Some in this nation get very uncomfortable if anyone mentions the religious heritage of our nation. They immediately go on the defense, calling our Founders "deists", like they fear someone forcing them to wear a burkha. One has to wonder if these people even know what a deist is.
The simplest way to understand deism is that it is a belief that there is a Supreme Being, but once this Supreme Being sets forth certain laws, he does not intervene in the affairs of men. It is often called the "watchmaker theory" which states that once the watch is made and wound, the watchmaker does nothing else.
A deist would not pray for God's blessings on human endeavors because that would be futile and violative of their beliefs. A "watchmaker" God would not and could not bless anyone or anything. Deists know this and consider prayer a foolish exercise.
In spite of this what does history teach us about our Founding Fathers? Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson are always cited as the most deistic of any of our Founders, yet Franklin, himself, stated, "I believe in one God, the Creator of the universe. That he governs it by his Providence. That he ought to be worshipped." A watchmaker God could not and would not govern the universe by his Providence. Jefferson said, "I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just and his justice cannot sleep forever." A Deist's God could not do anything about it, even if his sense of justice was offended.
George Washington, at Valley Forge, when the nation seemed at its most vulnerable prayed, "...look down from heaven in pity and compassion upon me Thy servant...." Who would care if a God of a Deist had pity or compassion on someone? A Deist certainly would not consider himself to be a "servant" of such a God.
The facts are that from their writings and known congregational associations, the majority of our Founding Fathers were church members. The very first act of the Continental Congress was to pray for Divine Providence in the face of the British bombardment of Boston. A watchmaker is incapable of Divine Providence in a crisis.
Our Founders were not Deists. Our Founders knew that only God could see this nation through its early trials and tribulations, and only God can see this nation through today.
3 comments:
Good post, Steve. Our Founding Fathers KNEW that GOD played an important role in the founding, building and preservation of this Nation. They sought His guidance without reservation. It is unconsionable we have turned away from that. One of the founding principles of this nation was "freedom of religion," because our forefathers were persecuted for their beliefs. Today, religious persecution thrives and the mindset is "freedom FROM religion." More is the pity.
I think that we have stayed silent for far to long. Your last line is Truth.
Nana
I heard some mayor in Tennessee wants a proclamation of "God as the foundation of our national heritage." He wants all 95 counties to follow suit.
That, to me, is no better than so-called revisionists trying to take God out of our national history.
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