What did the founding fathers really say about religion?

Answer 1

The term "separation of church and state" was never used by the founding fathers. The constitution only established that they did not want a nationally sponsored religion as was done in England with the Church of England. The constitution specified that congress could not establish a national religion nor could it prohibit the free exercise of religion. Somehow the Leftists of this nation have decided that there should be a "separation of church and state" and that they could use that term to justify a national religon of athiesm. Athiesm is now the national religion and the mention of God at any event or in any building that has any connection to the government is now illegal. The original congress offered non-denominational prayer at the beginning of every session and put "In God We Trust" on the money. That should pretty much clear up any question of whether the original congress believed that God had any place in government.

Answer 2

Many, not all, of Founding Fathers were active in their religion. One notable exception, George Washington, the first President of the United States, never declared himself a Christian.

As with human nature there was a wide variety of views. James Madison wrote: "Religious bondage shackles and debilitates the mind and unfits it for every noble enterprise."

Some even placed God before anything. But they did NOT found this nation based on any religious dogma, much less based on one religion, and some felt there should be a firm separation of the state and all religions.

Answer 3

The Separation of Church and State was a phrase used by Thomas Jefferson. It was traced to a January 1, 1802 letter by Thomas Jefferson, addressed to the Danbury Baptist Association in Connecticut.

Answer 4

Patrick Henry, who is called the firebrand of
the American Revolution,is still remembered for
his words, '"Give me liberty or give me death."'
But in current textbooks the context of these words
is deleted. Here is what he actually said: '"An
appeal to arms and the God of hosts is all that is
left us.
But we shall not fight our battle alone. There
is a just God that presides over the destinies of
nations. The battle sir, is not to the strong
alone.
Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be
purchased at the price of chains and slavery?
Forbid it almighty God. I know not what course
others may take, but as for me, give me
liberty, or give me death."'


These sentences have been erased from our
textbooks. Was Patrick Henry a Christian? The
following year, 1776, he wrote this '"It
cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this
great Nation was founded not by religionists,
but by Christians; not on religions, but on the
Gospel of Jesus Christ. For that reason alone, people
of other faiths have been afforded freedom of
worship here."'


Consider these words that Thomas Jefferson
wrote on the front of his well-worn Bible: '"I am a
real Christian, that is to say, a disciple of the
doctrines of Jesus. I have little doubt that our whole
country will soon be rallied to the unity of our
Creator "' He was also the chairman of the American Bible Society,
which he considered his highest and most important role.


On July 4, 1821, President Adams said, '"The
highest glory of the American Revolution was
this: it connected in one indissoluble bond
the principles of civil government with the
principles of Christianity."'


Calvin Coolidge, our 30th President of the
United States reaffirmed this truth when he wrote,
'"The foundations of our society and our government
rest so much on the teachings of the Bible
that it would be difficult to support them if faith in
these teachings would cease to be practically
universal in our country."'


In 1782, the United States Congress voted this
resolution: '"The Congress of the United
States recommends and approves the Holy Bible for use
in all schools."'


William Holmes McGuffey is the author of the
McGuffey Reader, which was used for over 100
years in our public schools with over 125
million copies sold until it was stopped in 1963.
President Lincoln called him the '"Schoolmaster of the Nation."'


Listen to these words of Mr. McGuffey: '"The
Christian religion is the religion of our
country.
From it are derived our notions on the
character of God, on the great moral Governor of the
universe.
On its doctrines are founded the peculiarities
of our free institutions. From no source has the
author drawn more conspicuously than from the sacred Scriptures. From all these extracts from the Bible I make no apology."'


Of the first 108 universities founded in
America, 106 were distinctly Christian, including the
first, Harvard University, chartered in 1636. In the
original Harvard Student Handbook, rule number 1
was that students seeking entrance must know
Latin and Greek so that they could study the
scriptures: '"Let every student be plainly
instructed and earnestly pressed to consider
well, the main end of his life and studies is, to
know God and Jesus Christ, which is eternal life,
John 17:3; and therefore to lay Jesus Christ
as the only foundation for our children to follow the
moral principles of the Ten Commandments? James
Madison, the primary author of the
Constitution of the United States, said this: '"We have staked the whole future of our new nation not upon the power of government; far from it.
We have staked the future of all our political constitutions upon the capacity of each of ourselves to govern ourselves according to the moral
principles of the Ten Commandments."'

Answer 5

The men who wrote the constitution believed in separation of church and state. They had lived under a state religion and wanted to make sure that people had freedom of religion. When a state sets a religion they discriminate against other religious groups that are organized. The constitution prevents this from happening and the United States is secular for a reason.

Answer 6

Most founding fathers were concerned about issues of church and state because their families left England or other countries for religious freedom.

Answer 7

GOD