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Not an easy subject
but I know that I believe and that He gives me answers to my questions
posted by
malcolm
on October 23, 2008 at 10:07 AM
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BCA, for more than one of them, the Christian influence was one of moral
philosophy, not faith, and they were certainly no Puritans--and I have to wonder what part the Puritan intolerance (eg: the Salem Witch Trials) may have played in 'innoculating' men like Jefferson and Franklin against religious intolerance.
Of course, they also had the Quaker model to observe, as well as the Church of England (Episcopal Church here, was it?) which was probably dominant in the English colonies... Seems to me that Methodists had also become a strong influence out of England, too.
The framers also knew who they were talking to: the general population of the Colonies and the United States was religious, deeply unsettled by 'freethinking' and needed to hear those sentiments coming from their leaders.
(I am not forgetting that John Adams, for one, was a man of faith. I don't know what he thought of freethinking, or specific religious belief or practice.)
posted by
Ciel
on October 23, 2008 at 9:47 AM
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Only in that the framers were believers in the Christian faith, following the Puritans. Their tradition influenced them. Later groups immigrated to America. The freedom that the Constitution imples attracted them. Today religious diversit identifies America because of the framers' original concept of freedom. However it derived from their Christian faith as the historical records state love
posted by
BC-A
on October 23, 2008 at 9:23 AM
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Ciel, You are a very good writer. This is definitely one of those polarizing topics--no riding the fence on this subject.
posted by
TAPS.
on October 23, 2008 at 6:39 AM
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