Be specific because in the past two years I've read over 300 books on early American history and I can't see what people mean when they call the Founders Deists. Do you mean they believed in Reason and Logic? If so then I think everyone is a Deist! Do you mean they did not adhere to any certain denomination? If so then millions of non-denominational Christians are Deists. If you mean they believe God created everything then left it all to nature, and never interfers or performs miracles, then perhaps only Jefferson was a Deist but Franklin and Washington were very much the opposite. If you mean they were Deists because they did not abide by any Holy Scripture, then Thomas Paine (though not a Founder) was certainly a Deist but Thomas Jefferson was very much the opposite since he wrote his own version of the Bible. So anyway, which of these definitions of Deism do people apply to the Founding Fathers?
2007-03-17 20:50:46 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Deism is belief in a Creator who operates by the Natural, not the supernatural.
2007-03-17 20:56:41 · answer #1 · answered by novangelis 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Deism maintains that religious beliefs should be founded on human reason instead of faith. It's not just about 'believing' in reason and logic. It is believing that these traits are the basis of religion, and that 'god' is found in nature.
The reason that this is controversial is because if you're a deist then you don't believe in all of the supernatural aspects of religion like, for example, the resurrection of Christ.
Thomas Paine and Ben Franklin were admitted Deists. It's not as clear about Thomas Jefferson.
2007-03-18 04:04:01 · answer #2 · answered by Miss D 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Founders were Deist in their actions.
Thomas Paine wrote 'Common Sense' and is very much one of the Founders.
Neither Washington, Jefferson, Madison, or Franklin would allow 'Jesus' or 'Christianity' in their Constitution or government in any way. In fact, the Senate was in session on Christmas until well into the nineteenth century.
Deists don't allow smarmy mythological beliefs or matters of religious canon to affect any part of their lives. The Founders were polite to Christianity and Christians, but made it clear that religion, to them, was a source of strife and wars. Foreign diplomacy clearly was geared toward no favoritism for any country based on religious affiliation; keep in mind that Morocco was the first country to recognize the new US, and diplomatic relations were established right away.
Jefferson cut most of the text out of the bible as nonsense. That doesn't mean that he held the remainder in high religious regard. It simply means that he tolerated the balance as at least not ridiculous.
2007-03-18 03:59:45 · answer #3 · answered by nora22000 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
We all agree to disagree.
There is a Higher Power....we don't attempt to define it, nor do we judge another's definition of it, when they attempt to use language to describe the Creator.
We do not abide by anyone else's opinion of the Holy scripture...it's a personal experience. (Christianity offers the same concept of divided by interpretation).
Deist's do not consider anyone less than or greater than themselves, regardless of their faith.
None of the definitions apply to the Founding Fathers....it was simply a matter of "one nation under God, and freedom of religion for all". It's a deist belief.
Do you know of any other group that believes that everyone has a full and equal right under both God and Law to believe in their religion or spirituality??
2007-03-18 04:10:13 · answer #4 · answered by ? 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Deists don't just roughly believe in the existence of any deity like theists, it is a whole different story. Of course, they (The FFs) believed in a god, but according to the definition of Deism, the deity does not interact with events at the scale of human beings
2007-03-18 03:54:32 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It means they believed there is a Creator, but that the creator doesn't do anything anymore. Also it was a vague concept of God. They were more about philosophy and reason like you said.
2007-03-18 03:53:21 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
take a theology class next--it just means that they believed in some godform, not lumping all of them together in any specific religion
2007-03-18 03:55:52 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It means that people like to rewrite history.
2007-03-18 04:00:23 · answer #8 · answered by mjb63114 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They were decent and believed in God.
2007-03-18 03:53:33 · answer #9 · answered by Joseph C 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it means they believed in jesus christ and he would show them the way
2007-03-18 03:55:37 · answer #10 · answered by fatdadslim 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋