Does it influence your opinion of these people that the following important persons, leaders, innovators ...?

Question

were completely non-religious and/or atheistic?

Thomas Jefferson
Benjamin Franklin
John Adams
James Madison
Others:
Thomas Edison
Albert Einstein
Gallileo
Stephen Hawking
Mark Twain
Voltaire

"Religions are all alike - founded upon fables and mythologies." - Thomas Jefferson



"But how has it happened that millions of fables, tales, legends, have been blended with both Jewish and Christian revelation that have made them the most bloody religion that ever existed." - John Adams



Will you simply discredit or defame them?

Answer 1

Not at all.

Open-mindedness and brilliance seem to be a common trait inherent in *most* of those who are atheist. The greatest religions in the world at some point in time require their followers to be submissive and unbendingly loyal to the tenets and regulations in which, not the founders, but the 'godfathers' and political inheritors of the religion command them to obey.

Even I was an atheist who, not only questioned the existence of God, but more defiantly stated that 'There is no God'(Astaghfirullah).

Logic and truth are key in seeking 'Truth'. Even I, a Muslim, admit without hesitation that even mainstream Sunni Islam has been corrupted and dumbed down over the years. Many call me 'heretic' because of my call for Ijtihad(Islamic Free-thinking), but only God knows best.

Atheists possess an uncanniness and a willingness to 'break out of the box'.

'...[L]ove the Lord thy God with... all thy mind...' -Jesus(A.S.) Mark 12:29

It simply means 'God gave you a brain so THINK'...

'...[A]n Arab is no better than a non-Arab... a white man is no better than a black man... We all descended from Adam and Adam came from dust' -The Prophet Muhammad(S.A.W.)

And yet a majority of the Muslims frown upon Jews, and Christians and a majority of the Arab leaders find themselves with a superiority complex...

Seek knowledge for knowledge is power; power is freedom; freedom is peace...

May peace be upon you...

Answer 2

Interesting, because here are some quotos from 3 of the men you have listed, are you going to discredit or defame them?

"I have lived, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth -- that God Governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?

We have been assured, in the Sacred Writings, that "except the Lord build the House, they labor in vain that build it." I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without His concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel: We shall be divided by our partial local interests; our projects will be confounded, and we ourselves shall become a reproach and bye word down to future ages.

And what is worse, mankind may hereafter from this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing Governments by Human wisdom and leave it to chance, war and conquest.

I therefore beg leave to move -- that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessing on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to officiate in that service."
Benjamin Franklin
Address at the Constitutional Convention Thursday June 28, 1787

"Suppose a nation in some distant region should take the Bible for their only law book, and every member should regulate his conduct by the precepts there contained ! Every member would be obliged in conscience to temperance, frugality and industry: to justice, kindness and charity towards his fellow men: and to piety, love and reverence toward Almighty God....What a Eutopia, what a Paradise would this region be."
John Adams
Entered into his diary February 22, 1756

"I am a real Christian, that is to say, a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus Christ."
Thomas Jefferson,
From his will

Answer 3

No, does it influence your opinion that George Washington was a God fearing man.
No, because you live in a small tiny bubble were all you want to do is discredit the Bible. Why only the negative, if your point is so strong, why not post what Christian leaders have said and influenced the nation.
Unbelievers arguments all always so one sided and biased. And I will admit that these men have their own views, but I am not one to follow man but GOD.
To expound on this some, why is it that you can hear every vulgar word uttered in a TV show, but the show will be pulled off the air if it mentions the name of Jesus. In fact you can say Allah, Zeus, Odin, Ammon-Ra or Aphrodite but heaven forbid we mention Jesus Christ.

Answer 4

actually, thomas jefferson was a deeply spiritual person, who simply believed in the separation of church and state to prevent the government from being able to foist one state religion upon the people.

also, albert einstein was an orthodox jew. galileo was a practicing christian, he was simply a scientist at a time when that word meant heretic to the state religion, and one wasn't allowed to be both.

not everyone has to believe in the same thing. it certainly doesn't discredit or defame anyone to have a different form of spirituality. gahndi, geronimo, the dali llama - all were are deeply spiritual, believing in vastly different forms of religion.

Answer 5

First of all, I think you need to take Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, John Adams and James Madison off of your short-list.

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

Benjamin Franklin: | Portrait of Ben Franklin
“ God governs in the affairs of man. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? We have been assured in the Sacred Writings that except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. I firmly believe this. I also believe that, without His concurring aid, we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel” –Constitutional Convention of 1787 - original text

John Adams:
“ The general principles upon which the Fathers achieved independence were the general principals of Christianity… I will avow that I believed and now believe that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God.”
• “[July 4th] ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty.”
–John Adams in a letter written to Abigail on the day the Declaration was approved by Congress

James Madison
• I have sometimes thought there could not be a stronger testimony in favor of religion or against temporal enjoyments, even the most rational and manly, than for men who occupy the most honorable and gainful departments and [who] are rising in reputation and wealth, publicly to declare the unsatisfactoriness [of temportal enjoyments] by becoming fervent advocates in the cause of Christ; and I wish you may give in your evidence in this way.
Letter by Madison to William Bradford (September 25, 1773)

So, in my view, you are factual incorrect in your list of non-believers / atheists.

Answer 6

Doesn't matter to me at all. Just like it wouldn't matter if Ben Franklin or Thomas Jefferson was a Protestant or a Catholic. Of course it makes more sense that scientists are non-religious. Some were raised in a religious family but as an adults and 'thinking for themselves' they decided that God doesn't exist because their science hadn't proven His existence. At least to their likely.

What about believing that God created these particiular people for the purpose to invent certain things, to discover certain things, and to become politicians? As note that people that discover things, like electricity and gravity, didn't create those things. God created those things and people only 'discovered' them and used them to make life better. Can you fathom that God put certain things in/on/around this planet for our benefit? And He created some people to discover this things and other people to use these things for our survival? To make our survival easier? better? Sad thing is that God gave us certain gifts and many abuse those gifts and many use those gifts against their own Creator.

Answer 7

No, I would not discredit them. They all contributed greatly to our country and our world. Their personal relationship (or lack thereof) with God is their own business. Between them and God. And if they choose not to have one, it doesn't change what they have done to try and make the world a better place.

I am a Christian, and an American, and I believe in individual responsibility and the freedom to choose to believe whatever you want.

Answer 8

Jefferson, Franklin, Adams and Madison hardly mean anything to me. As European I don't see them even remotely as great thinkers.

People like Einstein, Voltaire or Mark twain hardly qualify as experts in theology.

I'm an atheist, but I honestly don't care what all those people believe or believed.

Answer 9

Not at all, and while some of them didn't believe in religion, some of them did believe in God, just not the "traditional" religious view of it. They still make/made valuable contributions to our society....

Answer 10

Nope, it does not bother me a bit. it is real easy to find pro-Christianity statements from almost all of those very people. it is not hard to do just look on line.