Founding Fathers Atheists Deists Are You Sure

Author : Ray Strobo
Publisher : WestBow Press
Page : 550 pages
File Size : 53,9 Mb
Release : 2017-08-31
Category : History
ISBN : 9781512777758

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Founding Fathers: Atheists? Deists? Are You Sure? by Ray Strobo Pdf

Whats this book about? It's about TRUTH. According to the Internet and the media, the Founding Fathers were deists and atheists. That is NOT TRUE. The Historical Record is clear: The Signers of the Declaration of Independence, an exemplar of the Founding Fathers, were, for the most part, men of religious faith. The reader is directed to hundreds of historical references, many accessible online, which tell us the TRUTH that none of the Signers of the Declaration were publicly professing atheists and only a handful of them were ever publicly categorized as deists in their day. (And most of those characterizations were NOT TRUE.) The author spent years researching this subject and gathering data about the Signers from biographies, wills, magazine articles, newspaper articles, personal correspondence, speeches, legislation, first-hand testimonials, obituaries, eulogies, tombstone engravings, and character studies. The overall conclusion from these sources is inescapable: Religion played a significant role in the private and public lives of most of these patriots. (The religion of their day in the British North American colonies was Christianity.) Meet these Signers for yourself, all 56 of them. See them as real people, "ordinary" men in many cases, called on to do extraordinary things in the face of overwhelming odds. Hear them give credit to the "interposition of God" as they overcame those odds. See TRUTH through their eyes and through the eyes of people who knew them or researched them.

Author : Gordon Leidner
Publisher : Sourcebooks, Inc.
Page : 126 pages
File Size : 44,6 Mb
Release : 2013-05-07
Category : History
ISBN : 9781402280108

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The Founding Fathers by Gordon Leidner Pdf

Filled with over two hundred quotes from John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and more, The Founding Fathers: Quotes, Quips, and Speeches captures the essence of America's most influential leaders in an elegant collection that explores the American Revolution. Discover their thoughts on honesty, democracy, perseverance, hope, liberty, and leadership, and read from landmark speeches of the day—from Samuel Adam's 1776 address to the Continental Congress to George Washington's resignation speech. Hear the voices of the people who changed the world. Praise for Abraham Lincoln: Quotes, Quips, and Speeches "An easy and enjoyable introduction to one of America's greatest presidents and heroes."—Tom Schwartz, historian emeritus for the state of Illinois "Gordon Leidner provides readers with a toothsome smorgasbord of Abraham Lincoln's wit and wisdom. This volume is an excellent introduction to the Great Emancipator's humanity, philosophy, humor, and eloquence."—Michael Burlingame, Chancellor Naomi B. Lynn Distinguished Chair in Lincoln Studies, University of Illinois-Springfield "Abraham Lincoln had the God-given talent to express himself in words that the people felt and understood. [This] book enables readers to sample and touch the greatness of Lincoln through his letters, public papers, and speeches."—Edwin C. Bearrs, historican emeritus, National Park Service

Author : David L. Holmes
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 241 pages
File Size : 54,6 Mb
Release : 2006-05-01
Category : History
ISBN : 9780199740963

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The Faiths of the Founding Fathers by David L. Holmes Pdf

It is not uncommon to hear Christians argue that America was founded as a Christian nation. But how true is this claim? In this compact book, David L. Holmes offers a clear, concise and illuminating look at the spiritual beliefs of our founding fathers. He begins with an informative account of the religious culture of the late colonial era, surveying the religious groups in each colony. In particular, he sheds light on the various forms of Deism that flourished in America, highlighting the profound influence this intellectual movement had on the founding generation. Holmes then examines the individual beliefs of a variety of men and women who loom large in our national history. He finds that some, like Martha Washington, Samuel Adams, John Jay, Patrick Henry, and Thomas Jefferson's daughters, held orthodox Christian views. But many of the most influential figures, including Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, John and Abigail Adams, Jefferson, James and Dolley Madison, and James Monroe, were believers of a different stripe. Respectful of Christianity, they admired the ethics of Jesus, and believed that religion could play a beneficial role in society. But they tended to deny the divinity of Christ, and a few seem to have been agnostic about the very existence of God. Although the founding fathers were religious men, Holmes shows that it was a faith quite unlike the Christianity of today's evangelicals. Holmes concludes by examining the role of religion in the lives of the presidents since World War II and by reflecting on the evangelical resurgence that helped fuel the reelection of George W. Bush. An intriguing look at a neglected aspect of our history, the book will appeal to American history buffs as well as to anyone concerned about the role of religion in American culture.

Author : Bill Fortenberry
Publisher : CreateSpace
Page : 188 pages
File Size : 41,5 Mb
Release : 2013-07-06
Category : History
ISBN : 1490927867

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Hidden Facts of the Founding Era by Bill Fortenberry Pdf

Have you ever wondered how some authors can claim that the founding fathers of America were Christians while other authors claim that those very same founders were atheists, deists or even theistic rationalists? In this artfully written volume, Christian apologist Bill Fortenberry examines several of the quotes from our founding fathers that are frequently used to argue against the Christian heritage of America. In doing so, Mr. Fortenberry opens up to us a treasury of facts about our nation's founding that have been hidden by modern scholarship. Did you know that Benjamin Franklin only experimented with deism as a teenager and that he soon rejected it entirely? Did you know that at the age of twenty-nine he wrote three bold defenses of his Christian faith? Did you know that John Adams called the French Enlightenment thinkers cowards and atheists who were destitute of common sense? Did you know that he frequently referred to Jesus Christ as his Savior? Did you know that George Washington recorded a prayer expressing his acceptance of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for his sins? Did you know that he left the Masonic Lodge as a young man, that he denied being a member of any lodge during the founding era of our nation and that he referred to masonry as being mere child's play? With abundant references to the original writings of the founding era, Mr. Fortenberry provides American Christians with an invaluable defense of our nation's Christian heritage. Topics covered in Hidden Facts of the Founding Era include: - A detailed explanation of the importance of studying the founding fathers. - A chapter on the forgotten founder, Charles Thomson - An expose of the founding fathers' contempt for the writings of Thomas Paine - A study of the beliefs of Thomas Jefferson - A never before published analysis of Benjamin Franklin's conversion to Christianity - Documented proof of George Washington's prayer at Valley Forge - The most complete analysis of the Treaty of Tripoli ever written - A list of forty-nine correlations between the Bible and the Constitution - And much, much more...

Author : Mark David Hall
Publisher : HarperChristian + ORM
Page : 241 pages
File Size : 43,8 Mb
Release : 2019-10-29
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781400211111

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Did America Have a Christian Founding? by Mark David Hall Pdf

A distinguished professor debunks the assertion that America's Founders were deists who desired the strict separation of church and state and instead shows that their political ideas were profoundly influenced by their Christian convictions. In 2010, David Mark Hall gave a lecture at the Heritage Foundation entitled "Did America Have a Christian Founding?" His balanced and thoughtful approach to this controversial question caused a sensation. C-SPAN televised his talk, and an essay based on it has been downloaded more than 300,000 times. In this book, Hall expands upon this essay, making the airtight case that America's Founders were not deists. He explains why and how the Founders' views are absolutely relevant today, showing that they did not create a "godless" Constitution; that even Jefferson and Madison did not want a high wall separating church and state; that most Founders believed the government should encourage Christianity; and that they embraced a robust understanding of religious liberty for biblical and theological reasons. This compelling and utterly persuasive book will convince skeptics and equip believers and conservatives to defend the idea that Christian thought was crucial to the nation's founding--and that this benefits all of us, whatever our faith (or lack of faith).

Author : Thomas S. Kidd
Publisher : Yale University Press
Page : 285 pages
File Size : 48,6 Mb
Release : 2017-05-23
Category : Biography & Autobiography
ISBN : 9780300228144

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Benjamin Franklin by Thomas S. Kidd Pdf

A major new biography, illuminating the great mystery of Benjamin Franklin’s faith Renowned as a printer, scientist, and diplomat, Benjamin Franklin also published more works on religious topics than any other eighteenth-century American layperson. Born to Boston Puritans, by his teenage years Franklin had abandoned the exclusive Christian faith of his family and embraced deism. But Franklin, as a man of faith, was far more complex than the “thorough deist” who emerges in his autobiography. As Thomas Kidd reveals, deist writers influenced Franklin’s beliefs, to be sure, but devout Christians in his life—including George Whitefield, the era’s greatest evangelical preacher; his parents; and his beloved sister Jane—kept him tethered to the Calvinist creed of his Puritan upbringing. Based on rigorous research into Franklin’s voluminous correspondence, essays, and almanacs, this fresh assessment of a well-known figure unpacks the contradictions and conundrums faith presented in Franklin’s life.

Author : Peter Merritt Rinaldo
Publisher : Dorpete Press
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 54,6 Mb
Release : 2000
Category : Agnosticism
ISBN : 1890849030

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Atheists, Agnostics, and Deists in America by Peter Merritt Rinaldo Pdf

This is the First history of religious disbelief in the United States covering the period from the American Revolution to the year 2000 from Thomas Jefferson to the American Humanist Association. It examines the influence on our Founding Fathers of the philosophers Epicurus, Marcus Aurelius & Voltaire & discusses the religious beliefs of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Ingersoll & Clarence Darrow, as well as the lives of lesser-known figures such as Fanny Wright, an atheist whom Jefferson invited to the White House & Walt Whitman praised. It also traces the history of Unitairans, Universalists, Ethical Culture, Buddhists & Humanists in the United States. Finally, the book examines why atheism has never become more than a fringe belief in this country, as contrasted with much greater popularity in Europe & whether it will have more influence in future years. The book includes a glossary, an index & eight-page bibliography. The author, Peter Rinaldo, has written twelve widely-praised books in the fields of history & sociology. Order over the internet, from your local bookstore, or directly from the publisher, DorPete Press, P. O. Box 238, Briarcliff Manor, NY 10510

Author : Thomas Jefferson,Wyatt North
Publisher : Wyatt North Publishing, LLC
Page : 122 pages
File Size : 43,5 Mb
Release : 2014-01-05
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

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The Jefferson Bible by Thomas Jefferson,Wyatt North Pdf

The Jefferson Bible, or The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth as it is formally titled, was a book constructed by Thomas Jefferson in the latter years of his life by cutting and pasting numerous sections from various Bibles as extractions of the doctrine of Jesus. Jefferson's composition excluded sections of the New Testament containing supernatural aspects as well as perceived misinterpretations he believed had been added by the Four Evangelists. In 1895, the Smithsonian Institution under the leadership of librarian Cyrus Adler purchased the original Jefferson Bible from Jefferson's great-granddaughter Carolina Randolph for $400. A conservation effort commencing in 2009, in partnership with the museum's Political History department, allowed for a public unveiling in an exhibit open from November 11, 2011, through May 28, 2012, at the National Museum of American History.

Author : David Lynn Holmes
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 168 pages
File Size : 51,8 Mb
Release : 2003
Category : History
ISBN : UOM:39015061145994

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The Religion of the Founding Fathers by David Lynn Holmes Pdf

Author : Matthew Stewart
Publisher : W. W. Norton & Company
Page : 448 pages
File Size : 55,8 Mb
Release : 2014-07-01
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9780393244311

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Nature's God: The Heretical Origins of the American Republic by Matthew Stewart Pdf

Longlisted for the National Book Award. Where did the ideas come from that became the cornerstone of American democracy? America’s founders intended to liberate us not just from one king but from the ghostly tyranny of supernatural religion. Drawing deeply on the study of European philosophy, Matthew Stewart brilliantly tracks the ancient, pagan, and continental ideas from which America’s revolutionaries drew their inspiration. In the writings of Spinoza, Lucretius, and other great philosophers, Stewart recovers the true meanings of “Nature’s God,” “the pursuit of happiness,” and the radical political theory with which the American experiment in self-government began.

Author : Josiah Strong
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 262 pages
File Size : 54,5 Mb
Release : 1885
Category : Home missions
ISBN : UVA:X000299622

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Our Country by Josiah Strong Pdf

Author : Gregg L. Frazer
Publisher : University Press of Kansas
Page : 312 pages
File Size : 54,6 Mb
Release : 2014-08-15
Category : History
ISBN : 9780700620210

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The Religious Beliefs of America's Founders by Gregg L. Frazer Pdf

Were America's Founders Christians or deists? Conservatives and secularists have taken each position respectively, mustering evidence to insist just how tall the wall separating church and state should be. Now Gregg Frazer puts their arguments to rest in the first comprehensive analysis of the Founders' beliefs as they themselves expressed them-showing that today's political right and left are both wrong. Going beyond church attendance or public pronouncements made for political ends, Frazer scrutinizes the Founders' candid declarations regarding religion found in their private writings. Distilling decades of research, he contends that these men were neither Christian nor deist but rather adherents of a system he labels "theistic rationalism," a hybrid belief system that combined elements of natural religion, Protestantism, and reason-with reason the decisive element. Frazer explains how this theological middle ground developed, what its core beliefs were, and how they were reflected in the thought of eight Founders: John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, James Wilson, Gouverneur Morris, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington. He argues convincingly that Congregationalist Adams is the clearest example of theistic rationalism; that presumed deists Jefferson and Franklin are less secular than supposed; and that even the famously taciturn Washington adheres to this theology. He also shows that the Founders held genuinely religious beliefs that aligned with morality, republican government, natural rights, science, and progress. Frazer's careful explication helps readers better understand the case for revolutionary recruitment, the religious references in the Declaration of Independence, and the religious elements-and lack thereof-in the Constitution. He also reveals how influential clergymen, backing their theology of theistic rationalism with reinterpreted Scripture, preached and published liberal democratic theory to justify rebellion. Deftly blending history, religion, and political thought, Frazer succeeds in showing that the American experiment was neither a wholly secular venture nor an attempt to create a Christian nation founded on biblical principles. By showcasing the actual approach taken by these key Founders, he suggests a viable solution to the twenty-first-century standoff over the relationship between church and state-and challenges partisans on both sides to articulate their visions for America on their own merits without holding the Founders hostage to positions they never held.

Author : Knujon Mapson
Publisher : John Hunt Publishing
Page : 472 pages
File Size : 55,8 Mb
Release : 2017-01-27
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781785354137

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Pandeism by Knujon Mapson Pdf

Pandeism: An Anthology presents the work of sixteen authors, new and old, examining the implications of the revolutionary evolutionary theological theory of Pandeism - the proposition that the Creator of our Universe created by becoming our Universe, and that this proposition can be demonstrated through the exercise of logic and reason. These authors present a wide range of views originating from their varied experiences, from professional theologians and religious educators to lay philosophers with PhDs in the hard sciences. Collectively, these authors have assembled the most extensive examination of Pandeism put to print in over a hundred years.

Author : Steven Waldman
Publisher : Random House Trade Paperbacks
Page : 306 pages
File Size : 44,6 Mb
Release : 2009-03-10
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780812974744

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Founding Faith by Steven Waldman Pdf

The culture wars have distorted the dramatic story of how Americans came to worship freely. Many activists on the right maintain that the United States was founded as a “Christian nation.” Many on the left contend that the First Amendment was designed to boldly separate church and state. Neither of these claims is true, argues Beliefnet.com editor in chief Steven Waldman. With refreshing objectivity, Waldman narrates the real story of how our nation’s Founders forged a new approach to religious liberty. Founding Faith vividly describes the religious development of five Founders. Benjamin Franklin melded the Puritan theology of his youth and the Enlightenment philosophy of his adulthood. John Adams’s pungent views on religion stoked his revolutionary fervor and shaped his political strategy. George Washington came to view religious tolerance as a military necessity. Thomas Jefferson pursued a dramatic quest to “rescue” Jesus, in part by editing the Bible. Finally, it was James Madison who crafted an integrated vision of how to prevent tyranny while encouraging religious vibrancy. The spiritual custody battle over the Founding Fathers and the role of religion in America continues today. Waldman at last sets the record straight, revealing the real history of religious freedom to be dramatic, unexpected, paradoxical, and inspiring.

Author : Peter Manseau
Publisher : Princeton University Press
Page : 233 pages
File Size : 55,9 Mb
Release : 2020-09-29
Category : Bibles
ISBN : 9780691205694

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The Jefferson Bible by Peter Manseau Pdf

The life and times of a uniquely American testament In his retirement, Thomas Jefferson edited the New Testament with a penknife and glue, removing all mention of miracles and other supernatural events. Inspired by the ideals of the Enlightenment, Jefferson hoped to reconcile Christian tradition with reason by presenting Jesus of Nazareth as a great moral teacher—not a divine one. Peter Manseau tells the story of the Jefferson Bible, exploring how each new generation has reimagined the book in its own image as readers grapple with both the legacy of the man who made it and the place of religion in American life. Completed in 1820 and rediscovered by chance in the late nineteenth century after being lost for decades, Jefferson's cut-and-paste scripture has meant different things to different people. Some have held it up as evidence that America is a Christian nation founded on the lessons of the Gospels. Others see it as proof of the Founders' intent to root out the stubborn influence of faith. Manseau explains Jefferson's personal religion and philosophy, shedding light on the influences and ideas that inspired him to radically revise the Gospels. He situates the creation of the Jefferson Bible within the broader search for the historical Jesus, and examines the book's role in American religious disputes over the interpretation of scripture. Manseau describes the intrigue surrounding the loss and rediscovery of the Jefferson Bible, and traces its remarkable reception history from its first planned printing in 1904 for members of Congress to its persistent power to provoke and enlighten us today.