Faith Of Our Signers P6

It is an unfortunate tendency that in recent years many writers and academics emphasize what are the exceptions rather than the rule concerning faith among notables in the Founding Era. Thus the anti-religious positions of Thomas Paine and Ethan Allen are highlighted, along with a few letters from Thomas Jefferson or John Adams, as well as select statements by Benjamin Franklin or James Madison.

Yet, while individuals such as Jefferson and Franklin did not agree with every traditional doctrine of Christianity, they, along with Adams and Madison, nevertheless were public advocates of both Christianity and the Bible - important facts conveniently omitted by those who wrongly seek to portray the American Founders as anti-religious or anti-Christian. Take Benjamin Franklin as an example.

The modern narrative of him being irreligious, and even anti-religious, is more the result of agenda-driven historical misrepresentation than accurate historical fact. Franklin, early in his life (while in his twenties), called himself a Diest. He also had loose sexual morals during this time, and fathered a child outside of wedlock. But Franklin renounced deism and changed significantly as the years passed - especially after his extended friendship with the Rev. George Whitefield.

Franklin ended up publishing many of Whitefield’s sermons - so many, in fact, that in only a single year Franklin published 7 times as many of Whitefield’s works as he had the previous year, tripling Franklin’s printing business. 

More on this next week for another American Moment.

Sourced from The American Story: The Beginnings by David Barton and Tim Barton.