Religious Politics - The Founding Fathers and Universalism

[Pah]

The Founding Fathers and Universalism
By Ed Brayton Wed Nov 29, 2006 at 12:49:00 PM EST

http://www.talk2action.org/story/2006/11/29/12490/175

I have written at some length about the religious beliefs of the leading founding fathers (primarily Washington, Franklin, Adams, Jefferson and Madison). We've already established that none were orthodox Christians, that all of them shared a common perspective that Gregg Frazer has best described as theistic rationalism.

One piece of evidence for this is that they typically used non-specific names for God that were minimalist enough that all religions could view them as speaking to their own particular religion. Thus in the Declaration of Independence you get phrases like Nature's God and Creator and Divine Providence. George Washington, in particular, had a large number of phrases that all worked to the same effect, as a sort of lowest common denominator deity, including the great governor of the universe, the supreme disposer of all events, and the Almighty ruler of the universe. Thomas Jefferson likewise spoke of the Great Governor of the world.

Another piece of evidence for this is that these men often used the preferred terminology for God of the people they were addressing. This was true even of religions that were not of the Abrahamic variety, religions which were very different like the beliefs of the American Indians at the time. When speaking to the Indians, these men routinely spoke of the "Great Spirit", which they viewed as merely another title for the one God that they all believed in.

It seems clear that, for these leading founders, their theistic rationalism demanded a universal deity that was called by many different names. They all rejected claims of revelation as well, which I think speaks to the fact that they believed in a "lowest common denominator" deity, one that all religions could agree on in its few basic characteristics. I suspect this is what Adams had in mind when he spoke of "primitive Christianity", the very bare core of beliefs that Christianity has in common with other monotheistic religions - the notion of one God who created the universe and everything in it.

their way of thinking, discernable through the application of reason alone with no need for direct revelation. ... All that seems contrary to reason and logic is to be discarded, everything that stands up to scrutiny is kept. Reason, not faith, was their ultimate concern.

And thus we have a large part of the foundation for a separation of church and state

 

[Wandered Off]

Many were considered Deists. :yes:

 

[Pah]

Many were considered Deists. :yes:

My idea of Diest sure fits the OP