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Religious Values of the Founding Fathers
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Founding Fathers and Religion
In this file:Founding Fathers and Religion, Ernest Jude Navy, November 20, 1998.
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I would like to begin by saying that this is not an attempt to denigrate anybody's beliefs but to set the facts straight in regards to religion in America and the true intentions of the founding fathers. It has always been my belief that all must find the meaning of life through their own life experiences and live by their own convictions. This is fundamentally essential to the mantanance of a free society. It is when we allow others, especially those in power, to decide what is morally right for the masses, that we find ourselves living in tyranny. History has been the best witness to this fact, whether it was Russia under the domination of communistic policies or England under tyrannical kings and queens, which forced thousands upon thousands to flee mother England for the Americas. For nearly twenty years, beginning with the election of Ronald Reagan to the presidency, America has been under attack from what is called the "religious right." We have witnessed the bastardization of history, as well as the rise in insensitivity towards others. They have managed to turn the teachings of Jesus upside down and turn it into a conservative philosophy. Since the early eighties, it has been their main objective to turn America into a theocracy, with all adhering to the tenets of Christianity. The leaders of the religious right have managed to falsify and outright lie about America's true beginnings and have even managed to put words into the mouths of the founding fathers in hopes of achieving a political mandate from the American public. I believe it was Adolph Hitler who said, "A lie that is big enough and said often enough, will be more believable to the masses." Sadly, those on the religious right (the moralists) have adopted this method for getting their point across to the public as the facts have become irrelevant.
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"I advance it ... as a suspicion only, that the blacks - - are inferior to the whites in the endowments both of body and mind."
Blacks Are Inferior To Whites
Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)
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As stated earlier, my goals for this essay are simple. I will place the role of religion in America in its proper place by relying on the words and historical writings of key figures, such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, and many others. It will be clearly shown that our forefathers intended for the church and the state to forever remain separate. The founding fathers would be turning in their graves if they thought for one moment certain political and religious groups were trying to bring religion into the political arena, something they never did.
It has been stated that America must have been founded on Christian principles because in many of the documents that we so cherish, written by the founding fathers, the word "God" is quite prevalent. We are constantly reminded of key phrases that are engrained in our collective consciousness, such as "endowed by our creator" or "in God we trust." Many on the religious right use such phrases to prove their point that our forefathers intended for America to be a Christian nation. Anyone can clearly see, one that is willing to think for themselves, that this is their weakest argument. It is simply ludicrous to assume that because someone is constantly referring to god, they must also be a Christian. It's not what you see in our historical documents that prove the founding fathers intended for America to be a Christian nation, it is what you do not see that prove the founding fathers did not intend for America to a Christian nation. The word that is missing in America's historical documents is Jesus. Christians are not solely defined by their belief in god. To be a Christian nation, that nation must profess an allegiance to Jesus. The religious right cannot produce one major document in which the founding fathers have stated an allegiance to Jesus. This leads them to concentrate on words, such as creator and god, to prove their point. Christians do not own a monopoly on god. Why couldn't the founding fathers have been Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, or Hindus? Each group believe in a deity of some sort. Yes, there were some founding fathers who considered themselves Christians, but there were a lot who were deists and openly denied the miracles proclaimed in the Old and New Testament.
Those on the religious right never want to directly quote the founding fathers. We always hear leaders, such as Falwell and Robertson, tell us what they think the founding fathers meant, but never what they actually said. After years of research and studying, I know what they actually said. In this next section, I have pulled direct quotes from several founding fathers and listed the texts that these quotes can be found. You, personally, can decide what they meant by their own statements.
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In private, Thomas Jefferson was very vocal with friends and relatives about his religious convictions. As a public figure, he was cautious about making public statements on the subject of religion. To him, religion was a private matter that should be left to each individual's conscience. Below are four quotes taking from letters and speeches made by Jefferson:
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Believing that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their Legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus building a wall of separation between Church and State.--Thomas Jefferson to Danbury Baptists, 1802.
Because religious belief, or non-belief, is such an important part of every person's life, freedom of religion affects every individual. State churches that use government power to support themselves and force their views on persons of other faiths undermine all our civil rights. Moreover, state support of the church tends to make the clergy unresponsive to the people and leads to corruption within religion. Erecting the "wall of separation between church and state," therefore, is absolutely essential in a free society.--Thomas Jefferson to Virginia Baptists, 1808.
In every country and in every age, the clergy has been hostile to liberty. He is always in alliance with the despot, abetting his abuses in return for protection to his own. It is error alone that needs the support of government. Truth can stand by itself.--Thomas Jefferson to Horatio G. Spafford, 1814.
When people tell us of calves speaking, of statues sweating blood, and other things against the course of nature, we reject these as fables not belonging to history...Jesus did not mean to impose himself on mankind as the son of God, physically speaking, I have been convinced by the writings of men more learned than myself in that lore.--Thomas Jefferson to William Short, August 4, 1820.
...an amendment was proposed by inserting the words, 'Jesus Christ...the holy author of our religion,' which was rejected by a great majority in proof that they meant to comprehend, within the mantle of its protection, the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian and the Mohammedan, the Hindoo and Infidel of every denomination.--from Thomas Jefferson's biography.
Our civil rights have no dependence on our religious opinions, more than on our opinions in physics and geometry...The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.-- Thomas Jefferson's The Statute Of Virginia For Religious Freedom.
The day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the Supreme Being as his father, in the womb of a virgin, will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of Jupiter.-- from Thomas Jefferson's Bible.
His (Jesus) biographers, I find many passages of fine imagination, correct morality, and of the most lovely benevolence; and others, again, of so much ignorance, so much absurdity, so much untruth, charlatanism and imposture, as to pronounce it impossible that such contradictions should have proceeded from the same Being. I separate, therefore, the gold from the dross; restore to Him the former, and leave the latter to the stupidity of some, and roguery of others of His disciples. Of this band of dupes and impostors, Paul was the great Coryphaeus, and first corruptor of the doctrines of Jesus.--Thomas Jefferson, letter to William Short on April 13, 1820.
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John Adams, the second president of the United States:
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As I understand the Christian religion, it was, and is, a revelation. But how has it happened that millions of fables, tales, legends, have been blended with both Jewish and Christian revelation that have made them the most bloody religion that ever existed?--John Adams to F. A. Van der Kamp.
We should begin by setting conscience free. When all men of all religions...shall enjoy equal liberty, property, and an equal chance for honors and powers...we may expect that improvements will be made in the human character and the state of society.--John Adams to Dr. Price, April 8, 1785.
I almost shudder at the thought of alluding to the most fatal example of the abuses of grief which the history of mankind has preserved - the Cross. Consider what calamities that engine of grief has produced.-- John Adams, letter to Thomas Jefferson.
Twenty times in the course of my late reading, have I been upon the point of breaking out, 'this would be the best of all possible worlds, if there were no religion in it.'--John Adams, letter to Charles Cushing, October 19, 1756.
Samuel Adams, American Revolutionary leader whose agitations spurred Bostonians toward rebellion against British occupation and rule:
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In regard to religion, mutual toleration in the different professions thereof is what all good and candid minds in all ages have ever practiced, and both by precept and example inculcated on mankind...--The Rights of the Colonists(1771)
Ethan Allen, American Revolutionary: I have generally been denominated a Deist, the reality of which I never disputed, being conscious I am no Christian, except mere infant baptism make me one; and as to being a Deist, I know not strictly speaking, whether I am one or not.--preface, Reason the Only Oracle of Man.
George Washington, Revolutionary leader and first president of the United States: Every man, conducting himself as a good citizen, and being accountable to God alone for his religious opinions, ought to be protected in worshipping the Deity according to the dictates of his own conscience.--George Washington to the congregation of Touro Synagogue, Newport, Rhode Island, August 1790.
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James Madison, the fourth president of the United States:
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Every new and successful example of a perfect separation between ecclesiastical and civil matters is of importance...Religion flourishes in greater purity without than with the aid of government.--Letter to Edward Livingston, July 10, 1822.
Religious bondage shackles and debilitates the mind and unfits it for every noble enterprise....During almost fifteen centuries has the legal establishment of Christianity been on trial. What have been its fruits? More or less, in all places, pride and indolence in the clergy; ignorance and servility in laity; in both, superstition, bigotry, and persecution.--James Madison, Memorial And Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments.
Benjamin Franklin, American public official, writer, scientist, and printer who played a major part in the American Revolution:
The way to see by faith is to shut the eye of reason.--Poor Richard's Almanack, 1758.
Lighthouses are more helpful than churches.
If we look back into history for the character of the present sects in Christianity, we shall find few that have not in their turns been persecutors, and complainers of persecution. The primitive Christians thought persecution extremely wrong in the pagans, but practiced it on one another. The first Protestants of the Church of England blamed persecution in the Romish Church, but practiced it upon the Puritans. These found it wrong in the bishops, but fell into the same practice themselves both here and in New England.--An Essay On Toleration.
Some books against Deism fell into my hands....It happened that they wrought an effect on me quite contrary to what was intended by them; for the arguments of the Deists, which were quote to be refuted, appeared to me much stronger than the refutations, in short, I soon became a thorough Deist.--Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography.
My parents had given me betimes religious impressions, and I received from my infancy a pious education in the principles of Calvinism. But scarcely was I arrived at fifteen years of age, when, after having doubted in turn of different tenets, according as I found them combated in the different books that I read, I began to doubt of Revelation itself.--Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography.
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Thomas Paine, Revolutionary leader and outspoken deists:
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Reason is the forbidden tree of priest craft...It was the practice of the Eastern nations to convey their meaning by allegory, and relate it in the manner of fact. Jesus followed the same method, yet nobody ever supposed the allegory or parable of the rich man and Lazarus, the Prodigal Son, the ten Virgins, etc., were facts...Here it is that the religion of Deism is superior to the Christian Religion. It is free from all those invented and torturing articles that shock our reason or injure our humanity, and with which the Christian religion abounds. Its creed is pure, and sublimely simple. It believes in God, and there it rests.--Of The Religion Of Deism Compared With The Christian Religion.
These quotes and many more quotes made by the founding fathers clearly show that this country was not founded on Christianity. Many founding fathers, not all, were critical and skeptical of the Bible and the myths contained within. The founding fathers strongly believed that man was a rational being and that he, and he alone, determined his faith. No matter how much the Christian right wants to hide the truth, many of their cherished heroes were deists and were vehemently opposed to the idea of a national religion.
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