Our Founding Fathers and Religion; the Facts
Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart
Evangelicals are not Christians by definition. According to the Bible, a Christian is “someone whose behavior and heart reflects Jesus Christ.” Evangelical leaders preach from the Old Testament, completely ignoring the teachings of Jesus Christ in the New Testament. The facts are clear.
The biggest misconception about religion in America, and something Christian leaders would like you to believe, is that most of our Founding Fathers were Christians. Historians confirm that Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Madison and Monroe practiced a faith called Deism. Deism is a philosophical belief in human reason as a reliable means of solving social and political problems.
In reality, a number of the key American Founders were neither Christians nor deists, but theistic rationalists. Theistic rationalists believed in a powerful, rational, and benevolent creator God who was present and active in human affairs.
We must remember that the primary reason the men who created our nation left England in protest against King George III and his declaration that the Anglican Church, a Protestant faith, was the only true religion.
Of far greater importance is the undeniable fact that America is a nation of immigrants and therefore a nation of many religious sects and others who reject organized religion and are atheists or agnostics. The United States is truly a melting pot. The basic concept of America is to protect the rights of the few if they do not infringe upon the rights of the majority. However, a minority possesses the same consideration under the Constitution as a much larger section of the American people, and the final decision is based upon the Law of the Land.
Although our government is moving backwards, younger Americans are moving forward. This is proven by the fact that of all major religions, Christianity has the least number of new converts in the 21st century. The fastest growing “religion” is “none of the above,” currently estimated to be more than 70 million Americans. The major religion with the largest number of new converts is the Religion of Islam.
The truth is, none of this should matter. Religious preference should be a personal decision, not included in our nation’s politics. It is an irrefutable fact that politics and religion are incongruous: they simply don’t mix. The first line of the First Amendment promises: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”
It is easy to understand how important this was to our Founding Fathers. They feared what is happening today. Christian leaders are one of the greatest dangers to the future of our nation. The entire right wing of our political system is controlled by the Christian Religious Right. Every day the men and women who call themselves “Republicans” violate their oaths of office. Supporting a single religion is a direct violation of the most significant, the most important part of the Bill of Rights; the First Amendment.
Religion was a major concern of our Founding Fathers. They supported the rights of every American to practice the faith of their own choice or none at all. If our country is to be respected for its support of freedom and the exercise of individual rights, no single religion can hold preference over another.
Op-ed by James Turnage
Sources:
https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Founding-Fathers-Deism-and-Christianity-1272214
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