“When the Declaration of Independence was drafted on July 4, 1776, religious practice in the 13 colonies of the United States was colorful and varied. The quest for independence -- as well as loyalist resistance to the cause -- permeated church life and teachings across denominational lines. Patriots argued that their fight was God-ordained, while many Anglican clergy were bound by oath to pray for the King and the royal family.
“Benjamin Franklin depicts God's role in the revolution in his design for the Great Seal of the United States. Circling an image of Moses parting the Red Sea and leading the Israelites out of Egypt is the inscription, ‘Rebellion to Tyrants is Obedience to God.’ Cast in 1752 in Philadelphia, the Liberty Bell bears the words of Lev. 25:10, ‘Proclaim liberty throughout the land unto all inhabitants thereof.’ And the opening lines of the Declaration of Independence cite God as the author of the quest for freedom: ‘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.’”
A recent Huffington Post article, Maria Mayo, M.Div., Ph.D., offered a look at some of the religious influences in the Thirteen Colonies during the period leading up to the American Revolution.
To access this report, please visit:
Huffington Post: Religion in America on July 4, 1776 (4 JUL 13)
Related information:
Catholic Answers Magazine: America’s Catholic Colony
CatholicHistory Spotlight: Catholics and the American Founding
Marian T. Horvat, Ph.D.: The Catholic Church in Colonial America
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