Ed Brayton has a wonderful post on the Founders’ personal religious beliefs and the relationship of those beliefs to the Founders’ opinions of the proper role of government in religion (or vice versa). Go read the whole thing, but the short version is essentially this:
Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and Madison were all rational theists and not really Christians. They had a difference of opinion as to whether religion was necessary to support public virtue and morality. Jefferson and Madison believed that religion was not a necessary component of public virtue and morality. Washington and Adams believed that, while certain superior minds might be capable of virtue and morality independent of religion, by and large the rabble required religion to keep them in line. (I am paraphrasing, of course.)
With respect to a couple of today’s issues, Mr. Brayton suggests that Washington and Adams would have no trouble with “In God We Trust” on the currency but that posting the Ten Commandments in court houses would be a closer call. Jefferson and Madison would be opposed to all of it.
Leave a Reply