America's Founding Fathers on Religion

The Founding Fathers were mostly deists who were fairly skeptical of many claims in the Bible and of religious leaders. They also believed strongly in the separation of church and state.


Folksonomies: politics religion

Memes

12 JAN 2012

 Mystery is a Cover for Absurdity

A pleasant morning. Saw my classmates Gardner, and Wheeler. Wheeler dined, spent the afternoon, and drank Tea with me. Supped at Major Gardiners, and ingag'd to keep School at Bristol, provided Worcester People, at their insuing March meeting, should change this into a moving School, not otherwise. Major Greene this Evening fell into some conversation with me about the Divinity and Satisfaction of Jesus Christ. All the Argument he advanced was, "that a mere creature, or finite Being, could no...
Folksonomies: religion mystery
Folksonomies: religion mystery
  1  notes

John Adams comment on a debate he had with a a Major concerning the Divinity.

12 JAN 2012

 Jefferson Clearly Believes in God

This gives compleatly a gain de cause to the disciples of Ocellus, Timaeus, Spinosa, Diderot and D'Holbach. The argument which they rest on as triumphant and unanswerable is that, in every hypothesis of Cosmogony you must admit an eternal pre-existence of something; and according to the rule of sound philosophy, you are never to employ two principles to solve a difficulty when one will suffice. They say then that it is more simple to believe at once in the eternal pre-existence of the world, ...
  1  notes

At least in this this passage, where he sees the Universe as needing a deity to keep things together. He even appeals to the idea that most people believe there is something, so there must be something. His logic is in error here, but he also lacked the scientific understanding we have today.

12 JAN 2012

 The Greatest Enemies of the Gospels are Their Believers

The truth is that the greatest enemies to the doctrines of Jesus are those calling themselves the expositors of them, who have perverted them for the structure of a system of fancy absolutely incomprehensible, and without any foundation in his genuine words. And the day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the supreme being as his father in the womb of a virgin will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of Jupiter. But we may hope that the dawn of ...
  1  notes

Jefferson was very skeptical of the Gospels, which he felt were perverted with miracles that diluted the reformer's message.

24 JAN 2011

 Introduction to the Jefferson Bible

THE PHILOSOPHY OF JESUS OF NAZARETH Extracted from the account of his life and doctrines as given by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Being an abridgment of the New Testament for the use of the Indians, unembarrassed with matters of fact or faith beyond the level of their comprehensions. [emphasis mine]
 1  1  notes

The first title of Jefferson's pairing down of the New Testament gospels states clearly the purpose of the text.

24 JAN 2011

 Jefferson's Intention with “The Philosophy of Jesus of ...

In extracting the pure principles which he taught, we should have to strip off the artificial vestments in which they have been muffled by priests, who have travestied them into various forms, as instruments of riches and power to themselves. We must dismiss the Platonists and Plotinists, the Stagyrites and Gamalielites, the Eclectics, the Gnostics and Scholastics, their essences and emanations, their logos and demiurges, aeons and daemons, male and female, with a long train of … or, shall ...
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A description of the problems Jefferson had with the gospels in their existing form, which were easily twisted for greedy purposes.

24 JAN 2011

 Clear Statement that the United States is Not Founded on ...

Art. 11. As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquillity, of Mussulmen; and, as the said States never entered into any war, or act of hostility against any Mahometan nation, it is declared by the parties, that no pretext arising from religious opinions, shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.
  1  notes

Authored by American diplomat Joel Barlow in 1796, the following treaty was sent to the floor of the Senate, June 7, 1797, where it was read aloud in its entirety and unanimously approved. John Adams, having seen the treaty, signed it and proudly proclaimed it to the Nation.



References

12 JAN 2012

 The earliest diary of John Adams

Books, Brochures, and Chapters>Book:  Adams , John (1966-07-01), The earliest diary of John Adams, Belknap Pr, Retrieved on 2012-01-12
  • Source Material [books.google.com]
  •  1  
    12 JAN 2012

     Letter from to John Adams

    Personal Communications>Personal Letter:  Jefferson , Thomas (April 11, 1823), Letter from to John Adams, Retrieved on 2012-01-12
  • Source Material [www.beliefnet.com]
  • Folksonomies: history religion
    Folksonomies: history religion
     3  
    24 JAN 2011

     Letter to John Adams: Study of Moral Principles

    Personal Communications>Personal Letter:  Thomas, Jefferson (13 Oct 1813), Letter to John Adams: Study of Moral Principles, Retrieved on 2011-01-24
  • Source Material [www.cooperativeindividualism.org]
  •  1  
    24 JAN 2011

     The Jefferson Bible: The Life and Morals of Jesus of Naza...

    Books, Brochures, and Chapters>Book:  Jefferson , Thomas (2010-09-03), The Jefferson Bible: The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth, Watchmaker Publishing, Retrieved on 2011-01-24
  • Source Material [etext.lib.virginia.edu]
  •  1  
    24 JAN 2011

     Treaty of Peace and Friendship between the United States ...

    Legal Materials>Bill, Congressional:  Barlow, Joel (June 7, 1797), Treaty of Peace and Friendship between the United States and the Bey and Subjects of Tripoli of Barbary, Washington, DC, Retrieved on 2011-01-24
  • Source Material [www.stephenjaygould.org]
  •  1