Religious Views of the American Founders

[SigniferOne]

The Statistics

Statistical study of the original sources for the Founders' views and quotations

Article: "The Relative Influence of European Writers on Late Eighteenth-Century American Political Thought" (1984) Authors: Donald S. Lutz and Charles S. Hyneman Document size sample: ~15,000 Journal: American Political Science Review Percentage of the Founders quotes' origins: -The Bible, 34 percent -M. de Montesquieu, 8.3 percent -W. Blackstone, 7.9 percent -John Locke, 2.9 percent -David Hume, 2.7 percent -Plutarch, 1.5 percent -Beccaria, 1.5 percent -Trenchard and Gordon, 1.4 percent -Delolme, 1.4 percent -Samuel von Pufendorf, 1.3 percent -Cicero, 1.2 percent -Hugo Grotius, 0.9 percent -Shakespeare, 0.8 percent -Vattel, 0.5 percent.

Uncontroversial Cases of Religiosity

The 1782 Aitken Bible

The 1782 Aitken Bible (A Bible officially endorsed by Congress of the United States, also the first one printed on American soil) "Resolved, that the United States in Congress assembled highly approve the pious and laudable undertaking of Mr. Aitken [the printer], as subservient to the interest of religion, as well as an instance of the progress of arts in this coutntry, and being satisfied from the above report of his care and accuracy in the execution of the work, they recommend this edition of the Bible to the inhabitants of the United States, and hereby authorize him to publish this Recommendation in the manner he shall think proper. 1782"

Religious Views of the Indiviual Founders

James Wilson (Signer of the Declaration, founding Justice on the Supreme Court) In 1804, wrote: "All laws may be arranged in two different classes. 1) Divine. 2) Human. [...] But it should always be remembered that this law, natural or revealed, made for men or for nations, flows from the same Divine source: it is the law of God. [...] Human law must rest its authority ultimately upon the authority of that law which is Divine." John Jay (Founder of the US legal system, signer of the Declaration, first Chief Justice on the Supreme Court) In 1816 letter, wrote: "Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers." In 1818 letter, wrote: "The law was inexorable, and by requiring perfect obedience, under a penalty so inevitable and dreadful, operated as a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ for mercy." Richard Henry Lee (signer of Declaration, introduced the motion to secede from Britain, caused the creation of the Bill of Rights) In a 1785 letter to Madison, wrote: "Refiners may weave as fine a web of reason as they please, but the experience of all times shows Religion to be the guardian of morals -- and he must be a very inattentive observer in our Country, who does not see that avarice is accomplishing the destruction of religion" From Lee's Life and Correspondence: "Mr. Lee had early studied the evidences of the Christian religion, and had, throughout life, avowed his belief in its divine origin. He admired the perfection of its morality, and the sublimity of its peculiar theology. He was a member of the Episcopal Church; and although a hearty friend to all who professed the Gospel, he was strongly attached to the Church to which he belonged. ... In the vigour of his mind, amid the honours of the world, and its enjoyment, he had declared his belief, in Jesus Christ, as the savior of men." Patrick Henry ("Give me liberty or give me death", first governor of Virginia) In a 1796 letter, wrote: "Amongst other strange things said of me, I hear it is said by the deists that I am one of the number; and, indeed, that some good people think I am no Christian. This thought gives me much more pain than the appellation of Tory; because I think religion of infinitely higher importance than politics; and I find much cause to reproach myself that I have lived so long, and have given no decided and public proofs of my being a Christian. But, indeed, my dear child, this is a character which I prize far above all this world has, or can boast." Samuel Adams ("the father of the American Revolution", signer of the Declaration, subsequently four-term governor of Massachussetts) In 1772 wrote: "The Rights of the Colonists as Christians [...] may be best understood by reading and carefully studying the institutes of the great Law Giver and Head of the Christian Church, which are to be found clearly written and promulgated in the New Testament." Iin his will wrote: "Principally, and first of all, I resign my soul to the Almighty Being who gave it, and my body I commit to the dust, relying on the merits of Jesus Christ for the pardon of my sins." Continued, as governor, the Massachussetts State Religion, which remained in effect after formation of the federal government in 1789. Nine out of thirteen states had State Religions during the passing of the Constitution in 1789. Published, as governor, proclamations for public fasting, humiliation, and prayer, such as this one from 1795: Alexander Hamilton (Signer of the Constitution, first Secretary of the Treasury, author of 55 Federalist Papers) In 1804, wrote: "I have a tender reliance on the mercy of the Almighty through the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ." In 1801 wrote: "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. I can prove its truth as clearly as any proposition ever submitted to the mind of man." In an 1802 letter formed the "Constitutional Christian Society", for the promotion of Christians into all posts in the US Government: "I now offer you the outline of the plan my reflections have suggested. Let an association be formed to be denominated 'The Christian Constitutional Society,' its object to be first: The support of the Christian religion. Second: The support of the United States. [...] Its aim will be the use of all lawful means in concert to promote the election of fit men." Benjamin Rush (Signer of the Declaration, called by Adams the greatest Founder alongside Franklin and Washington): First Bible Society in America. First mass-produced Bible in America. First Sunday School Movement in America. John Adams (Signer of the Declaration, 2nd President of the United States) In 1815 described his dislike of the rule of priests: "The question before the human race is, whether the God of Nature shall govern the world by his own laws, or whether priests and kings shall rule it by fictitious miracles? Or, in other words, whether authority is originally in the people? Or whether it has descended for 1800 years in a succession of popes and bishops." But in his autobiography wrote of Christianity: "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 Utopia, what a Paradise would this region be." In 1817 letter to Jefferson, wrote: "Without religion this world would be something not fit to be mentioned in polite company, I mean Hell." In 1809 letter to Rush, wrote: "The Holy Ghost carries on the whole Christian system in this earth. Not a baptism, not a marriage, not a sacrament can be administered but by the Holy Ghost. [...] There is no authority, civil or religious – there can be no legitimate government but what is administered by this Holy Ghost."

Religion as state-established in most of the States

The above evaluation could be written for all others of the fifty-six Signers of the Declaration and Founders, with the exclusion of the three dissenting cases below. Nine out of the thirteen founding states had official State Religions, before and after the First Amendment. The latter prohibited only the federal establishment of religion, out of fear of usurpation of the religions of the states. The most notable was the Church of Massachussetts, which maintained an official state religion (before and after the formation of the federal government) until 1833.

Three Dissenting Cases

Dissenting cases

George Washington (General of the army, first President of the United States) There is a conflicting array of views on him: his unceasing attendance of church, but his absence of taking the sacraments. His lack of public expressions of religion, yet intense and repeated invocations of a personal, interventional, Deity. Instead of a series of divergent quotes, here is a summary from "Washington's Sacred Fire" (2002): "What we have proved, quite conclusively, is that Washington cannot be called a Deist—at least, not in a sense that excludes his being Christian. Although he did most often address God in the proper names a Deist might use—such as "Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be" and "Disposer of all human events"—the actions that Washington expected God to perform, as expressed both in his official public prayers, and in his private prayers as recorded, are the sorts of actions only the God of the Bible performs: interposing his actions in human events, forgiving sins, enlightening minds, bringing good harvests, intervening on behalf of one party in a struggle between good and evil, etc. Many persons at the end of the 18th century were both Christians and Deists. But it cannot be said, in the simpleminded sense in which historians have become accustomed to putting it, that Washington was merely a Deist, or even that the God to whom he prayed was expected to behave like a Deist God at all." Thomas Jefferson An apt summation of his multiplicitious views on religion: "Jefferson believed in one God, in divine providence, in the divine moral law, and in rewards and punishments after death; but did not believe in supernatural revelation. He was a Christian deist because he saw Christianity as the highest expression of natural religion and Jesus as an incomparably great moral teacher. He was not an orthodox Christian because he rejected, among other things, the doctrines that Jesus was the promised Messiah and the incarnate Son of God." Was asked by Congress to design the Great Seal of the United States, came back with a Biblical, Mosaic imagery as to what he thought the one symbolic image of the United States ought to be. Benjamin Franklin At the age of 16 wrote: "Some books against Deism fell into my hands. [...] in short, I soon became a through Deist." Late in his autobiography, wrote: "Sunday being my studying day, I never was without some religious principles. I never doubted, for instance, the existence of the Deity; that He made the world, and governed it by His providence; that the most acceptable service of God was the doing good to man; that our souls are immortal; and that all crime will be punished, and virtue rewarded, either here or hereafter." In 1790, few weeks before death, wrote: "As to Jesus of Nazareth, I think the system of morals and his religion as he left them to us, the best the world ever saw or is like to see; but I apprehend it has received various corrupting changes, and I have with most of the present dissenters in England, some doubts as to his divinity; though it is a question I do not dogmatise upon, having never studied it, and think it needless to busy myself with it now, when I expect soon an opportunity of knowing the truth with less trouble. [...] Having experienced the goodness of that Being in conducting me prosperously through a long life, I have no doubt of its continuance in the next." This was the extent of his dissents.

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[Torment]

"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 Utopia, what a Paradise would this region be."

I nearly peed myself at this one!

Thanks for the post though. Gave me a good laugh.

[scarybandit]

The whole idea of basing your opinions on what some bunch of 'founding fathers' thought it is frankly, cultish and weird - an American religion in its own right.

[Hattushilish]

The whole idea of basing your opinions on what some bunch of 'founding fathers' thought it is frankly, cultish and weird - an American religion in its own right.

I couldn't agree more.

[SigniferOne]

I didn't say it was to be a basis for my own opinions. I'm just saying that facts cannot hurt any discussion, and since so many people are grievously misled on the situation, I thought I'd clear up a few things.

[Stavroforos]

Sig, I just have one question, and I don't mean to be contentious on this matter since I am not well informed on it. I assume (perhaps incorrectly) that the purpose of this thread is to show how America didn't have just a secular foundation but that it was also founded on Christian principles, or perhaps even on a large-scale followed those Christian principles. My question is, couldn't the religious views of the Founders be independent of their political views? For example, I am a Christian, but I don't let that determine how I feel about secular authorities and institutions. Isn't it possible that even though American law and government may have used Christian principles, that that does not necessarily equate to American being a Christian nation, or a nation with an explicitly Christian foundation?

Just a few questions, and then I'll leave you alone, pwomise.

[basics]

I don't believe that America was founded to be a Christian country. That it's founders were Christian however was the basis on what they lived by and by consequence the very principles with which they gathered together as being the foundation on which to build.

For a start, America had a large unconverted population of indigenous natives as well as them who went there with some religion, even none at all, and the fathers were well aware of this. So the intent to make America Christian was not on the agenda but to live by Christian principles was. So where intolerance was not expected, it in fact became very much to the fore, even then.

[Pontifex Maximus]

*sigh*

Nobody is doubting the majority were theists. It is just obvious that America wasn't founded to be a Christian nation. That much should be obvious when you read the Constitution.

[Big War Bird]

This should be pinned - good work.

[Habelo]

People from europe moved to america.

One of the main reasons: get away from the church that was either controlled by king or the pope.

[Big War Bird]

One of the main reasons: get away from the church that was either controlled by king or the pope.

No, it wasn't. IIRC from my immiration studies olny about 2% migrated for religious reasons.

[Habelo]

No, it wasn't. IIRC from my immiration studies olny about 2% migrated for religious reasons.

"studies".

The oppression in europe from the church was great. And one of the main targets of the revolution. A *real* proof that many fleed from the church.

[SigniferOne]

People from europe moved to america.

One of the main reasons: get away from the church that was either controlled by king or the pope.

That's right, people moved to America to get away from religious oppression, the Puritans first and foremost among them.

However the unstated addition in your point is that they moved to America to get away from religion, when the nearly fanatical Puritans are an excellent counterpoint to that.

The fact is, Americans were fanatically religious and devoted to religion, which included a vast majority of the Founding Fathers. Even of the most skeptical example Jefferson, it can be said that he "believed in one God, in divine providence, in the divine moral law, and in rewards and punishments after death".

Now if we all agree on that, great. I have just seen a few too many claiming that the Founders were mostly deist or atheist.

My question is, couldn't the religious views of the Founders be independent of their political views? For example, I am a Christian, but I don't let that determine how I feel about secular authorities and institutions.

I don't think it's possible for you not to think about secular institutions. You would obviously get little from the Bible on some minute or particular governmental procedure, but you would clearly view and require certain basic things about the institutions around you.

Please see the quotes above. it was Samuel Adams that said:

""The Rights of the Colonists as Christians [...] may be best understood by reading and carefully studying the institutes of the great Law Giver and Head of the Christian Church, which are to be found clearly written and promulgated in the New Testament."


I never cease repeating that 9 of 13 states had state religions. And these were not somehow automatically nullified by passage of the federal government and the Constitution.

Isn't it possible that even though American law and government may have used Christian principles, that that does not necessarily equate to American being a Christian nation

That depends on what you mean by "Christian nation". It's very important that we clarify that, because people throw it around without really knowing what it means.

One that it doesn't mean is that it was for Christians. That it most certainly wasn't.

But people often mean something different. There is it is a tacit assumption that most of the Founders were deists or atheists. The Constitution that was written did not establish a religion. Therefore!, the logic goes, religion was unimportant for the American founding generation.

The response to that is very simple. The Constitution did not establish a religion, but the founders, factually, were not deists or atheists. Then why the heck would these people not establish a religion, right? Because they already had established religions in their own particular states! Only the federal government was forbidden to do these things, mainly so that it would not establish one state's religion and oppress the rest.

I'll give you an example of what this means today: you can go to a state, and if you persuade people enough you can establish a religion there. There will be a big uproar about the separation of church and state, because these people simply don't understand that by "the state" is meant the whole American state, the federal constitution, while the states are and have always been sovereign, and on the state level the Founders never intended a secular nation. The federal government was secular to protect the states' individual religions.

I'm not saying I'm encouraging a theocracy, and the Founding Fathers didn't either. When Sam Adams issued public procalamations for fasting and prayer, what do you think he'd say about forbidding the 10 Commandments from his state court-house? But he wasn't for a theocracy either. There is a profound atheist assumption that if religious principles influence a country then that makes it a theocracy, which is historically ignorant.

[removeduser_4536284751384]

"studies".

The oppression in europe from the church was great. And one of the main targets of the revolution. A *real* proof that many fleed from the church.

Only Poland, Italy, France and Spain were powerful catholic countries before the US revolution. Only Spain was devout enogugh to opress its people over religion. France massacred most of its clergy and burned down its churches after the revolution there.

the rest of Europe was protestant.

Besides practically all the inhabitants of the 13 colonies were British, who were protestant.

Sorry your catholic hating sunday school was wrong.

[SigniferOne]

You're still appealing to the authority of the speakers instead of the validity of their ideas

Perhaps you're misunderstanding the purpose of this thread. This purpose is to show the religiosity of the founders, not to prove the validity of those religious ideas which can be relegated to other threads.

For you see, many self-respecting people actually propose that the founders were not religious or even anti-religious, when the very opposite was the case. That's what the thread is about.

[SigniferOne]

Nobody is basing anything on anything. There has been an egregious factual fault from commentators on the American system, namely as to its nature, as created by it original authors. Since that original system exists and has relevance still today, those original creators have relevance and significance too. Since their ideas and values were universal, it is also to be hoped that they will always relevance and significance, every time, anywhere in the world, a person's heart burns with morality and antipathy to oppression.

[basics]

If I may add it is that America is probably the last bastion of reformed religion in the world and that can be put down to two things, one, the founding fathers and two, the influx of Presbyterians, the Scots/Irish who established themselves under more persecution when they did arrive and try to settle where Anglicanism was prevalent. Of course they moved on thus enlarging that country without having to give way on what they believed.

Now it is not unfair to say that from this grouping believing as the founders did that there was but one God, Saviour and Spirit, that they have provided America with the leaders of which free men may be proud. Therefore not being an American I can safely say I thank God for them that the safety of my country and my family comes about by their beliefs.

[scarybandit]

Nobody is basing anything on anything. There has been an egregious factual fault from commentators on the American system, namely as to its nature, as created by it original authors. Since that original system exists and has relevance still today, those original creators have relevance and significance too. Since their ideas and values were universal, it is also to be hoped that they will always relevance and significance, every time, anywhere in the world, a person's heart burns with morality and antipathy to oppression.

You're still appealing to the authority of the speakers instead of the validity of their ideas, so I'm still smelling religion.

Also, they forgot about emancipation and universal suffrage and the right to get stoned whilst playing Stainless Steel on Sunday night.

[Lonck]

isn't pride a sin? Also what are you trying to accomplish here? Want to go back to the 1800s? Cuz religion doesn't agree with science. If America hadn't gone secular or put religion in the back seat you wouldn't be having instant distant conversations.

[SigniferOne]

If I may add it is that America is probably the last bastion of reformed religion in the world and that can be put down to two things, one, the founding fathers and two, the influx of Presbyterians, the Scots/Irish who established themselves under more persecution when they did arrive and try to settle where Anglicanism was prevalent. Of course they moved on thus enlarging that country without having to give way on what they believed.

The original population was composed entirely of Anglicans, Presbyterians, and Puritans. The Irish were Catholic, and came during the famines of the 19th century.

I disagree that although the original generations fled persecution, they established themselves under similar persecution here. They were the ones who made religious toleration the cornerstone of America, and this includes the Puritans, many of whom were intolerant where they came from, and even fought under Cromwell.

Now it is not unfair to say that from this grouping believing as the founders did that there was but one God, Saviour and Spirit, that they have provided America with the leaders of which free men may be proud. Therefore not being an American I can safely say I thank God for them that the safety of my country and my family comes about by their beliefs.

I needn't remind you that your forefathers gave them birth. To be like your ancestors was the only thing they wanted to be.

isn't pride a sin?

Is stating inconvenient facts pride now?

Also what are you trying to accomplish here? Want to go back to the 1800s? Cuz religion doesn't agree with science. If America hadn't gone secular or put religion in the back seat you wouldn't be having instant distant conversations.

Learn a thing or two.