Question with boldness even the existence of God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason than that of blindfolded fear." - Thomas Jefferson
"Religions are all alike - founded upon fables and mythologies." - Thomas Jefferson
"History, I believe, furnishes no example of a priest-ridden people maintaining a free civil government." - Thomas Jefferson
"In no instance have . . . the churches been guardians of the liberties of the people." - James Madison
" The divinity of Jesus is made a convenient cover for absurdity." - John Adams
"Lighthouses are more helpful than churches." - Benjamin Franklin
2007-08-21 19:27:18 · 19 answers · asked by Joey's Back 6 in Politics & Government ➔ Politics
The essential issue is the difference between what was practiced as Christianity then and now.
Many of the founders believed in "Providence," a Creator who began the universe, but who was not intimately involved in every action of every person. You would no more have a "personal relationship" with such a Being than with gravity. And the emphasis was on following the precepts of Jesus, but that God the Father was the primary manifestation of God.
Modern Christianity, of course, has many flavors. But the evangelical version is a far cry from what most of the founders practiced. (Note that this doesn't make evangelicals wrong, but it does mean they are not viewing "Christianity" in the way the founders did.)
And of course, then as now, many practicers of religion would have said that they and only they were "Christians." Everyone else--Quaker, Catholic, Lutheran, etc.--were heretics or blasphemers.
2007-08-22 03:04:09 · answer #1 · answered by Bucky 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The founders believed in God. They prayed before every meeting when constructing the Constitution. They did not want the gvt imposing a national religion not just because they were afraid of the same kind of religious tyranny as that of europe, but they were also afraid of how gvt might suppress the rights of minority religions. The seperation of church and state exists to mainly protect religion from the gvt. They didnt want God out of gvt. They wanted to make sure that everyone would have the freedom to worship how they wanted.
Atheists dont just want to keep a national religion away from the gvt and imposed on the people. They want to take God completely away from both. There is NO possible way an atheist could ever make the argument that the founding fathers were atheists or ever had the desire to take God out of the equation when founding this nation.
2007-08-21 19:50:03 · answer #2 · answered by cadisneygirl 7 · 5⤊ 0⤋
some have been. Many weren't. particular some have been Deist. John Adams grew to become into Unitarian. Others reported they have been Christian by way of fact it fairly is merely the way it grew to become into back then, you had to declare you have been a Christian or human beings could question your sanity and morals. extra important than the founding fathers' faith grew to become into regardless of if the founding fathers needed the country to be a Christian u . s . a .. Overwhelmingly, they did no longer want that. I observed a cutting-edge documentary approximately it the place they quoted guy after guy announcing that they did no longer want united states of america's rules to be non secular in nature, that that grew to become into the very element they have been escaping from in Britain!
2016-10-09 00:34:09 · answer #3 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"Work as if you were to live to 100….pray to God as if you were to die tomorrow" Benjamin Franklin
On July 12, 1804 at his death, Alexander Hamilton said, "I have a tender reliance on the mercy of the Almighty, through the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ. I am a sinner. I look to Him for mercy; pray for me."
"I have carefully examined the evidences of the Christian religion, and if I was sitting as a juror upon its authenticity I would unhesitatingly give my verdict in its favor" Alexander Hamilton
"It cannot be emphasized too clearly and too often that this nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religion, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ" Patrick Henry May 1765
"The Bible is worth all other books which have ever been printed." Patrick Henry
" The doctrines of Jesus are simple, and tend to all the happiness of man." & "I am a real Christian, that is to say, a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus." Thomas Jefferson
"We've staked our future on our ability to follow the Ten Commandments with all of our heart." James Madison
"We've staked the future of all our political institutions upon our capacity…to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God." James Madison 1778 to the General Assembly of the State of Virginia
"Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof" Inscription on the liberty bell from Lev. 25, verse 10
2007-08-21 19:46:50 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 0⤋
Some were and some were not. This is not a list of all of them. I don't see Washington on your list... the Father of our Country... for example. Kind of a big name to miss. I also know a lot of people that are Christians, but don't like churches either, so a comment about a church is not really a comment against the existence of God.
2007-08-21 19:44:19 · answer #5 · answered by mnbvcxz52773 7 · 6⤊ 0⤋
"Almighty God: We make our earnest prayer that
Thou wilt keep the United States in Thy holy
protection: that Thou wilt incline the hearts of the
citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and
obediance to government, and entertain a brotherly
affection and love for one another and for their
fellow citizens of the United States at large.
And finally that Thou wilt most graciously be
pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love
mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity,
humility, and pacific temper of mind which were
the characteristics of the Divine Author of our
blessed religion, and without a humble imitation of
whose example in these things we can never hope
to be a happy nation.
Grant our supplication, we beseech Thee,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."
~ George Washington
2007-08-21 19:47:14 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
Most were Christians. But it has no bearing on today. Even if they were Christians, the Constitution is remarkedly non-Christian. They understood, more than many today, that this country is not a Christian country per se but a country for free practice of religion of all faiths. Something some members of congress need to understand.
2007-08-21 20:59:57 · answer #7 · answered by iwasnotanazipolka 7 · 4⤊ 1⤋
Where do you think the freedom of religion passage in the First Amendment to the Constitution came from? They may have made these quotes, but James Madison, who oversaw much of the Constitution's creation, allowed THAT through.
2007-08-21 19:56:35 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
;Being a Christan involves living a Christ like life ;you can judge a tree by its fruits; now that being said I cannot believe anyone who was Christ like would have mistreated slaves and treated them less than human,certainly hired hands were needed to work the land but how these men will be judged will certainly relate to how they treated their fellow human beings.Thomas Jefferson most definitely was an adulterer but then again so was Martin Luther King
2007-08-21 20:05:23 · answer #9 · answered by Elizabeth 6 · 4⤊ 0⤋
I suppose they were all at least nominally Christian, even the ones you've quoted, but there were many and I'm sure that they had varying degrees of belief. It seems those varying degrees of belief and opinion are why they produced the ambiguous document, our Constitution, that we still argue about 200 years after it was written.
2007-08-21 19:41:27 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 1⤋