This isn't a widespread misconception is it? Just a few people mistaking most for every single one? I mean, there were a lot of deist. Hell, most of the presidents on our money were not Christian.
2007-08-07 13:33:42 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Politics
I wish I could just show people the letters the deist founding fathers wrote. You know with their own words.
2007-08-07 13:37:46 · update #1
Well "deists are Christians." That's a fairly disturbing remark.
2007-08-07 13:39:26 · update #2
So? Has this been a major issue or concern for us these days?
2007-08-07 13:37:58 · answer #1 · answered by Oldvet 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
No, not all of the founding fathers were Christians but many of them were.
When Thomas Paine and the Age of Reason, many of his peers were very unhappy with him and wrote him to let him know. Here are a few of the quotes.
John Adams
The Christian religion is, above all the religions that ever prevailed or existed in ancient or modern times, the religion of wisdom, virtue equity and humanity, let the Blackguard [scoundrel, rogue] Paine say what he will.
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 exhibited! 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."
The general principles, on which the Fathers achieved independence, were the only Principles in which that beautiful Assembly of young Gentlemen could Unite....And what were these general Principles? I answer, the general Principles of Christianity, in which all these Sects were United: . . . Now I will avow, that I then believe, and now believe, that those general Principles of Christianity, are as eternal and immutable, as the Existence and Attributes of God; and that those Principles of Liberty, are as unalterable as human Nature and our terrestrial, mundane System.
Ben Franklin
[B]ad examples to youth are more rare in America, which must be comfortable consideration to parents. To this may be truly added, that serious religion, under its various denominations, is not only tolerated, but respected and practiced. Atheism is unknown there; infidelity rare and secret; so that persons may live to a great age in that country, without having their piety shocked by meeting with either an atheist or an infidel.
(Understand that Franklin called himself a deist, but was not a deist in the same sense of the word as we use it today. Same with Thomas Jefferson. Here is a quote from him.
I am a real Christian, that is to say, a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus—very different from the Platonists, who call me infidel and themselves Christians and preachers of the gospel, while they draw all their characteristic dogmas from what its Author never said nor saw. They have compounded from the heathen mysteries a system beyond the comprehension of man, of which the great Reformer of the vicious ethics and deism of the Jews, were He to return on earth, would not recognize one feature.
—To Charles Thomson. Bergh 14:385. (1816.)
2007-08-07 13:55:26 · answer #2 · answered by halestrm 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Most were "nothing". They were diest. They held God was in nature etc. A few like Jefferson were Christian but held a unique view of Christianity. They all certainly believed in God but felt God was in nature etc.
I think most felt God was removed from the Christianity they knew and they were against it. Franklin was an athiest. A few expressed they were impressed with Judiasm but where certainly not Jewish. It is a misconception they were Christian but not a misconception that they believed in God in some way (except Franklin who waffled back and forth)
2007-08-07 13:42:33 · answer #3 · answered by Feivel 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
People are confused. Many of the main ones were indeed diests.
A common definition of Deist: "One who believes in God but denies supernatural revelation."
By that definition they would NOT be considered Christians since they did not acknowledge the divinity of Jesus.
2007-08-07 14:09:09 · answer #4 · answered by ndmagicman 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Deists are Christian.
2007-08-07 13:37:09 · answer #5 · answered by irongrama 6 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Many of the founding fathers were free masons and Christians with a sprinkling of men who follow the Jewish faith.
2007-08-07 13:41:21 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
If all the powerful men in the colonies had been Christians we'd probably still be a colony. It was the freethinking liberals that had the vision to try a new direction.
2007-08-07 13:38:43 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
Oh, now our great government schools have got people (or at least one someone) to believe Abraham Lincoln was a founding father. God help us!
2007-08-07 13:57:22 · answer #8 · answered by dede_mcm 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
They weren't Christian. They were secular Puritans and deists.
2007-08-07 13:38:48 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
I think this is a widespread misconception. Very common, I think.
2007-08-07 13:36:41 · answer #10 · answered by muriel12 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋