Final answer:
The Second Continental Congress was influenced by the delegates' personal convictions, some of which were rooted in religion, but the Congress focused on political and strategic issues, culminating in the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.
Step-by-step explanation:
Religion played an indirect role in the deliberations of the Second Continental Congress, as the personal convictions and moral philosophies of many delegates were influenced by their religious beliefs. However, the immediate concerns of the Congress were political and strategic, focusing on issues like reconciliation with Britain, the Conciliatory Proposition, the drafting of the Olive Branch Petition, and ultimately, the decision for independence. Delegates like Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin, although having their own religious views, were primarily driven by the political realities and escalating conflict, exemplified by the battles at Lexington and Concord. Eventually, these events pushed the Congress towards asserting independence with the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.