The British Crown, while Protestant by the 18th century, still operated within this framework,
where authority flowed from God through the monarch, not directly to individuals. The
Papacy’s historical influence lingered in the cultural DNA of European governance, creating a
system where divine will was mediated by elites, not universally accessible. This stood in
sharp contrast to the democratic ideals brewing in the American colonies.
The American Covenant: God-Given Rights for All
When the American colonies declared independence, they rejected this hierarchical,
monarchical model. The Declaration of Independence, penned by Thomas Jefferson, boldly
stated that “all men are created equal” and endowed by their “Creator with certain unalienable
Rights.” This was a seismic shift. Instead of a covenant tied to a specific people or land, the
U.S. envisioned a universal divine mandate: rights inherent to every individual, not granted by
kings or clergy but directly by God. The Constitution reinforced this, avoiding explicit religious
doctrine but grounding governance in the consent of the governed, with phrases like “one
Nation under God” (later echoed in the Pledge of Allegiance) suggesting a divine
endorsement of this new order.
This American covenant was not about a chosen people but a chosen principle: liberty. It
universalized the divine relationship, bypassing the intermediaries of monarchy or priesthood.
By rejecting the divine right of kings—rooted in part in the Papacy’s historical influence—the
U.S. declared that God’s authority was not confined to a single lineage, land, or institution.
Instead, it was accessible to all through reason, freedom, and self-governance. This was a
direct challenge to the European model and, by extension, a reimagining of the Abrahamic
covenant’s exclusivity.
The Light of Post too long. Click here to view the full text.
