Were the Founding Father's Christians? If so, did their religion affect the Constitution?

Question

"It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religious, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ."--Patrick Henry

"I am a Christian, that is to say a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus."--Thomas Jefferson

"It is impossible to govern the world without God and the Bible. Of all the dispositions and habits that lead to political prosperity, our religion and morality are the indispensable supporters. Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that our national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle." --George Washington

"Oh, eternal and everlasting God, direct my thoughts, words and work. Wash away my sins in the immaculate blood of the lamb and purge my heart by the Holy Spirit."
--George Washington's perosnal prayer book

Answer 1

Not all of them were. You really need to use real quotes. It only takes a second to find out that you are using very questionable ones that have no documentation.

http://www.religioustolerance.org/badquotes.htm
http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/capital.asp
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Patrick_Henry

Answer 2

Most of them were not Christians in the Orthodox way. They were Deists, and Thomas Jefferson was a Christian Deist in the sense that he rejected all the super natural stuff including that Jesus was the Messiah and the Son of God. He started off as a Christian, but after going to college at William and Mary, he changed to a Deistic view of Christianity, or something contemporaries might call extreme liberal Christian. Basically he took Christianity as a book of Philosophy to follow, so he did quote Christ because he believed Christ was a good moral character. He even completely rejected the Adam and Eve story. So he saw through reason Christianity was wrong, but his indoctrination made it impossible for him to reject it completely.

Answer 3

Many of the forefathers followed Unitarianism, which at that time was heavily based in Christian doctrine. In fact Jefferson wrote in 1822,

"I rejoice that in this blessed country of free inquiry and belief, which has surrendered its conscience to neither kings nor priests, the genuine doctrine of one God is reviving and I trust that there is not a young man now living in the United States who will not die a Unitarian.""

They were religious liberals and believed in religious toleration. They specifically chose not to make the United States a religious state. They broke with the European tradition of the divine right of kings.

This was further emphasized later with the establishment clause of the first ammendment to the constitution which forbids the establishment of a state religion.

They were men of principle regardless of their faith, and those principles did indeed affect the Constitution.

Answer 4

Yes and yes, history teachers would love to tell you otherwise in order to keep from lending Christianity any credibility but the evidence is overwhelming that they were at the very least professing Christians.

Try "Under God" by Toby Mac and Micheal Tait for a collection of historical documents showing the leading Americans of the day's belief in God.

Answer 5

I think some of the founding fathers were deists and some were really christians, but I don't think there can be any doubt that the constitution is greatly influenced by the Christianity which was the religion of the masses at the time (and still is actually).

Hoping the best for you...

Answer 6

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Answer 7

while all this is true, they emphasized that there should be a dividing of Church and state. Many people came to this country to escape religious persecution. From the Quakers who refused to fight to Amish who not only refused to kill but didn't want any modern technology. To the Ladder day saints who went to Utah seeking the promise land. Mennonites to Protestants didn't want the government telling them how to worship. The Catholic Church dominated Europe and caused the people to flee because of religious persacution. One of the reasons this country has had all the modern inventions is because it hasn't spent all his resources in controling the minds of the people..
It is our freedoms that made us great. Not our religion.

Answer 8

Indeed, and you also need to look up "The Jefferson Bible."

SERIOUSLY! It does exist!

He cut out the OT, he removed the miracles, and focused only on Christ's moral teachings. He did not believe Christ was God.

Answer 9

No. THey MIGHT have been deists, but they only used the word "god" to describe nature.

In the treaty with Tripoli, George Washington specifically stated that the US was NOT a christian nation.

You are taking those quotes out of context.

Answer 10

Their Christianity affected all aspects of government then. Today it does not and many people want the opposite, that is, no spiritual philosophies incorporated into laws. his is why today's government is becoming useless & impotant. George said it best.