From the great wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deism#Continental_Deism
Deism in America
Thomas Jefferson, Edgehill Portrait of 1805 by
Gilbert Stuart.
National Portrait Gallery,
Washington, DC.
In America, Enlightenment philosphy (which itself was heavily inspired by Deist ideals) played a major role in creating the principle of separation of Church and State, expressed in the religious freedom clauses of the First Amendment of the Constitution. Founding Fathers who were especially noted for being influenced by such philosphy include
Cornelius Harnett,
Gouverneur Morris,
Hugh Williamson,
James Wilson[26] and
James Madison.
[27] While all of these men were members of traditional Christian denominations (Hugh Williamson was a Presbyterian and the rest were Episcopalians) their political speaches show distinct deistic influence. Other notable Founding Fathers may have been more directly Deist. These include
Ethan Allen[28], and
Thomas Paine (who published
The Age of Reason, a treatise that helped to popularize deism throughout America and Europe).
Elihu Palmer (1764-1806) wrote the "Bible" of American deism in this
Principles of Nature (1823), and attempted to organize deism by forming the "Deistical Society of New York."
Currently (as of 2007) there is an ongoing controversy in the United States as to whether or not America is a "Christian nation". This has spawned a subsidiary controversy over whether or not the Founding Fathers were Christians or Deists or something in between.
[29]
Particularly heated is the debate over the beliefs of
Benjamin Franklin,
Thomas Jefferson, and
George Washington, for all of whom the evidence is mixed.
[30] [31]
