[billbears]

The signers of the Declaratikon of Independence did, indeed, have some serious and legitimate grievances aganst the king:

Indeed they did and I'm not questioning their grievances. The point is the Declaration is a declaration of secession from the British Empire. If we're to accept the author's premise how were the Framers being patriotic as they were British citizens or subjects at the time? Were they not by their revolt being unpatriotic to the established government?

Or did 'patriotism' only come into play as a Christian attribute once these United States were founded?

[GoLightly]

Were they not by their revolt being unpatriotic to the established government?

Not exactly. The Crown was under the Parliment in the homeland, while it was acting without the same constraints in in the Colonies.

[Fiji Hill]

Were they not by their revolt being unpatriotic to the established government?

As explained in the Declaration of Independence, the "established government" had become tyrannical and was incapable of serving the needs of the American colonists.