George Washington sets the record straight

[RainDog]

The government of the
United States is not,
in any sense, founded on the Christian religion.

GEORGE WASHINGTON
Treaty of Tripoli
1796

...so I guess he also thought god didn't pick the president, unlike the present George...who, btw, wasn't elected, but was rather appointed to office by cronies who then justify their abuses of power as "god putting their man in power."

[MrBenchley]

1. Incidentally

It was written by poet/diplomat Joel Barlow but approved by George Washingtonn. John Adams was president when it went to the Senate, where the Founding Fathers approved it UNANIMOUSLY.

[paco5142]

2. yeah he did check this out

http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/washing.htm for those of you to lazy to read the whole thing go about half way down and you can read for yourself what george washinton thought about religion.

[funkyflathead]

4. A passage

........."Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle..........."

[spooky3]

5. His personal views about the relationship between morality and

religion are not the same as the principles included in the Constitution.

[RainDog]

7. Religious principle is not the same as Christianity

which Christians sometimes forget...

but this opening phrase from the link below should remind those who want to conflate Christianity with America, that the founders of this nation were not uniformly Christian.

"Of course many Americans did practice Christianity, but so also did many believe in deistic philosophy. Indeed, most of our influential Founding Fathers, although they respected the rights of other religionists, held to deism and Freemasonry beliefs rather than to Christianity."

So when George Washington talks about religion in life, he isn't conferring special privileges to Christianity as a national religion.

[paco5142]

8. like i said you have to read the whole speech

earlier in the speech he does say that they all share the same religion and i am sure he was speaking of Christianity

[Eric J in MN]

9. No, George Washington regarded Judaism as another denomination in America.

To the Hebrew Congregations in the cities of Philadelphia, New York, Charleston and Richmond:

Gentlemen,—The liberality of sentiment towards each other which marks every political and religious denomination of men in this country, stands unparalleled in the history of nations.

The affection of such a people is a treasure beyond the reach of calculation: and the repeated proofs which my fellow-citizens have given of their attachment to me, and approbation of my doings, form the purest source of my temporal felicity. The affectionate expressions of your address again excite my gratitude and receive my warmest acknowledgments.

The power and goodness of the Almighty were strongly manifested in the events of the late glorious revolution: and his kind interposition in our behalf, has been no less visible in the establishment of our present equal government. In war he directed the sword, and in peace he has ruled in our councils. My agency in both has been guided by the best intentions and a sense of the duty which I ose my country.

And as my exertions have nitherto been amply rewarded by the approbation of my fellow-citizens, I shall endeavour to deserve a continuance of it by my future conduct.

May the same temporal and eternal blessings which you implore for me, rest upon your congregations.

George Washington.

http://www.jewish-history.com/Occident/volume2/jul1844/washington.html

[RainDog]

10. I read the speech

why would you assume that Washington was referring to Christianity when the prevailing religious belief among the educated class which framed the Constitution was a product of The Enlightenment and its belief that humans, not gods, create governments?

This was an essential premise for the overthrow of monarchy in America and in France, since the link between govt and religion, via the "divine right of kings" was the way in which those govt justified their existence?

Deism was the prevailing religious idea among the educated class, as well. Deism believes in the idea of a god which sets the world in motion, and leaves it to humans to use reason to govern themselves.

The god of deists was not a "personal" god with attributes like those assigned by Christianity.

The Freemasons were very strong, too, and of course their symbols are on our currency, not the symbols of Christianity. There is no cross on the dollar, is there?

Washington, as well, stated in the treaty of Tripoli that we as a nation have no issue with the followers of Mohammed, either, and the rhetoric of a "crusade" is completely at odds with the most basic principles of our nation.

[funkyflathead]

3. Link? n/t

[spooky3]

6. try this: http://www.nobeliefs.com/Tripoli.htm