat followers. Many governments worldwide have also set a clear boundary between religion and state and limit the church from interfering in government activities such as the development and implementation of laws. The separation of state and church is also evident in biblical verses such as 1 Peter 2:13-17 which states,

“Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good………..you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.” (King James Bible, 1980).

This statement suggests that Christians should respect the state because it has God’s authority to maintain order among humans by punishing those who do evil and rewarding those who do good. The statement also prohibits Christians from questioning the decisions made by authorities by advising them to remain silent when they observe ignorance because they are subject to the people given authority by God. Based on these teachings, the government may set clear boundaries between the church and state to demonstrate sovereignty, encourage Christians to respect authorities, and limit resistance to new laws and policies.

References

Bogle, J. (2023, June 5). The Declaration of Independence vs. the Constitution: What’s the difference? Reader’s Digest. https://www.rd.com/article/difference-declaration-of-independence-and-constitution/

Dixon, M. (2011). Textbook on international law. Oxford University Press.

Gillespie, J. (2023, February 15). Overview of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. Lawyers.com. https://www.lawyers.com/legal-info/criminal/constitutional-rights/declaration-of-independence-and-us-constitution.html

King James Bible. (1980). The King James Bible. Christian Bible Society.

Rosen, J., & Rubenstein, D. (2023). The Declaration, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. National Constitution Center – constitutioncenter.org. https://constitutioncenter.org/the-constitution/white-papers/the-declaration-the-constitution-and-the-bill-of-rights

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. (2023). The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of The United States. USCIS. https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/guides/M-654.pdf

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The US Constitution and Declaration of Independence

For this assignment, you will read the U.S. Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and Thomas Jefferson’s Letter to the Danbury Baptists in 1802. Once you have read these founding documents and Jefferson’s letter, you will write a 2–3-page paper (double-spaced, 1-inch margins) adhering to the format specified in the Course Style Guidelines document, comparing each of them. When comparing the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence, pay particular attention to the themes apparent in both documents and comment on which document came first and why that is important.
You must also answer the question, “What do you think the signers of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution thought about the separation of church and state or about the separation of God from government?” (Note: these are not the same thing.) Be sure to incorporate a biblical worldview in your paper and the concepts from your readings in the Martin textbook.