[Dalite]

In your research, look up the Treaty of Tripoli, article 11: As the government of the United States of America 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 Musselmen,-and as the said States never have entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mehomitan nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.

Be prepared (if your opponent is prepared) to defend the "As the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion" being taken out of context.

Also, try to understand that our founding fathers believed in deism, and may not have necessarily considered themselves to be Christian. They believed in a higher power called God, and in Natural Law, but were probably not as encumbered by denomination obsession as we are today.

[AVNevis]

Thanks, but that's not actually the topic. The topic is whether individual claims of privacy come before the greater societal good. I was looking up Adams to hopefully find a quote on that topic and stumbled on this.

[Torie]

Putting aside Jefferson and Franklin, the balance of the key founding fathers were indeed professed Christians, and held Christ in high esteem, although they certainly had a relaxed view about it (no fundamentalists they), and were not afraid to probe and question. In short, they were intellectuals and/or practical men of affairs.

[22cal]

You are entirely misinformed about the Founders as was I. John Adams, Samuel Adams, and Patrick Henry were the rule not the exception when it comes to the Christianity of the Founders.

I would refer you to books of history on that topic using the Founders' own words. 'Original Intent' by David Barton is one.

[Swordmaker]

Also, try to understand that our founding fathers believed in deism, and may not have necessarily considered themselves to be Christian. They believed in a higher power called God, and in Natural Law, but were probably not as encumbered by denomination obsession as we are today.

I am getting a little tired of this canard. The truth is that calling "the founding fathers" Deists is flat out wrong. A small number of them may have been undefined "deists" but the vast majority of them were Christians of various denominations. In fact, only THREE of the founding fathers professed "Deism" as a faith... which was mostly undefined and most likely represented a way to avoid claiming one faith or denomination over another but to also say "I believe in God".

The record is clear:

The denominational affiliations of these men were a matter of public record. Among the {55] delegates {to the Constitutional Convention} were 28 Episcopalians, 8 Presbyterians, 7 Congregationalists, 2 Lutherans, 2 Dutch Reformed, 2 Methodists, 2 Roman Catholics, 1 unknown, and only 3 deists--Williamson, Wilson, and Franklin--this at a time when church membership entailed a sworn public confession of biblical faith.

Sectarianism was rampant in the period with mostly friendly rivalry until it came down to matters of doctrine... and then amity was tossed out and disputes often escalated to violence. The formation of the new nation REQUIRED that there be no established religion... or there would have BEEN NO NATION as you would not have gotten the minority denominations to agree to become episcopalians. They agreed to set aside their religious disagreements, not deny them, to form the new nation. They agreed they all believed in God... which might be called a generic "Deism."

The claim that "The Founding Fathers" were Deists is plainly untrue when it is used to imply that they were not Christians. It is, however, true when it is understood that all Christian denominations are a subset of deism, the belief in God.

[GarySpFc]

Also, try to understand that our founding fathers believed in deism, and may not have necessarily considered themselves to be Christian. They believed in a higher power called God, and in Natural Law, but were probably not as encumbered by denomination obsession as we are today.

Nonsense! You have been listening to far too much skeptical rhetoric. The colonists were familiar with deist thinking. But deism never gained a strong foothold in America. The first Great Awakening, the religious revival of the 1740s, was partially responsible for cutting short the spread of deism,

In many states at the time of the Constitutional Convention, confessed deists were not allowed to hold public office. Deism was generally held in low esteem, as such laws indicate. Additionally, Deism as practiced at the time of America's founding was far different from what we find in our country today, and it certainly was not atheism. Only 3 of the Founding Fathers signing the Dec. Of Independence were Deists, and their brand of Deism was far different than that which we see today.