The Founding Fathers And Religious Intolerance

Having spent the past few days touring Presidential homes of the Founding Fathers in Virginia, it becomes ever more clear how they viewed organized religion.

All of the great Founding Fathers were born of the Christian faith, one sect or another, but all were skeptical of organized religion, being very educated and learned about the history of Christianity, which had included mass murder, bloodshed, violence, and holy wars against Islam, and promotion of antisemitism against Jews.

So George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe all were not regular church goers, and in many respects were Deists, having given up on organized religious trappings.

The Adamses, John and John Quincy, also had similar views, as did Benjamin Franklin and Alexander Hamilton.

If they had been here in today’s world, witnessing the bias, prejudice, and hate promoted by SOME Christian groups in the name of Jesus, they would be totally disgusted for sure!

4 comments on “The Founding Fathers And Religious Intolerance

  1. Bella August 6, 2012 1:28 am

    I can’t help but imagine that if our own Founding Fathers were contemporary to our current politicians, that they would also receive a similar treatment that many progressives get by conservative talk show hosts, pundits, and religious fundamentalists.

  2. Ronald August 6, 2012 9:25 pm

    You are absolutely right, Bella, as one can be certain that the Founding Fathers would be treated with disdain by today’s demagogues on the right, because while certainly not perfect by any means, the Founding Fathers would be appalled at the ignorance, narrow mindedness and hate of the far Right, and would be attacked because they valued education and Enlightenment Thought!

  3. Engineer of Knowledge August 7, 2012 6:11 pm

    Hello Bella and Professor,
    I have said often that if our Founding Fathers were to come back today, they would be appalled at what is passed off in their names by the Extreme Conservatives and Religious fractions.

    When they would try to correct the miss-statements and miss-representative of their visions for this country; they would then be treated with disdain and even demonized for doing so.

    Those of the age of Enlightenment would be totally shocked how far backwards the Conservative Right has come. i.e. (because Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow this year is proof that there is no global warming) Yes, silly superstitions trumps factual science with this nihilistic group…..Jefferson would be so disappointed.

  4. Ronald August 7, 2012 7:14 pm

    You are basically stating what I have always believed,that we had a special group in the Founding Fathers, and 90 percent of Congress today is an embarrassment in so many ways. That is why we are in the mess we are in!

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