A Shield of Faith

   “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.” 
   The Declaration of Independence. It’s the document behind the fireworks and parades on the Fourth of July. 
   We all recognize this quoted sentence. But have you read the rest? It states that the government derives its power from the people, from you and I, and from your neighbor, “from the consent of the governed.” It goes on to say that if the government becomes destructive of our inalienable rights, it is the right of the people to change the government. 
   The 56 men that signed the Declaration of Independence did so at great risk. Signing this document was deemed an act of treason. They each were accepting and facing the death penalty if found guilty of treason. These 56 prominent men risked their lives, their families and their livelihoods. 
   What was the British King doing that would embolden these 56 men to lay their lives on the line with their signatures? The Declaration states, “The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States.” It then lists 26 items that the K ...