Sometimes famous people let things slip...

[onager]

"My idea of Hell, if I believed in it, would be to sit...and watch someone breathing hard, struggling for words when s gleam of consciousness returns and thinking 'this was once the little boy I played with and scolded, he could have been so much and this is what he is...'"

Eleanor Roosevelt, talking about the death of her brother, Hall. He was an alcoholic (like her father) who died of cirrhosis, aged 51.

From Doris Kearns Goodwin's book "No Ordinary Time - Franklin & Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II."

I'm still reading the book. No other mentions of creeping atheism among the Roosevelts. In fact, Goodwin mentions that FDR tried to attend church every Sunday.

For anyone thinking about checking this one out, it's a great read so far. Really humanizes the Roosevelts and discusses their flaws as well as their accomplishments.

[Warpy]

1. A lot of non churchy theists out there refuse to believe in hell

because it just doesn't work when you think the hand guiding the universe is benevolent.

[Curmudgeoness]

2. It could just be a non-belief in hell,

and not a non-belief in God. There are a lot of Christians who do not believe in hell.

And as to FDR attending church every Sunday, as he could, I notice that most politicians do. And I am not quite sure that many of them have any belief in God, or they would never act the way that they do. I think that it is so expected in our society that they go for show.

[Brainstormy]

4. Agree

I try to tell myself that Obama is just too smart to be a religious. But you don't know. They have no choice in American politics.

You're right, too, about non-belief in hell not being a deal breaker. Jews, for example, skip that part. Frankly, giving up the idea of hell is the only part I miss. I really liked to think about Dick Cheney being there. Oh, well.

[Curmudgeoness]

5. Cheney would definitely not be alone in my dreams. nt

[OriginalGeek]

7. Yep, my Grandma was very religious

Refused to believe in hell. God wouldn't do that to us.

If there's a god I hope she was right! lol

[JNelson6563]

3. Wow. Heartbreaking.

What a human moment. I can relate completely. My twin brother.

Julie

[onager]

8. Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that.

My father had a twin brother who was an alcoholic. When I was a kid I just thought he was "fun." And didn't understand why my mother perma-banned me from going anywhere with him.

Twins are usually so close, that must have been devastating for you. I'm really sorry.

Another uncle was an alcoholic who thought he could cure himself with pure moonshine whiskey, cut with sugar. I have no idea how that was supposed to work. But his daughter and I once rode around for hours with him, trying to find...homemade booze of just the right quality, I guess. This was in the Appalachians, so moonshine wasn't that hard to find.

[defacto7]

6. Doris Kearns Goodwin is an amazing writer

and does amazing research. I read everything she writes... or I'm trying to get to that point.

[progressoid]

9. May have to get that book for my wife for Xmas.

So I can read it.