America's Foundation: The Imago Dei and Why It Matters

Recently a powerful movie, The Miracle of America, debuted in selected theaters.  Narrated by Michael Medved, it dramatically shows how divine Providence clearly intervened in the founding of our nation and was the powerful force behind the drafting and signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Who can objectively deny that America has been blessed by the Creator in a way no other nation has been? Despite our faults, God has honored America because we honored Him in our founding.  God promises, “All who honor me I also will honor” (I Samuel 2:30).

The founders illustrated the heart of the American Republic in these opening statements of the Declaration of Independence: “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.” Such language boldly proclaims that all human beings are made in the image of God – the Imago Dei. The Creator has accordingly responded by honoring and blessing this nation.

America is great not because it is without failings. Rather, it is great because we have faced up to our failings and moved to correct them. The Constitution’s preamble asserts the desire to “create a more perfect union” - America will continue to strive to correct injustices within our midst.  Sometimes these noble endeavors take many years, as exemplified in the cause of ending slavery.

The Miracle of America shows the moral struggle facing the founders regarding slavery in America.  At the time the nation was deeply divided on this issue, and a future Supreme Court decision -- Dred Scott– appeared to embed in our Constitution the validity of this abominable practice.  The bloody Civil War, with its resulting 700,000 deaths,  along with the passage of the 13^th, 14^th, and 15^th amendments, finally brought a legal end to slavery, but its vestiges continued through Jim Crow laws and segregation. The end to Jim Crow took many more years to accomplish, but America responded with a committed effort to “create a more perfect union.” Civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. often invoked the Declaration of Independence as the foundation upon which segregation should end. 

The abortion issue also shows that America must still strive for justice in our land. Since 1973 more than 70 million unborn children have lost their lives from this abhorrent and savage act.  As with slavery, abortion denies  a category of human beings, the unborn, the constitutional right to life.  Finally, the Supreme Court of the United States deemed abortion a constitutional right in Roe v. Wade as they likewise conferred upon slavery in the Dred Scott decision. Both issues demonstrate that sometimes America loses its way in recognizing the Imago Dei of every human being. 

Two June dates dramatically show the nation’s ongoing struggle to “create a more perfect union” on both the slavery and life issues. June 19^th constitutes the federal holiday known as “Juneteenth.”  On June 19, 1865 – two months after the Civil War ended -- federal troops entered Texas to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation.

June 24^th constitutes the third anniversary of Dobbs v. Jackson Womens’ Health Center, the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court which overturned Roe v. Wade, and allows state and federal elected officials to pass laws that protect the unborn and their mothers from the violent act of abortion.  Much remains to be done to bring about a complete restoration of the unalienable right to life, but this landmark decision opens the door for protective laws that save lives. Like Juneteenth, the end of Roe should be celebrated.

Senator Ted Cruz of Texas has introduced a Joint Resolution for Congress to officially designate June as “Life Month.” The U.S. Congress should show leadership by passing this resolution and thus complement the commemoration of life and liberty principles in Juneteenth.

Following the significant events of June 19 and June 24 is July 4^th, our Independence Day. The Declaration of Independence affirms the image of God in each human being.

The Imago Dei sets forth the unshakable and divinely ordered truth that all human beings -- born and unborn (no matter their race, ethnicity or circumstances of their conception), the disabled, the elderly -- are made in the image of God and are entitled to those unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. This belief inspires the work of over 2000 pro-life pregnancy centers who provide free services to pregnant mothers in every community.

Designating June as Life Month beautifully positions us for the celebration of our nation’s founding on July 4^th and we thank Senator Cruz for his leadership. We hope his colleagues in Congress move this effort forward.

And as we prepare for our upcoming celebration of Independence Day, let us reflect on the powerful truth that America was founded upon the Imago Dei – all are made in the image of God.

Thomas Glessner is founder and president of the National Institutes for Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA).