Nevertheless, because the revolutionary leadership sprang from the social establishment in several colonies, it included many who were Anglicans by denominational loyalty, no less than two-thirds of the signatories of the Declaration of Independence. Elite egalitarians tended to lead these Founding Fathers not to the Awakening but to the Enlightenment and Deism: cool versions of Christianity, or virtually no Christianity at all. The polymath Benjamin Franklin seldom went to church, and when he did, it was to enjoy the Anglican Book of Common Prayer decorously performed in Christ Church, Philadelphia; he made it a point of principle not to spend energy affirming the divinity of Christ. Thomas Jefferson was rather more concerned than Franklin to be seen at church on key political occasions, but he deplored religious controversy, deeply distrusted organized religion and spoke of the Trinity as 'abracadabra...hocus-pocus...a deliria of crazy imaginations, as foreign to Christianity as that of Mohamet'. In the face of such low-temperature religion, many on the present-day American religious right, anxious to appropriate the Revolution for their own version of modern American patriotism, have sought comfort in the ultimate Founding Father, George Washington, but here too there is much to doubt. Washington never received Holy Communion, and was inclined in discourse to refer to providence or destiny rather than God.From Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years by Diarmaid MacCullough, pp. 763-764.
....
What this revolutionary elite achieved amid a sea of competing Christianities, many of which were highly uncongenial to them, was to make religion a private affair in the eyes of the new American federal government. The constitution which they created made no mention of God or Christianity (apart from the date by 'the Year of our Lord'). That was without precedent in Christian polities of that time, and with equal disregard for tradition (after some debate), the Great Seal of the United States of America bore no Christian symbol but rather the Eye of Providence, which if it recalled anything recalled Freemasonry. The motto 'In God We Trust' only first appeared on the American coin amid civil war in 1864, and it was 1957 before it featured on any paper currency of the United States.
So much for the United States as a 'Christian' nation established by 'Christian' Founding Fathers. Citizens who do not know the true history of the country make up from whole cloth a false history to suit their individual purposes.
You may find this hard to believe, but during all my years in elementary and high school, I said the Pledge of Allegiance minus the words 'under God' and, I came out of that period of my life unscathed. The words were added in 1954, during my university years.
Further reading on the subject of the 'Christian' Founding Fathers in a splendid article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on the religious views of George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and Thomas Paine, none of whom would be electable today.
The US is one nation, under the Constitution. We have yet to achieve liberty and justice for all.
ReplyDeleteMurdoch, yes, a subject for another post.
ReplyDeleteI too went through school without the "under God" nonsense, and don't feel I was corrupted by the lack (though opinions might differ on whether I was doomed to perdition anyway). But in the last five of those pre-collegiate years this was achieved by my just damn well refusing to say those words.
ReplyDeleteAnd in the years since, I've been a sort of grown-up, and that mandatory recital of a formula of noises incomprehensible to small children has not been a problem. However, I now take a more mature view. In place of those rather un-American added syllables, I'd prefer, if I had to, to displace the words a bit and use phrasing of an early draft of the pledge:
...one nation indivisible, with liberty, equality, and justice for all.
The text is, of course, aspirational; no one would think it an affirmation of fact.
Washington, tho' "Episcopalian", never, apparently took communion and was not attended by a clergyman on his deathbed. James Abercrombie, rector of St Peter's, Philadelphia during his presidency, later termed him a "deist". More here and here. Greater, indeed exhaustive, detail in Steiner's Religious beliefs of our presidents.
ReplyDeleteI remember when "Under God" was added. I don't remember any controversy at the time but I didn't know anybody who didn't go to church regularly then.
ReplyDeleteThose who are ignorant of history are doomed not to know when they are repeating it.
ReplyDeleteI recall the insertion of "under God" and found it quite jarring amid the rhythms I already knew well. Baptists are, traditionally, rather big on separation of church and state (pace some of the current idiots) and this new phrasing seemed inappropriate to me even in elementary school.
ReplyDeleteThe text is, of course, aspirational; no one would think it an affirmation of fact.
ReplyDeleteYes, indeed, Porlock.
What MacCullough wrote is nothing new to me, but when I read the words last night, I thought I'd copy and post them. Sadly, the folks who need to know the truth of our history will not read the words.
Where they are getting their historical facts on "making" our early country Christian I do not know....
ReplyDeleteCiss, the facts seem to be irrelevent. Remember Stephen Colbert's word 'truthiness'? It applies.
ReplyDeleteHe's right...love his way of getting right to "the facts!"
ReplyDeleteI grew up overseas so I only had to say the Pledge at Boy Scout meetings. I told my daughters that it was idol worship but they could say it if they wanted, as they would have enough trouble in school being my kids, but neither ever said the pledge.
ReplyDeleteI guess we're just a buncha commies.
As I recall, the Pledge was created for children by a 19th century Christian Socialist as a bit of social engineering. He deplored the general level of patriotism in America and sought to change that state of affairs by indoctrinating each new generation of children.
ReplyDeleteI believe that along with the indoctrination was an effort to sell flags. Really. But I haven't looked this up lately.
ReplyDeleteBTW, you want real indoctrination by a socialist appparently lesbian feminist? Try our best semi-official patriotic, as in country-loving, song "America the Beautiful".
Aspirational too; can any really patriotic song not be? Or is that just a typically American notion? Meanwhile, alas for the lost concept of the subjunctive, and don't abandon the struggle against the common reading of "and crowned thy goood".
The flag has become an idol, and we tend toward crazy with our form of patriotism for 'the country', even as we've lost our commitment to the common good of real people.
ReplyDeleteHere's an article on this subject that you will find interesting:
ReplyDeleteFive founders who were skeptical of organized Christianity and couldn't be elected today.
Bill Ghrist
For several days now I have been unable to post comments because word verification continues to fail. The comment above finally worked on the second try with Internet Explorer, using my Google login. Mostly I have tried to use my OpenID login on Firefox, and was not able to get it to work either on Firefox or IE. I tried clearing cache, clearing cookies, rebooting, etc. without success. I am trying this again on Firefox with Google ID.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone else been having this problem?
Bill Ghrist
I have been having trouble for several days posting comments because word verification is failing. The above comment worked after one failure using Internet Explorer and my Google ID. Normally I use Firefox and OpenID, but was not having any success with various combinations of things (including clearing cache and cookies and rebooting). I am trying this on Firefox with Google ID.
ReplyDeleteBill Ghrist
Bill Ghrist, I am now in process of reading the article at your link, which, so far, is excellent. I will probably add the link in an update to my post.
ReplyDeleteI am having difficulty posting comments, too. At times, it takes three or four attempts to be successful. It is sooo frustrating.
Well I tried again on both Firefox and IE using OpenID. Neither worked after several tries. I am going to try this again with Google ID on Firefox. Please pardon me for using your blog as a testbed.
ReplyDeleteBill Ghrist
...one wv failure
Bill, no problem. If you find a solution, please let me know. I suspect a glitch in Blogger, but I could be wrong.
ReplyDeleteOh gosh. Sorry to extend this thread further, but I have started reading that remarkable Post-Gazette article. And what do I find almost immediately? George Washington saying
ReplyDelete"It is now no more that toleration is spoken of, as if it was by the indulgence of one class of people that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights."
Blasphemous expression of incredulity!! Mere "toleration" is no more, now that all the people are treated simply as fellow citizens? Ah, to live in that world!
PS: The Google logon system through its blogger connection is an incredible abomination. I generally do manage to get my identity established, but why are the super-geniuses at Google unable to use a login-password procedure that works the same way, compatible with good login-saver software, as every other site in the universe? Rule of thumb: type one letter of comment, then ask to Preview, and see if you can get wholly logged in. Then put in the real comment, remembering, of course, not to submit your dummy comment.
Ah, to live in that world!
ReplyDeletePorlock, yes indeed, but we never did, did we?. Let's not forget the elephant in the living room that the Founding Fathers didn't want to see. Oh, they saw the elephant all right, but stepped gingerly around it.
Porlock, the Google login and Blogger word verification are well messed up. It's frustrating. I'll try your solution, but we should not have to go to such trouble.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure Paine was electable then though as a pamphleteer he was unsurpassed.
ReplyDeleteBTW the 'historian' to watch out for is David Barton, a darling of the Christian right and a common source of creative rewriting.
Paine was never put to the test, but all the others were and passed. I can't think what the hard right would say to their speeches and writings today. It was a long time ago.
ReplyDeleteI sniffed around David Barton's Wallbuilders site. What a load of crap.