Around every fourth of July, Americans are encouraged to reflect on their country’s struggle for independence−a struggle largely inspired by those values we, as a people, take a great deal of pride in espousing, perhaps none more than those guaranteed in the First Amendment: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press...”[1]
These values illustrate the very essence of American Freedom which entice people from all walks of life to emigrate to the United States of America, encouraging others to join in the defense of these freedoms by sacrificing their very lives, even as non-citizens. Those who penned our founding documents shared a vision thoroughly steeped in the “age of reason”; they witnessed the oppression of the crown and many abhorred what they viewed as the corruption of the religious authorities. Contrary to much of the rhetoric of conservative pundits, our founders advanced a religious pluralism in the documents we hold so dear. So while reverence to God certainly prevailed, this relationship was deemed personal and never intended as a tool to scrutinize the patriotism of others−far from it. In fact, it was from within this context that the agreement to sever our subservience to the British lords came to fruition.
The debate over the intentions of the Founding Fathers concerning the Establishment Clause is nothing new. In today’s climate of particularly venomous attacks on Islam and Muslims in the right-leaning media, the commentary is frequently laced with notions that America was founded largely on Christian doctrine and as such, those who profess a faith other than Christianity are unfit to serve in public office, share in decision making, or otherwise represent American values. Most recent is the example is the mud flung by South Carolina Senator Jake Knotts, who in an interview commented that “we already got [sic] one raghead in the White House, we don’t need another raghead in the governor’s mansion,” pandering to the conspiracy that President Obama is a closet Muslim, and attempting to discredit gubernatorial candidate Nikki Haley for having Sikh roots. The controversy stirred by the recent selection of Rima Fakih, an Arab-American with a Muslim-Christian background, had some questioning the relevance of religion in the discussion. What created a greater stir, however, was Minnesota Congressman Keith Ellison’s choice to use a Qur’an for his 2006 swearing in ceremony, albeit selected from the library of Thomas Jefferson. Conservative commentators actually questioned his loyalty to the country. Ironically, the very people behind these and other attacks, self-designated “Protectors of the Constitution,”[2] are themselves at odds with the opinions of our nation’s founders who undoubtedly respected, if not encouraged religious practice, Christian or otherwise.
While it is true that the vast majority of the colonists placed their faith Christianity, much of the intellectual class behind the foundational documents approached the Bible very differently. Most notably among them, Thomas Jefferson, architect of the Declaration of Independence, self-described Christian, and author the essential concept of a “wall of separation [existing] between church and state” in a letter written to the Danbury Baptist Association which is commonly cited by the Supreme Court when interpreting the Establishment Clause. He goes on to write, “religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship….”[3] Jefferson went so far as to pen his own version of what he considered the genuine teachings of Christ, literally cutting and pasting extracts illustrating the human elements of the Gospels, disregarding the Letters of Paul and all accounts of the miracles and divinities ascribed to him by mainstream Christianity entirely. In writing about his landmark Virginia Act for Establishing Religious Freedom of 1786, Jefferson says that included among those it intends to protect are “the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian and Mahometan [i.e., Muslim], the Hindu, and Infidel of every denomination.”[4] Furthermore, he went to the extent of establishing a university with the stated intent of excluding any religious affiliation whatsoever. In letter to Thomas Cooper (whom he later appointed as professor of natural science and law, much to the chagrin of the local clergy), to what would become the University of Virginia, he writes, “…a professorship of theology should have no place in our institution.”[5] Like President Obama, our third president also dealt with opponents who accused him of being an infidel and an atheist (had they known he possessed a Qur’an, who knows what other smear campaigns would have been conjured up in attempts to discredit him).[6]
Another great patriot whose historical record is at odds with the xenophobic rhetoric today is Thomas Paine, widely considered Father of the American Revolution and author of the inspirational pamphlet, Common Sense, largely credited for mobilizing the public to take up arms against the British. Although his writings were the embellishment of the fight for independence, never did he envision the establishment of anything related to a nation founded on Christian doctrine, despite the incessant attempts by Glenn Beck and others to prove otherwise, masquerading around in 18th century garb. Quite the contrary, Paine was an unapologetic deist who said of religion in general: “All national institutions of churches, whether Jewish, Christian or Turkish [i.e., Muslim], appear to me no other than human inventions, set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power and profit.”[7] Importantly, he follows by stating, “I do not by this declaration intend to condemn those who believe otherwise; they have the same right to their belief as I do to mine,”[8]mirroring the comments of Jefferson who asserted religious convictions were a private matter as opposed to a measure of one’s patriotism.
Benjamin Franklin, is yet another founder who is invoked to support the view that the United States was intended to be a Christian nation to the exclusion of all others. While a strong believer in God, in a letter responding to his religious beliefs, he writes of Christ’s teachings, “…I apprehend it has received various corrupting changes, and I have… some doubts as to his divinity.”[9] As to his belief of religious exclusivity, “I cannot help imagining that multitudes of the zealously orthodox of different sects, who on the last day may flock together in hopes of seeing the other damned, will be disappointed, and be obliged to be content to rest with their own salvation.”[10] Although Franklin did attach importance to prayer, it is disingenuous to argue that he would have supported the actions of Washington State representatives Cary Condotta and Lois McMahan’s abrupt departure from the chamber floor of the House of Representatives in Olympia in protest of Imam Mohamed Joban’s offering the opening prayer before the 2003 legislative session.[11] In fact, Franklin reverenced open prayer as a virtue which extolled his mix of Christian and deist beliefs, significantly influenced by the teachings of Christ and Socrates, as inscribed in his Thirteen Virtues.[12]
Equally representative of our founding values is James Madison, who developed our three branch system of constitutional government, and composer of the Bill of Rights. In 1785, Madison wrote the Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments in opposition to legislation which called for levying a tax to fund religious education, arguing in part, “‘the equal right of every citizen to the free exercise of his Religion according to the dictates of conscience’ is held by the same tenure with all our other rights.”[13] It should also be noted that the Constitution of the United States, of which Madison was a principal writer, is devoid of any reference to God or otherwise Christian intent on behalf of himself or any of its contributors. Despite Madison’s personal faith, which like most of his peers contained elements of deism, he was above all an advocate of religious liberty and the right to worship (or not) as a matter of personal choice.
The Unitarian beliefs of John Adams, our country’s first Vice President and second President, are considered beyond the confines of Christianity when weighed against the standards of the Christian-right. Contrary to any attempt at campaigning for the superiority of Christian doctrine. Adams writes to the evangelist Benjamin Rush, “I have attended public worship in all countries and with all sects and believe them all much better than no religion, though I have not thought myself obliged to believe all I heard.”[14] As Massachusetts delegate to the Constitutional Convention, Adams is credited with wielding one of the stronger arguments in declaring independence. As a subscriber to Universalist thought, there is no doubt as to the role his philosophy played in his quest to assist in the establishment of a nation based on the liberty of religious pluralism, equally accepting people of all creeds. He, along with his wife Abigail, their son John Quincy and his wife Louisa Catherine, are interred at the Unitarian United First Parish Church in Quincy, Massachusetts.
The legacy of the founders’ commitment to religious tolerance is well documented and should be celebrated as we consider the price they were willing to pay for the liberties we now enjoy. This July Fourth, we celebrate more than two centuries of independence. People around the country of all faiths, from all corners of the globe, will be enjoying the fireworks displays this Sunday. Our founders would have taken great pride in the diverse crowds attracted by these events, coming together to share in our national heritage. The convictions of our most noteworthy historical figures in the fight to “form a more perfect Union”[15] continue to inspire and influence new generations to achieve the promise of liberty that the founding fathers envisioned during the tremulous beginnings of our country. Let us not allow those who would like to divide us by a series of litmus tests intended to superimpose their distorted vision of patriotism and the right to represent our great nation. Ours is a nation founded on the principals of pluralism and liberty as enshrined by the legacy of our founding documents and the continued struggle for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all people, of all faiths.
[1] U.S. Constitution, amend, 1.
[2] Humphreys, Ricky. Tea Party Patriots: Tea Party Groups. http://www.teapartypatriots.org/Group/Protectors_of_the_Constitution;_NOT_radicals [accessed June 28, 2010].
[3] Jefferson, Thomas. Library of Congress [Online]. Jefferson’s Letter to the Danbury Baptists: The Final Letter, as sent. http://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/9806/danpre.html [accessed June 27, 2010].
[4] The Encyclopedia Americana: A Library of Universal Knowledge in Thirty Volumes. s.v. “Liberty, Religious.” 1919. New York. The Encyclopedia Americana Corporation.
[5] Jefferson, Thomas. The Jeffersonian Cyclopedia: A Comprehensive Collection of the Views of Thomas Jefferson. 1900. Ed. John P. Foley. New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company. 903, n. 8764.
[6] Jefferson, Thomas. The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth: the Jefferson Bible. 2008. Forgotten Books. 12.
[7] Paine, Thomas. The Age of Reason: Being an Investigation of True and Fabulous Theology. 1890. Ed. Moncure Daniel Conway, M.A. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, The Knickerbocker Press. 17.
[8] Ibid.
[9] Benjamin Franklin to Ezra Stiles, Philadelphia, March 9, 1790, The Republican Vol. 12, 1825. Ed. R. Carlile. 558.
[10] Ibid., 559.
[11] Angela Galloway, “2 lawmakers spurn Muslim's prayer,” Seattle Post-Intelligencer, March 4, 2003, http://www.seattlepi.com/local/110881_prayer04.shtml [accessed June 28, 2010].
[12] Franklin, Benjamin. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. 2008. Bedford, Massachusetts: Applewood Books. 127.
[13] Hadden, Jeffery K. The Religious Freedom Page: Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessements [sic]. James Madison, 1785. University of Virginia. http://religiousfreedom.lib.virginia.edu/sacred/madison_m&r_1785.html [accessed June 28, 2010].
[14] John Adams to Benjamin Rush, Quincy, April 18, 1808, in Old Family Letters, ed. Alexander Biddle (Philadelphia: Press of J.B. Lippincott Company, 1892). 179.
[15] U.S Constitution, preamble.
These values illustrate the very essence of American Freedom which entice people from all walks of life to emigrate to the United States of America, encouraging others to join in the defense of these freedoms by sacrificing their very lives, even as non-citizens. Those who penned our founding documents shared a vision thoroughly steeped in the “age of reason”; they witnessed the oppression of the crown and many abhorred what they viewed as the corruption of the religious authorities. Contrary to much of the rhetoric of conservative pundits, our founders advanced a religious pluralism in the documents we hold so dear. So while reverence to God certainly prevailed, this relationship was deemed personal and never intended as a tool to scrutinize the patriotism of others−far from it. In fact, it was from within this context that the agreement to sever our subservience to the British lords came to fruition.
The debate over the intentions of the Founding Fathers concerning the Establishment Clause is nothing new. In today’s climate of particularly venomous attacks on Islam and Muslims in the right-leaning media, the commentary is frequently laced with notions that America was founded largely on Christian doctrine and as such, those who profess a faith other than Christianity are unfit to serve in public office, share in decision making, or otherwise represent American values. Most recent is the example is the mud flung by South Carolina Senator Jake Knotts, who in an interview commented that “we already got [sic] one raghead in the White House, we don’t need another raghead in the governor’s mansion,” pandering to the conspiracy that President Obama is a closet Muslim, and attempting to discredit gubernatorial candidate Nikki Haley for having Sikh roots. The controversy stirred by the recent selection of Rima Fakih, an Arab-American with a Muslim-Christian background, had some questioning the relevance of religion in the discussion. What created a greater stir, however, was Minnesota Congressman Keith Ellison’s choice to use a Qur’an for his 2006 swearing in ceremony, albeit selected from the library of Thomas Jefferson. Conservative commentators actually questioned his loyalty to the country. Ironically, the very people behind these and other attacks, self-designated “Protectors of the Constitution,”[2] are themselves at odds with the opinions of our nation’s founders who undoubtedly respected, if not encouraged religious practice, Christian or otherwise.
While it is true that the vast majority of the colonists placed their faith Christianity, much of the intellectual class behind the foundational documents approached the Bible very differently. Most notably among them, Thomas Jefferson, architect of the Declaration of Independence, self-described Christian, and author the essential concept of a “wall of separation [existing] between church and state” in a letter written to the Danbury Baptist Association which is commonly cited by the Supreme Court when interpreting the Establishment Clause. He goes on to write, “religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship….”[3] Jefferson went so far as to pen his own version of what he considered the genuine teachings of Christ, literally cutting and pasting extracts illustrating the human elements of the Gospels, disregarding the Letters of Paul and all accounts of the miracles and divinities ascribed to him by mainstream Christianity entirely. In writing about his landmark Virginia Act for Establishing Religious Freedom of 1786, Jefferson says that included among those it intends to protect are “the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian and Mahometan [i.e., Muslim], the Hindu, and Infidel of every denomination.”[4] Furthermore, he went to the extent of establishing a university with the stated intent of excluding any religious affiliation whatsoever. In letter to Thomas Cooper (whom he later appointed as professor of natural science and law, much to the chagrin of the local clergy), to what would become the University of Virginia, he writes, “…a professorship of theology should have no place in our institution.”[5] Like President Obama, our third president also dealt with opponents who accused him of being an infidel and an atheist (had they known he possessed a Qur’an, who knows what other smear campaigns would have been conjured up in attempts to discredit him).[6]
Another great patriot whose historical record is at odds with the xenophobic rhetoric today is Thomas Paine, widely considered Father of the American Revolution and author of the inspirational pamphlet, Common Sense, largely credited for mobilizing the public to take up arms against the British. Although his writings were the embellishment of the fight for independence, never did he envision the establishment of anything related to a nation founded on Christian doctrine, despite the incessant attempts by Glenn Beck and others to prove otherwise, masquerading around in 18th century garb. Quite the contrary, Paine was an unapologetic deist who said of religion in general: “All national institutions of churches, whether Jewish, Christian or Turkish [i.e., Muslim], appear to me no other than human inventions, set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power and profit.”[7] Importantly, he follows by stating, “I do not by this declaration intend to condemn those who believe otherwise; they have the same right to their belief as I do to mine,”[8]mirroring the comments of Jefferson who asserted religious convictions were a private matter as opposed to a measure of one’s patriotism.
Benjamin Franklin, is yet another founder who is invoked to support the view that the United States was intended to be a Christian nation to the exclusion of all others. While a strong believer in God, in a letter responding to his religious beliefs, he writes of Christ’s teachings, “…I apprehend it has received various corrupting changes, and I have… some doubts as to his divinity.”[9] As to his belief of religious exclusivity, “I cannot help imagining that multitudes of the zealously orthodox of different sects, who on the last day may flock together in hopes of seeing the other damned, will be disappointed, and be obliged to be content to rest with their own salvation.”[10] Although Franklin did attach importance to prayer, it is disingenuous to argue that he would have supported the actions of Washington State representatives Cary Condotta and Lois McMahan’s abrupt departure from the chamber floor of the House of Representatives in Olympia in protest of Imam Mohamed Joban’s offering the opening prayer before the 2003 legislative session.[11] In fact, Franklin reverenced open prayer as a virtue which extolled his mix of Christian and deist beliefs, significantly influenced by the teachings of Christ and Socrates, as inscribed in his Thirteen Virtues.[12]
Equally representative of our founding values is James Madison, who developed our three branch system of constitutional government, and composer of the Bill of Rights. In 1785, Madison wrote the Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments in opposition to legislation which called for levying a tax to fund religious education, arguing in part, “‘the equal right of every citizen to the free exercise of his Religion according to the dictates of conscience’ is held by the same tenure with all our other rights.”[13] It should also be noted that the Constitution of the United States, of which Madison was a principal writer, is devoid of any reference to God or otherwise Christian intent on behalf of himself or any of its contributors. Despite Madison’s personal faith, which like most of his peers contained elements of deism, he was above all an advocate of religious liberty and the right to worship (or not) as a matter of personal choice.
The Unitarian beliefs of John Adams, our country’s first Vice President and second President, are considered beyond the confines of Christianity when weighed against the standards of the Christian-right. Contrary to any attempt at campaigning for the superiority of Christian doctrine. Adams writes to the evangelist Benjamin Rush, “I have attended public worship in all countries and with all sects and believe them all much better than no religion, though I have not thought myself obliged to believe all I heard.”[14] As Massachusetts delegate to the Constitutional Convention, Adams is credited with wielding one of the stronger arguments in declaring independence. As a subscriber to Universalist thought, there is no doubt as to the role his philosophy played in his quest to assist in the establishment of a nation based on the liberty of religious pluralism, equally accepting people of all creeds. He, along with his wife Abigail, their son John Quincy and his wife Louisa Catherine, are interred at the Unitarian United First Parish Church in Quincy, Massachusetts.
The legacy of the founders’ commitment to religious tolerance is well documented and should be celebrated as we consider the price they were willing to pay for the liberties we now enjoy. This July Fourth, we celebrate more than two centuries of independence. People around the country of all faiths, from all corners of the globe, will be enjoying the fireworks displays this Sunday. Our founders would have taken great pride in the diverse crowds attracted by these events, coming together to share in our national heritage. The convictions of our most noteworthy historical figures in the fight to “form a more perfect Union”[15] continue to inspire and influence new generations to achieve the promise of liberty that the founding fathers envisioned during the tremulous beginnings of our country. Let us not allow those who would like to divide us by a series of litmus tests intended to superimpose their distorted vision of patriotism and the right to represent our great nation. Ours is a nation founded on the principals of pluralism and liberty as enshrined by the legacy of our founding documents and the continued struggle for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all people, of all faiths.
Notes
[1] U.S. Constitution, amend, 1.
[2] Humphreys, Ricky. Tea Party Patriots: Tea Party Groups. http://www.teapartypatriots.org/Group/Protectors_of_the_Constitution;_NOT_radicals [accessed June 28, 2010].
[3] Jefferson, Thomas. Library of Congress [Online]. Jefferson’s Letter to the Danbury Baptists: The Final Letter, as sent. http://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/9806/danpre.html [accessed June 27, 2010].
[4] The Encyclopedia Americana: A Library of Universal Knowledge in Thirty Volumes. s.v. “Liberty, Religious.” 1919. New York. The Encyclopedia Americana Corporation.
[5] Jefferson, Thomas. The Jeffersonian Cyclopedia: A Comprehensive Collection of the Views of Thomas Jefferson. 1900. Ed. John P. Foley. New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company. 903, n. 8764.
[6] Jefferson, Thomas. The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth: the Jefferson Bible. 2008. Forgotten Books. 12.
[7] Paine, Thomas. The Age of Reason: Being an Investigation of True and Fabulous Theology. 1890. Ed. Moncure Daniel Conway, M.A. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, The Knickerbocker Press. 17.
[8] Ibid.
[9] Benjamin Franklin to Ezra Stiles, Philadelphia, March 9, 1790, The Republican Vol. 12, 1825. Ed. R. Carlile. 558.
[10] Ibid., 559.
[11] Angela Galloway, “2 lawmakers spurn Muslim's prayer,” Seattle Post-Intelligencer, March 4, 2003, http://www.seattlepi.com/local/110881_prayer04.shtml [accessed June 28, 2010].
[12] Franklin, Benjamin. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. 2008. Bedford, Massachusetts: Applewood Books. 127.
[13] Hadden, Jeffery K. The Religious Freedom Page: Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessements [sic]. James Madison, 1785. University of Virginia. http://religiousfreedom.lib.virginia.edu/sacred/madison_m&r_1785.html [accessed June 28, 2010].
[14] John Adams to Benjamin Rush, Quincy, April 18, 1808, in Old Family Letters, ed. Alexander Biddle (Philadelphia: Press of J.B. Lippincott Company, 1892). 179.
[15] U.S Constitution, preamble.
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