LETTER: Founders had a range of beliefs

To the editor:

I would like to respond to a letter to the editor in the Statesman on January 31 from Ben Nilson in regards to the “Founding Fathers” and the debate over their collective religiosity. Mr. Nilson is responding to a previous letter in which the writer argues that the “Founding Fathers” were not practicing Christians and could be described as deist. Mr. Nilson makes the argument that based on a variety of quotes that the Founders, our country and the Constitution are very Christian.

Mr. Nilson tries to reduce a very complex and convoluted subject, the religious and spiritual station of everyone who is considered to be a “Founding Father.” Also the use of quotes without any context is disingenuous at best. Another flaw in Mr. Nilson’s argument is his lack of research in verifying the validity of certain quotes.

The quote Mr. Nilson refers to that is attributed to Patrick Henry has been disputed by scholars. His use of quotes by James Madison is completely out of context. Mr. Madison’s opinion regarding religion and government’s place in it is best reflected in a complete work, as in “Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments.” A closer look at George Washington’s church attendance shows a man who attended church but was never witnessed taking communion. Mr. Nilson’s greatest stretch of the facts occurs in his attempt to paint Thomas Jefferson as a man who evangelized in the name of Jesus Christ. Nothing could be further from the truth. Jefferson was a man of the Enlightenment who at times actually poked fun at self-described Christians.

In my opinion one of the great qualities of this county is its Judeo-Christian ethic. Let’s not confuse that ethic with the personal religious journeys of the founders. They knew from experience how an overzealous religion-dominated governing body could usurp basic God-endowed rights. The banishment of Roger Williams from the Massachusetts Bay Colony is an example of such overzealousness.

The only quote I will use in defense of my argument is from Thomas Paine. “As to religion, I hold it to be the indispensable duty of the government to protect all conscientious professors thereof, and I know of no other business which government hath to do therewith.”

Keith Smith