The Founders on Religion

P@triot

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Jul 5, 2011
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Correction yet another left-wing false narrative. This time it is the lie that the founders wanted to build a "secular nation" in which the government was "free from religion".

"And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle. It is substantially true, that virtue or morality is a necessary spring of popular government. The rule, indeed, extends with more or less force to every species of free government. Who, that is a sincere friend to it, can look with indifference upon attempts to shake the foundation of the fabric?"

— George Washington Farewell Address (September 19, 1796)
 
The day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus by the Supreme Being in the womb of a virgin, will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of Jupiter. ... But we may hope that the dawn of reason and freedom of thought in these United States will do away with all this artificial scaffolding....~ Thomas Jefferson
 
"The propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained."

— George Washington First Inaugural Address (April 30, 1789)
 
Given that state supported persecution by the Catholic Church was the reason the Pilgrims left Europe, it is easy to see why the Founders wanted church doctrine kept out of government.
 
Just about every one of the founders believed in God....and not a God who simply made the earth and ignored it...a God who would judge individuals on their actions...even Benjamin Franklin and T. Jefferson believed it......

Separation of church and state was supposed to be the state leaving religions alone...not religious people leaving the state alone.
 
The day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus by the Supreme Being in the womb of a virgin, will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of Jupiter. ... But we may hope that the dawn of reason and freedom of thought in these United States will do away with all this artificial scaffolding....~ Thomas Jefferson
Are you sure you want to discuss Thomas Jefferson with me?!?

“The varieties in the structure and action of the human mind, as in those of the body, are the work of our Creator, against which it cannot be a religious duty to erect the standard of uniformity. The practice of morality being necessary for the well-being of society, He has taken care to impress its precepts so indelibly on our hearts that they shall not be effaced by the subtleties of our brain. We all agree in the obligation of the moral precepts of Jesus". – Thomas Jefferson in a letter to James Fishback (September 27, 1809.)

Founders Online: Thomas Jefferson to James Fishback (Draft), 27 September 1809

Check out this book on the iBooks Store: The Real Thomas Jefferson
 
Here is Benjamin Franklin....

Religion And Early Politics: Benjamin Franklin and His Religious Beliefs | PHMC > History > William Penn's Legacy: Religious and Spiritual Diversity > History

"Here is my Creed," Franklin wrote to Stiles. "I believe in one God, Creator of the Universe.

That He governs it by His Providence. That he ought to be worshipped.

That the most acceptable Service we render to him, is doing Good to his other Children.

That the Soul of Man is immortal, and will be treated with Justice in another Life respecting its Conduct in this ...

As for Jesus of Nazareth ... I think the system of Morals and Religion as he left them to us, the best the World ever saw ... but I have ... some Doubts to his Divinity; though' it is a Question I do not dogmatism upon, having never studied it, and think it is needless to busy myself with it now, where I expect soon an Opportunity of knowing the Truth with less Trouble."

The narrative was classic Franklin, witty and to the point. Religion was worthless unless it promoted virtuous behavior. Jesus was the greatest moral teacher who ever lived, but he was not God.

-----------

Franklin's early commitments to Deism did not last long. His flirtation with this world view was little more than a form of youthful rebellion against the Calvinism of his Puritan upbringing. Although he never returned to the Calvinism of his childhood, the religion of his parents leavened much of his adult thinking. Franklin believed in a Creator - God who possessed great wisdom, goodness, and power. This God not only created the world, but sustained it. Franklin was amazed, for example, at the way God created the stars and the planets, but was even more amazed that God continued "to govern them in their greatest Velocity as they shall not flie off out of their appointed Bounds nor dash one against another, to their mutual Destruction."

Franklin put his faith in an active God who watched over his natural creation and could, on occasion, intervene in the lives of his human creation as well. Thirty-six years after he claimed to embrace Deism, Franklin sounded like anything but an adherent to this religious system. "Without the Belief of a Providence that takes Cognizance of, guards and guides, and may favour particular Persons, there is no Motive to Worship a Deity, to fear its Displeasure, or to pray for its Protection," he wrote. This was also a God who answered prayer. Franklin wrote prayers for his own personal use and took time to rewrite the Lord's Prayer so that it was more suitable to contemporary readers. In July 1787, during the meeting of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, Franklin called for prayer to bring reconciliation to the political differences of the body.
 
Given that state supported persecution by the Catholic Church was the reason the Pilgrims left Europe, it is easy to see why the Founders wanted church doctrine kept out of government.


Yeah...except they didn't.....Thomas Jefferson conducted religious services in the State Capital building.....you know...they guy you guys hate because he owned slaves, but you all worship since he sent a private letter discussing church and state....which you all believe is the definitive word on religion and government.
 
Given that state supported persecution by the Catholic Church was the reason the Pilgrims left Europe, it is easy to see why the Founders wanted church doctrine kept out of government.
It's easy to see how you've been duped by the false narrative - ignoring the original writings of the founders in favor of the official left-wing position. Not surprising though considering the left are science deniers, biology deniers, and medical deniers. They might as well be history deniers as well. At least they will be consistent that way.
 
Yeah those Founding Fathers were smart for their time period, however this shows even smart sucessful people can be complete tools and fools..They keep saying what "morals attributed to Jesus" or "system of Morals and Religion as he left them to us",
yet they are the portion of the compiled religions that uses the kindness to strangers from Abraham and the moral laws of Moses, in other words they attribute the Torahs Ethos to Jesus instead of the sages of Judaism. And there was nothing moral about some of the things perv Ben Franklin used to do.
Which brings up: In the autobiography of
Benjamin Franklin, another Philadelphian like myself, he noticed the same things about his Presbyterian church.
He said on page 92 in the Riverside Literature Series of his autobiography, that it seemed they were more interested in making people Presbyterian rather then good citizens.
 
Poor republicans. If only the founders had written that congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, unless it's Christianity.
Poor hatriot. If only you took the time to actually read what the founders said. They didn't want governments in the church. They NEVER said they didn't want the church in government (in fact - they advocated the polar opposite).
 
Correction yet another left-wing false narrative. This time it is the lie that the founders wanted to build a "secular nation" in which the government was "free from religion".

"And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle. It is substantially true, that virtue or morality is a necessary spring of popular government. The rule, indeed, extends with more or less force to every species of free government. Who, that is a sincere friend to it, can look with indifference upon attempts to shake the foundation of the fabric?"

— George Washington Farewell Address (September 19, 1796)

Who cares? Are you aware this isn't the 19th century?
 
The Founders predate Darwin. It's not exactly a leap to think that they might have had seriously antiquated views about the underlying 'truths' taught by the religion of their times.
 

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