The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #72660   Message #2150828
Posted By: Ron Davies
16-Sep-07 - 09:58 PM
Thread Name: BS: US Secularism, Patriotism & Religion
Subject: RE: BS: US Secularism, Patriotism & Religion
Sorry, I must disagree with several posters.

1) You could easily be against the Test Acts, which had been abused in the UK to keep Catholics out of office, and still be in favor of Christianity. Most "founding fathers" were both.

2) If you want to cite Jefferson's objections to Christianity, you have a lot of evidence--though there are quotes on the other side here too. But citing John Adams as "never professing a belief in Christianity" is a vulnerable assertion.

Just one of many contradicting pieces of evidence: From McCullough's recent book on Adams: Jefferson rose in opposition to a fast day, and in doing so "appeared to cast aspersions on Christianity". Said Benjamin Rush in a letter to Adams: "You rose and defended the motion, and in reply to Mr Jefferson's objections to Christianity you said you were sorry to hear such sentiments from a gentleman whom you agreed upon so many subjects, and that it was the only instance you had ever known of a man of sound sense and real genius that was an enemy to Christianity".

In fact if anybody even scratches the surface of the 1796 campaign (and especially 1800) it is blazingly clear that one of the main means of attack on Jefferson was for his atheism", in contrast to John Adams.

Similar quotes can be found for Washington and John Quincy Adams.

Anybody who wants to cite the founding fathers as "never citing a belief in Christianity" has a boatload of quotes to parry.

Which we can go into if there is interest.