In their own words: Quotes from the Founding generation, Part III
Quotes from the Founding generation, Part III: Religion and Government
While many think of our founding as secular in origin and in action, history tells a different tale. A separation of church and state does not imply “without god” but rather not my god over your god. Many of the founding fathers were freemason’s and their belief in god was absolute and unwavering, others were equally passionate about religion. Many politicians and historians with biased motivations label them Diest’s, and while this is true (they believe in a supreme creator of the universe), many were also religious and more specifically, Christian. This is not the opinion of some right wing Christian attempting to proselytize and claim America as a Christian nation, I was raised Jewish, I am not a Christian but I do believe the morality and intentions of the founders were rooted in Judeo-Christian tradition.
So, lets take a look at what the Founding Generation thought about religion…In their own words.
George Washington-
“It is impossible to rightly govern a nation without God and the Bible.”
John Adams-
“Statesmen may plan and speculate for Liberty, but it is Religion and Morality alone, which can establish the Principles upon which Freedom can securely stand.”
Thomas Jefferson-
“Religion, as well as reason, confirms the soundness of those principles on which our government has been founded and its rights asserted.”
Benjamin Franklin-
“ God governs in the affairs of man. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?”
James Madison-
“We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government, far from it. We’ve staked the future of all our political institutions upon our capacity…to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God.”
Alexander Hamilton-
“For my own part, I sincerely esteem it [the Constitution] a system which without the finger of God, never could have been suggested and agreed upon by such a diversity of interests.”
