The Declaration of Independence of the Thirteen Colonies In CONGRESS, July 4, 1776

http://www.law.indiana.edu/uslawdocs/declaration.html ^

[Pyro7480]

Trivia point: per the Journal of Congress, the Declaration of Independence was actually passed on 2 July, not 4 July, 1776. The document remained at the desk and open for signature through at least August. Most of the signatures were added late.

I thought that the resolution for independence was passed on 2 July (partially due to Caesar Rodney's ride to Philadelphia, who was from my home state of Delaware), but the actual Declaration itself was adopted on the 4th.

[Beckwith]

This is the defining document of the United States of America.

The phrase, "that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights" is interesting.

Since the rights of "all men (and women) come from "their Creator", do atheists have rights in the United States of America"?

I would argue that those that deny the existence of "the Creator" also deny the existence of any rights.

[RonF]

The document says that all men are created equal, and that their Creator has endowed them with rights. I don't see where denial of one's creator gives men the right to deny them their God-given rights.

Now, God may choose to do so down the line, but that's not Man's call; the whole point is that since God has given men these rights, men have no right to take them away.