Religion And The Founding Fathers

[iamjoy]

Our local paper (Orlando Sentinel) has been publishing several letters to the editor about whether or not our Founding Fathers wanted us to be a Christian nation, or were we founded on Christian principles, and everyone is quoting different documents. But no one brings up the moral culture of the time and I am thinking of submitting this letter (what do you all think):


The Sentinel has published several letters discussing what our Founding Fathers intended with regard to religion (specifically Christianity), and to what extend it should influence our culture and laws. We would do well to remember that the Constitution and laws our Founding Fathers established only recognized white males as having full rights under this democracy. They did nothing to prevent human bondage; many actually owned slaves. Legally, women were little more than chattel. Early laws permitted treating the native populations (then referred to as heathens or savages) horrendously. All of these attitudes were in keeping with the religious and social attitudes of the time. This is not to insult our Founding Fathers or Christianity. Instead, we should be aware that the social climate changes, and so must our laws. Ideas shocking and possibly immoral to the Founding Fathers (Negroes holding office, ladies voting) are now widely accepted. Thankfully, our Founding Fathers were wise enough to recognize that our nation would change and they created a flexible document. If we are to presume anything about their intent, it should be that.

[wyldwolf]

1. The "Thomas Jefferson" issue of Time Magazine covered this issue well

..

[Trajan]

2. I would add, furthermore ....

That the 'Founding Fathers', in all their wisdom, did NOT incorporate a SINGLE word about god, jesus or religion into the body of the United States Consititution ... even though they could have ... Only the section saying 1) there will be NO religious test ... and 2) the 1st Amendment establishment/prohibition clauses ...

They could have EXPLICITLY declared this nation a 'christian nation', yet they did not ..... why ?

Perhaps its just another divinely 'mysterious' episode ...

[iamjoy]

7. Yes, Others Have Said This

The Christian Nation crowd says

look at the other writings, etc.
and look at the Declaration of Independence and how it uses a capital "C" for Creator.

[BrklynLiberal]

3. A very respectable letter!!! n/t

[LSK]

4. the world was smaller back then

Most of Europe was predominately Christian back then and religions like Islam were practiced in remote far off lands that were hardly discovered by Europeans at that time. So in other words, the founding fathers only knew of Christianity. However Europe have several forms of it back then - Catholic, Protestant, etc etc and that is the religious freedom the founding fathers were talking about. However if they were aware of other religions of the world, they would have considered them when they were forming the bill of rights as well.

And once again, we let the right formulate the loaded questions......

[iamjoy]

8. Another Good Point

I just want people to think about the historical context of the Constitution.

We could argue until the cows come home about is freedom of religion the same as freedom from religion. On the one hand, it isn't. But if I am atheist, for me relgiious freedom is only freedom from.

Another absurd point is that if a group wanted to do human or animal sacrifices for religious reasons they wouldn't be able to - it's illegal. Isn't that "prohibiting the free exercise" of religion?

[intheflow]

5. This is a great letter, iamjoy.

It's short and on message. Placing the Constitution in its historical context while acknowledging it is still a living and flexible document is beautiful.



One typo: "...and to what extend it should influence..."

[Malva Zebrina]

6. that is a good LETTE

Send it. I bet it will be published. :-)

For years and years, the literalist Christian extremists have been pushing the notion that this is a Christian nation

What is their goal? Most of them probably do not even know what the goal is. Most of them think the Puritans were the "founders".

It has been going on for a long long time and seems to be getting more press lately. This leads them to disdain the Constituion and to disdain the Supreme Court and the UN. They are actually very un-American.

[Ready4Change]

9. Is there a list

Is there a list of the signers of the Declaration, and what their religious leanings were?

I could probably research this, but if it's already available somewhere...

[Columbia]

10. James Madison

This is how the 1st Amendment was originally written before being incorporated with the speech and assembly amendments. Bold emphasis mine.

"The civil rights of none shall be abridged on account of religious belief or worship, nor shall any national religion be established, nor shall the full and equal rights of conscience by in any manner, or on any pretext infringed."

http://www.jmu.edu/madison/gpos225-madison2/madprobll.htm