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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 (a

• 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)