Most of our founding fathers were deists that was not Christianity. Some of them were even Masons which is a direct threat to Christianity.
Some people in the Evangelical and Christian religions would see the sky is yellow as it were actually blue.
A little history lesson would be good about now. Go back to England and France and Henry VIII. France was a Catholic Nation England was a Catholic Nation but Henry the 8th would not be granted a divorce by the Roman Catholic Church therefore he took an across himself to move the goal posts so to speak.
Then you had the Jewish religion which was an outcast by all the others.
When Martin Luther nailed his thesis on the church door it created a schism.
During this time in Europe and England you had the Mennonites and other religions that were an offshoot of Martin Luther.
Where was one did you say if you were one religion and one day from being executed for that religion.
Well there was a country across the Atlantic with land and freedom with no religious interference.
If the founders were dogmatic about anything, it was the belief that a person’s faith should not be intruded upon by government and that religious doctrine should not be written into governance. James Madison, for instance, was vigorously opposed to religious intrusions into civil affairs. In 1785, when the Commonwealth of Virginia was considering passage of a bill “establishing a provision for Teachers of the Christian Religion,” Madison wrote his “Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments,” in which he presented 15 reasons why government should not become involved in the support of any religion.
In his first term as president, Thomas Jefferson declared his firm belief in the separation of church and state in a letter to the Danbury, Conn. Baptists. He said: “Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legislative powers of government reach actions only and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should `make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,’ thus building a wall of separation between church and state.”
Notice what Thomas Jefferson said? Building a wall of separation between church and state.
Considering the Republicans of today are considering destroying that wall, the supreme Court is considering destroying that wall some of the states are considering destroying that wall. And yet the Republicans Evangelical Christians are trying to remove that wall destroy that wall that are founding fathers so thoughtfully put in place to protect all religions so that the governments of the people and for the people would continue unlike the problems that surface in Europe.
Let's say a word about our first President George Washington. Most people do not know that he was offered the appointment of King and declined it and said he would serve for only a short period of time and return to his farm. Yeah most of the Republicans and most of the Democrats hold on to this power and do not act like a responsible stewart of government.
And to all the Evangelical Christians and the far right who say that George Washington was a shining star to all Christians. Ask your pastor ask your Reverend what he thinks of being a mason of being a deist which is contrary to every Christian concept.
A treaty of peace and friendship between the United States and Tripoli that was approved by George Washington explicitly stated: “The government of the United States is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion…” This treaty was negotiated by the American diplomat Joel Barlow during the administration of George Washington. Washington read it and approved it, although it was not ratified by the senate until John Adams had become president.
Finally, and most obviously, if the founding fathers intended to include Jesus, the Bible, or other particular aspects of the Christian faith in the founding of our nation, they would have expressly done so. However, the two references to religion that are in the Constitution contain exclusionary language. The First Amendment says, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion. . .” and in Article VI, Section III, “… no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.”
No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.”
As for Thomas Jefferson the man, he was a very complex individual living in an era where religion could get you killed.
Jefferson expressed his fervent belief in the importance of the separation of religion and government in many personal letters and official documents, but one of the most famous instances was in his letter to the Danbury Baptists. In this letter Jefferson quoted the First Amendment in his agreements with the Danbury Baptists that states should not have established governments and that all religion and government should be separate. Jefferson then goes on to say the famous line, “…..thus building a wall of separation between Church & State.”
Sounds familiar doesn't it?
Deism wasn’t a widely popular religion in 18th century America, but it did have a small, influential pool of followers. Deism began in Europe in the 17th century along with the Enlightenment. Deists of the 17th and 18th centuries often attempted to downplay the differences in their beliefs to traditional Christianity to keep debate from breaking out into a larger controversy. While deism follows many of the beliefs of Christianity, it rejects the supernatural aspects. Deists believe in the moral teachings of Jesus Christ, but they do not believe that he was the son of God.
So what does this mean in 2022 and 2023? It means that our founding fathers were very wise. They saw the conflicts between France and england. They saw what happened when King the lionhearted went on a crusade to the holy lands and were slaughtered as were the caliphates.
Much has been said about the death and destruction that religion has brought about. It's not that the religion was evil it's that evil people subverted the religion.
This is exactly what Thomas jefferson, George Washington, and Madison were concerned about which is why Thomas Jefferson strenuously thought to keep church and state separate.
The evangelicals and Christians some have very good hearts they are trying their best to figure out what is happening in our country. But there are others who are subverting Evangelical and Christian religion to make a mockery of our founding fathers and the founding of the United States of America.
