Washington never said this. The language comes from a letter from a later President to a Muslim country which was kidnapping American soldiers:
Washington - "The US is by no means founded upon the Christian doctrine"
This means only that Jefferson was tolerant - unlike yourself. It doesn't mean he against organized religion.
Jefferson - "It does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no god"
Paine had nothing to do with our founding documents.
Madison was a Protestant with a low opinion of the Catholic church. Indded he encouraged other politicians not to neglect pursuing their salvation.
Madison "These are the fruits of fifteen centuries of Christianity -- ignorance, arrogance, idoltry, bigotry, superstition - "
I don't believe this is a valid quotation of Jefferson.
Jefferson "I do not find in orthodox christianity a single redeeming feature"
I believe these words were likely put in Lincoln's mouth by another.
Lincoln "The Bible is not my book and christianity is not my religion"
He certainly never said or wrote anything like this in front of any witnesses. He did however tell hios cabinet that God had determined the slaves were to be free. And he also said in his Second Inaugural address these words:
"The Almighty has His own purposes. "Woe unto the world because of offenses; for it must needs be that offenses come, but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh." If we shall suppose that American slavery is one of those offenses which, in the providence of God, must needs come, but which, having continued through His appointed time, He now wills to remove, and that He gives to both North and South this terrible war as the woe due to those by whom the offense came, shall we discern therein any departure from those divine attributes which the believers in a living God always ascribe to Him? Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said "the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether."
Congrats - you actually have one genuine representative quote:
Franklin "I have, with most of the dissenters in England, some doubts as to his (Jesus Christ) divinity" |
