It was still an inaccurate statement betraying near total ignorance of the Jewish contribution to the political philosophy of limited government, which he presumed to be Christian in origin. So, I told him where to find the original, history's only designed-anarchy. G_d was to be King.
The crafters of the Declaration of Independence were well versed in the Old Testament.
There was only one "crafter" of the DoI: Jefferson, whose private religiosity is still a matter of debate. Nor does that document have diddly to do with the structure of our government. It addresses the source of unalienable right and the primacy of the people, but not much more.
“There was only one “crafter” of the DoI: Jefferson,”
Au contraire. There actually was a committee that drafted the Declaration with Jefferson. Virtually every word and phrase was then debated and much editing was done by the entire delegation ... if you ever go to the National Archives, they have what Jefferson drafted and the final product.
Others, not present in Philadelphia, had some influence as well:
” That all men are born equally free and independent, and have certain inherent natural Rights… among which are the Enjoyment of Life and Liberty, with the Means of acquiring and possessing Property, and pursueing and obtaining Happiness and Safety.” — George Mason. Virginia Declaration of Rights, May, 1776.
Has a familiar ring, wouldn’t you say?
Why would the drafters/signers of the Declaration be formulating our system of government ... for all they knew when they took that courageous, unprecedented step, none of them would live to form a government, limited or otherwise. Breaking free from the monarchy was a first, tenuous step. As fate would have it, many of them did emerge from the Revolutionary War penniless, having lost their fortunes; several lost members of their families, but they kept intact their sacred honor.
The point remains that the educated class in the colonies in those days were steeped in both the Old and New Testaments. Whether they took it to heart, or lived exemplary Judeo-Christian lives is yet another question. Probably moreso than the Jews and Christians of today.