Anyone who believes Founding Fathers were Deists is mistaken

To the editor,

Colonial Americans , especially in Calvinist new England, provided their children with high standards of education. In the 1700s an undergraduate freshman at William and Mary college had to read, write, converse and debate in Greek. When John Jay applied for admission at age 14 a requirement was to translate the first 10 chapters of the gospel of John from Geek to Latin. John Adams had carefully studied Plato using two Latin translation, one French, one English, and the original Greek. In 1765 he wrote “ a native American, especially in new England who cannot read and write is as rare a phenomenon as a comet”

Around 1800 Pierre Samuel DuPont de Nemours conducted a study on education for Thomas Jefferson. He found: most Americans can read, write and cipher. Not more than four in a thousand are unable to write legibly — even neatly.”

He compared the low rate of literacy throughout the world to high literacy rate in America, England, Holland and Protestant Cantons of Switzerland and found in “those countries the Bible is read; it is considered a duty to read it to their children. Education in the colonies was accomplished in the home through Bible reading and newspapers“. Daniel Webster spoke in 1820 in Plymouth, Massachusetts on the same findings. Alexis de Tocqueville observation in 1830 were similar.

Deism arose in Europe in the latter part of the 1600s and became popular in the 1700 and 1800s. They see little reason for prayer, believing God will not intervene or answer their prayer. Nor do they believe in miracles performed by God. They do not believe that Jesus was sent to atone for men’s sins. And God did not reveal himself through the Bible.

The colonials were familiar with deist ideology but its concepts never gained a foothold in America. The movement was cut short by the Great Awakening of the 1740s.

Dr. M.E. Bradford of the University of Dallas wrote a series of biographical sketches on the 55 delegates to the Constitutional Convention. Two were listed as deist’s. Ben Franklin and Hugh Williamson Presbyterian/deist (?). It is highly questionable that Ben Franklin was a deist. At the Great Convention it was Franklin who called for prayer, declaring “God governs in the affairs of men”. He reminded the delegates of the many miracles the colonials experienced during the revolution. Deists believe in neither.

Ben Franklin’s plan for public schools in Pennsylvania insisted that the schools teach “the necessity of a public religion…and the Excellency of the Christian religion above all others, ancient or modern” Franklin helped found a college, which was dedicated as a nursery of religion and learning “built on Christ, the Corner Stone”. Ben Franklin also proposed a Biblical inscription for the Seal of the United States. He chose a New Testament verse for the motto of the Philadelphia Hospital and was the chief voice behind establishing a chaplain in Congress.

George Washing: During a five year period, between May 2, 1778 and 1783 there were three significant events where he openly declared his Christian beliefs. At Valley Forge he told his soldiers that in having the character of patriots,” it should be our highest glory to add the more distinguished character of Christian”. In a speech on May 12, 1779, he said that what the children need to learn was the “religion of Jesus Christ, which would make them “greater and happier than they already are” And on June 8, 1783, when he resigned as commander in chief of the military, he said “ without a humble imitation” of the Devine Author of our blessed religion” we “can never hope to be a happy nation”. He declared “ Religion and morality are essential pillars of civil society”. Further reading of George Washington’s writings will shed even more light on the reason he is considered the Father of this country.

Thomas Jefferson: Many have claimed that he was not a Christian. His writings would not concur with such rumors. He proclaimed himself in 1816 “ I am a real Christian, that is to say, a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus Christ”.

Anyone who believes that our Founding Fathers were Deists is sadly mistaken and has not spent enough time reading the writings of the Fathers to accurately understand their religious beliefs.

Making claims that we are not a Christian Nations is ludicrous. Stating we were not founded by Christians and established by Christians rests upon unsound doctrine. It is nothing but propaganda.

Dr. Paul Vitz, Professor of Psychology at New York University and principle author of federally-funded study titled “Religion and Traditional Values in Public Schools Textbooks,” concluded that textbook authors “have deep-seated fear of any form of active contemporary Christianity, especially serious, committed Protestantism", and the result is an "obvious censorship of religion". We can no longer entrust the minds of our children to others. Teach your children correct principles of responsibilities, morality and virtue. To learn their heritage left by their ancestors. That Vladimir Illich Lenin’s statement on indoctrination will never gain a foothold in the minds of the future generations: “Give me four years to teach the children and the seed I have sown will never be uprooted”. If we stick to correct principles and pass them on to our children we will see in our lifetime an awakening and those who are wandering around in the dark might catch a glimmer of hope.

Gene F. Danforth

Danbury