FAITH OF OUR FATHERS

While reading an ongoing debate on the thread of a post at another blog, the following statement was made:

“First, the suggestion that the First Amendment bars religion from public schools is absurd and I think it sad that people consider this worthy of debate. The framers had no problems with simply stating that troops quartered in private homes was forbidden, but the left suggests that they "meant" that religion was to be only a private matter? This intenet is supposed to have come from delegates to the Constitutional Convention where many were required to be a member of a church to be a delegate?”

Now, the First Amendment states in part:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof”

Apparently the intent of this amendment is not clear enough.
About those framers or founding fathers? We don’t need to guess at their intent since some of them had weighed in and left a record of their opinion.

In Query XVII of Notes on the State of Virginia, Thomas Jefferson clearly outlines the views which led him to play a leading role in the campaign to separate church and state and which culminated in the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom: "The rights of conscience we never submitted, we could not submit. We are answerable for them to our God. The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg . . . . Reason and free inquiry are the only effectual agents against error."

Jefferson's religious views became a major public issue during the bitter party conflict between Federalists and Republicans in the late 1790s when Jefferson was often accused of being an atheist.

John Adams wrote in "A Defense of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America"

“The United States of America have exhibited, perhaps, the first example of governments erected on the simple principles of nature; and if men are now sufficiently enlightened to disabuse themselves of artifice, imposture, hypocrisy, and superstition, they will consider this event as an era in their history. Although the detail of the formation of the... It will never be pretended that any persons employed in that service had interviews with the gods, or were in any degree under the influence of Heaven, more than those at work upon ships or houses, or laboring in merchandise or agriculture; it will forever be acknowledged that these governments were contrived merely by the use of reason and the senses.”

My favorite “framer” is Benjamin Franklin. If you have never read his autobiography, you are missing some great reading and a colorful and detailed account of life in “those days.” He was a vegetarian although he would sometimes eat fish which he seemed to be very fond of. He also had within his circle proponents of deism. With his beliefs in natural law, Franklin would probably have had more in common with “tree huggers” than church goers. Here are his own words:

"You desire to know something of my Religion. It is the first time I have been questioned upon it. But I cannot take your Curiosity amiss, and shall endeavour in a few Words to gratify it. Here is my Creed. I believe in one God, Creator of the Universe. That he governs it by his Providence. That he ought to be worshipped. That the most acceptable Service we render to him is doing good to his other Children. That the soul of Man is immortal, and will be treated with Justice in another Life respecting its Conduct in this.
These I take to be the fundamental Principles of all sound Religion, and I regard them as you do in whatever Sect I meet with them.
"As to Jesus of Nazareth, my Opinion of whom you particularly desire, I think the System of Morals and his Religion, as he left them to us, the best the World ever saw or is likely to see; but I apprehend it has received various corrupting Changes, and I have, with most of the present Dissenters in England, some Doubts as to his Divinity; tho' it is a question I do not dogmatize upon, having never studied it, and think it needless to busy myself with it now, when I expect soon an Opportunity of knowing the Truth with less Trouble.”

Benjamin Franklin was also the person who encouraged Thomas Paine (a lifelong Deist) to print his views in what would become the now famous work, “Common Sense.” At the time, those who wanted to declare independence from Britian were in the minority. Many of those at Congress were wealthy landowners who feared losing the protection and trade of England. “Common Sense” came out in pamphlet form and has been credited with turning the tide toward full independence.

Even George Washington had a tolerant view. After he became the president he was approached repeatedly by those worried about their right to practice according to their own religious beliefs. Over and over again, Washington reiterated his belief that, as long as everyone behaved as good citizens, their religious beliefs were not an issue for the government, but were only a matter for each individual and God. These statements were similar to his earlier comments to Tench Tilghman in March of 1784, when he was trying to hire workmen for Mount Vernon, noting that "If they are good workmen, they may be of Asia, Africa, or Europe. They may be Mahometans, Jews, or Christian of any Sect, or they may be Atheists."

It is no mystery why our founders would want to separate church and state; after the abuses by the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church, the English were pretty fed up with politics corrupted by religion and visa versa.

History is not events frozen in time; it is more a living record of our lives, flowing through time and leaving imprints behind as it goes. Our founding fathers were not all saintly, pious men totally focused on this country’s independence.

In fact, they were not so unlike Americans today with events unfolding as they struggled to make a living and care for their families.. Some were certainly religious men and I’m sure we would recognize the conservatives, but we would also recognize the liberals. They argued about religion, politics, taxes and government structure. These guys were radicals and rebels, mature men and incorrigible rascals. They were us 200+ years ago, living and dying in America.

AND THEY HAVE SPOKEN!