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The founding fathers were mostly deists and not Christians/protestants.

DanielBMarkham 17y ago
This is a true statement, yet incomplete. Part of the problem is that you're setting up a false dichotomy between Christian and Deist. It wasn't as religious as time as other times in United States history. But Christianity was the backdrop for most all deism at that time. Deists picked the parts of the story they liked and left the other parts. Jefferson, for instance, edited his own bible. John Adams is a good example of the general type of thinking: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Adams#Religious_views http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Adams#Religious_views Thomas Paine was probably the poster child for atheists among the famous people of that time. He was a real firecracker. Most of the founders, however, were just men of their age, and people of that age attended church and used Christian ideas and imagery extensively.
- ErrantX 17y ago
  I agree with your analysis for the most part. Except that much of the founding documentation/policy does not include religious imagery; and given the context (as you point out) that seems fairly deliberate.
  - DanielBMarkham 17y ago
    Yep. And where it is included it's a deity that is easily transposed on to many religions -- a Diest's diety. The God of Nature. "All men are endowed by their Creator", etc. Random Googling brought me to this site: http://www.adherents.com/gov/Founding_Fathers_Religion.html http://www.adherents.com/gov/Founding_Fathers_Religion.html Perhaps because these men were determined that differences in religion would not be a big deal, they were easily able to have prayer before each meeting without anybody getting offended. I'm pretty sure that the idea of _no_ religion in any kind of government event wouldn't have worked at all for these guys, though. Paine was "out there" and fiercely advocated it -- but he was the exception rather than the rule, and France was the worse for it, probably.
    - ErrantX 17y ago
      Great link, thanks. > hese men were determined that differences in religion would not be a big deal I always see it as a little step further than that. They saw it as irrelevant to the governance of a country. Perhaps personally atheism wouldn't have sat well with them (and I postulate that atheism was still new then and so not really widely considered) but I doubt it would have worried them to have atheists in government :) I suspect myself of having somewhat rose tinted specs though :) (the main point, I think, is that I don't believe any of the founding fathers would have burn't atheists at the stake - which is enough)

This is a true statement, yet incomplete. Part of the problem is that you're setting up a false dichotomy between Christian and Deist. It wasn't as religious as time as other times in United States history. But Christianity was the backdrop for most all deism at that time. Deists picked the parts of the story they liked and left the other parts. Jefferson, for instance, edited his own bible. John Adams is a good example of the general type of thinking: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Adams#Religious_views http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Adams#Religious_views Thomas Paine was probably the poster child for atheists among the famous people of that time. He was a real firecracker. Most of the founders, however, were just men of their age, and people of that age attended church and used Christian ideas and imagery extensively.

ErrantX 17y ago
I agree with your analysis for the most part. Except that much of the founding documentation/policy does not include religious imagery; and given the context (as you point out) that seems fairly deliberate.
- DanielBMarkham 17y ago
  Yep. And where it is included it's a deity that is easily transposed on to many religions -- a Diest's diety. The God of Nature. "All men are endowed by their Creator", etc. Random Googling brought me to this site: http://www.adherents.com/gov/Founding_Fathers_Religion.html http://www.adherents.com/gov/Founding_Fathers_Religion.html Perhaps because these men were determined that differences in religion would not be a big deal, they were easily able to have prayer before each meeting without anybody getting offended. I'm pretty sure that the idea of _no_ religion in any kind of government event wouldn't have worked at all for these guys, though. Paine was "out there" and fiercely advocated it -- but he was the exception rather than the rule, and France was the worse for it, probably.
  - ErrantX 17y ago
    Great link, thanks. > hese men were determined that differences in religion would not be a big deal I always see it as a little step further than that. They saw it as irrelevant to the governance of a country. Perhaps personally atheism wouldn't have sat well with them (and I postulate that atheism was still new then and so not really widely considered) but I doubt it would have worried them to have atheists in government :) I suspect myself of having somewhat rose tinted specs though :) (the main point, I think, is that I don't believe any of the founding fathers would have burn't atheists at the stake - which is enough)