What religious beliefs were held by the writers of the constitution?

Answer 1

The majority were Deists, which is why the Declaration of Independence states "Creator" instead of "God".

Answer 2

Most were Deist or Protestant.

In the debates of the Constitutional Convention, religion did not get a lot of sound bites. It should be noted that without exception, the Framers were Christian or, at the very least, believed in God (Deism). There were no Jews or Muslims, no Hindus or atheists, and only two Roman Catholics. There were members of more than a half-dozen sects of the Protestant side of Christianity, though. Disagreements about style and method of worship between them were nearly as vast and incongruous as any seen today between, say, Jews and Muslims, such that the Framers wanted to ensure that no one sect could ever seize control of a government and start a theocracy.

James Madison, when speaking of the method and manner of the election of the members of the Congress, noted that even "Religion itself may become a motive to persecution and oppression," telegraphing his own desire for no religious test for government service. He had been a prime mover in the efforts of some Virginia lawmakers to ensure that no preference be given to any religion in that state, and that a proposed tax to aid religious efforts be defeated. Madison and one of the Pinkney cousins moved, in the waning days of the Convention, that the Congress be permitted the power to establish a university, with the express stipulation that "no preferences or distinctions should be allowed on account of Religion." The motion was turned down on a six to four vote, but it was another illustration of his desire to extend no preference to any religious sect.

Answer 3

The majority were NOT Deists...they were professing CHRISTIANS!

Lambert (2003) has examined the religious affiliations and beliefs of the Founders. Of the 55 delegates to the 1787 Constitutional Convention, 49 were Protestants, and two were Roman Catholics (D. Carroll, and Fitzsimons). Among the Protestant delegates to the Constitutional Convention, 28 were Church of England (or Episcopalian, after the American Revolutionary War was won), eight were Presbyterians, seven were Congregationalists, two were Lutherans, two were Dutch Reformed, and two were Methodists.

Of the 55 Framers only FOUR could possibly be called "anti-clerics." Of these, the most irreligious was Benjamin Franklin -- who once wrote:

"The worship of God is a duty; the hearing and reading of Sermons may be useful; but, if Men rest in Hearing and Praying, as too many do, it is as if a Tree should Value itself on being water’d and putting forth Leaves, tho’ it never produc’d any Fruit.”

When one considers Franklin's own works for the Kingdom of the Christian God (contributions to churches, Bible publishing societies, et al.) one arrives at the notion that were he alive today, fools like "The Doctor" who call the Framers "Deists" would likely label Franklin a Right-Wing Christian zealot.

Answer 4

If you read their journals and personal correspondence the both claimed to be atheists. That is why they specifically forbade the establishment of any official State religion, they had just fought a war to break away from a Christian nation where the Head of State, the King, was also the Head of the Church. It was their stated intent to insure that Christians would not have the power of law to compell the citizens of the U.S. to practice a religion in which they did not believe. The fact that this was not a Christian nation, since it rejected the Biblically based Right to Own Slaves, was one of the main reasons for the seccesion of the South and the Formation of the Confederacy, which was specifically founded as a Christian nation. The only one of the Founding Fathers who wanted this to be a Christian nation was Ben Franklin, a tremendous elitist, who considered Christianity the best available tool for controling the stupid and ignorant, they being the only ones who could believe in it. If you will recall, Jefferson, in the Declaration of Independence. went out of way not make any reference to Jesus, the Bible, or the Christian god, specifying instead "Nature and it's God", with references to "man's Creator" and to "Providence". Christians claim he was refering to the Christian God, but he never did. In fact when asked about it he once wrote: "Say nothing of my religion. It's evidence before the world is to be sought in my life: If it has been honest and dutifull to society, then the religion which has regulated it cannot be a bad one." That is hardly the attitude of someone witnessing for Jesus. Many people also claim as proof of his Christian faith the fact that he considered the Bible a good source of ethical teaching, however, since he said the same thing about Plato, and numerous others, this can hardly be considered valid evidence.

Answer 5

Read it carefully, and you will see that they were the type of persons who beleived that no state should make laws establishing a state sponsored religion. That is the only thing that matters....even they were far-sighted enough to see the issues that would arise if religion was forced onto people... Which is why they wrote the first amendment.

The first amendment doesnt guarantee the freedom to shove your beleifs onto others. It allows you the freedom to beelive what you want, without forcing it onto others. Too bad most dont understand this....

Are all Christians Protestants??? Cuz the Founding Fathers were....Protestants, that is....

Answer 6

All were raised as Christians. Some were still practicing Christians, others were secular, with a moral background drawn from religious beliefs as well as secular writers like John Stuart Mill.

Answer 7

The Founding Fathers were Deists:
http://skeptically.org/thinkersonreligion/id9.html
and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deism

Answer 8

The original religious right.

Funny how nowadays those who are religious and conservative are labeled extremist or out of the mainstream, as was the case with recent supreme court nominations.

Answer 9

Most were Deists. Try reading the Thomas Jefferson Redacted Bible sometime...very interesting.

Answer 10

A variety of theists, xians, freethinkers, and the like.