The Founding Fathers and deism

I think Margot Holman is misunderstanding my point about the Founding Fathers. I believe almost all of the founders were very religious and pious people, even the Deists. My point is that they went out of their way to avoid referencing Christianity in the Constitution, which is the basis of all our laws. They only referenced religion insofar as to prohibit the establishment a national religion.

One point about Jefferson, and perhaps other founding fathers: I don’t think most evangelical Christians today would recognize their flavor of Christianity. For instance, Jefferson wrote the “Jefferson Bible,” which removed all the miracles and supernatural stories from the Gospels. He did not believe in the divinity of Jesus, the holy trinity, virgin birth, answering of prayers, bodily resurrection, etc. He did strongly believe in the moral code taught by Jesus.

John Adams wrote this, when he was Vice President, in the treaty with Tripoli: “Article 11. As the government of the United States is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility, of Mussulmen; and, as the said States never entered into any war, or act of hostility against any Mahometan nation, it is declared by the parties, that no pretext arising from religious opinions, shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony of existing between the two countries.”

The treaty was ratified by Congress in 1797 and signed by then president John Adams.

Jon Monday