A demonstration of the type of misinformation perpetrated by Fundamentalists

Here is a piece of fantasy writing about the religious inclinations of George Washington, written and posted as part of the wallbuilders.com site:

"Was George Washington a Christian? This is a question often asked today, and it arises from the efforts of those who seek to impeach Washington's character by portraying him as irreligious. Interestingly, Washington's own contemporaries did not question his Christianity but were thoroughly convinced of his devout faith."

In contrast to this unsubstantiated fabrication we have the written testimony of Thomas Jefferson:

Dr. Rush tells me that he had it from Asa Green that when the clergy addressed Genl. Washington on his departure from the govmt, it was observed in their consultation that he had never on any occasion said a word to the public which showed a belief in the Xn religion and they thot they should so pen their address as to force him at length to declare publicly whether he was a Christian or not. They did so. However he observed the old fox was too cunning for them. He answered every article of their address particularly except that, which he passed over without notice. Rush observes he never did say a word on the subject in any of his public papers except in his valedictory letter to the Governors of the states when he resigned his commission in the army, wherein he speaks of "the benign influence of the Christian religion".

I know that Gouverneur Morris, who pretended to be in his secrets & believed himself to be so, has often told me that Genl. Washington believed no more of that system than he himself did.

Thomas Jefferson, personal journal entry, February 1, 1800.

The Works of Thomas Jefferson, ed. Paul L. Ford (Federal Edition) (New York and London, G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1904-05). 12 vols -- VOLUME I: THE ANAS (1791-1806) AND VARIOUS CONVERSATIONS WITH THE PRESIDENT

The Writings of Thomas Jefferson: Being His Autobiography, Correspondence, Reports, Messages ...By Thomas Jefferson, Published 1859, H. W. Derby. (Pg. 198)

In the above piece we can clearly assess that Thomas Jefferson was under the impression that George Washington was not a Christian, as was Gouverneur Morris, Dr. Benjamin Rush and possibly Asa Green, along with the Clergy serving the region near the Capital.

This is in blatant contrast to the lie we previously read, "Interestingly, Washington's own contemporaries did not question his Christianity but were thoroughly convinced of his devout faith." Obviously, many of them did question it and many were convinced of his lack of Christian faith, and the writer of the Wallbuilders piece is well aware of this fact, but more than willing to lie about it.

Thomas Jefferson served as our first Secretary of State under George Washington and had known the man for many years.

Gouverneur Morris served with Washington as a Congressional (Continental Congress) envoy to Valley Forge during the Revolutionary War and remained friends with him thereafter. Morris wrote much of the Preamble to the Constitution, served as Ambassador to France under Washington and he himself was not a Christian.

Dr. Rush was possibly a moderate Christian with Unitarian and Deist sentiment, but he was no Fundamentalist, and he was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. He was known to be an associate of Jefferson and Adams, two other Founding Fathers with little respect for the clergy or Fundamentalist Christian doctrine.

Asa Green was the first Chaplain to serve Congress, a position that the Founding Fathers fought over as many of them did not want clergy involved at all.

To completely dismiss the writings of Thomas Jefferson and others who knew Washington and were there in order to create this fantasy of a Christian Nation which these men fought so hard against is ridiculous.

Andrew Jackson, letter to the Synod of the Reformed Church of North America, 12 June 1832

"I could not do otherwise without transcending the limits prescribed by the Constitution for the President and without feeling that I might in some degree disturb the security which religion nowadays enjoys in this country in its complete separation from the political concerns of the General Government."

Andrew Jackson, letter to the Synod of the Reformed Church of North America, 12 June 1832, explaining his refusal of their request that he proclaim a "day of fasting, humiliation, and prayer.

Ed. It should be noted that Jackson was likely the first Bible believing Christian to hold the office of President of the United States, and that even his sometimes fervent religious beliefs did not interfere with his understanding of the intent of the Constitution concerning the separation of Church and State.

Thomas Jefferson, letter to John Adams, January 24, 1814

"The whole history of these books [the Gospels] is so defective and doubtful that it seems vain to attempt minute enquiry into it: and such tricks have been played with their text, and with the texts of other books relating to them, that we have a right, from that cause, to entertain much doubt what parts of them are genuine. In the New Testament there is internal evidence that parts of it have proceeded from an extraordinary man; and that other parts are of the fabric of very inferior minds. It is as easy to separate those parts, as to pick out diamonds from dunghills."

Thomas Jefferson, letter to John Adams, January 24, 1814

John Adams, A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America

One other of these laws deserves particular notice. In private, every family were free to worship the gods in their own way ; and in public, though certain forms were required, yet there was not any penalty annexed to the omission of them, as the punishment of offenses in this matter was left to the offended god. This, probably, was the source of that wise and humane toleration which does so much honour to the Romans, and reflects disgrace on almost every Christian nation.

John Adams, "A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America" (1787-88)

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Thomas Jefferson, on the non-Christian origins of the Common Law

For we know that the common law is that system of law which was introduced by the Saxons, on their settlement in England, and altered, from time to time, by proper legislative authority, from that, to the date of the Magna Charta, which terminates the period of the common law, or lex non scripta, and commences that of the statute law, or lex scripta. This settlement took place about the middle of the fifth century; but Christianity was not introduced till the seventh century; the conversion of the first Christian King of the Heptarchy, having taken place about the year 598, and that of the last about 686. Here, then, was a space of two hundred years, during which the common law was in existence, and Christianity no part of it. If it ever, therefore, was adopted into the common law, it must have been between the introduction of Christianity and the date of the Magna Charta. But of the laws of this period, we have a tolerable collection, by Lambard and Wilkins; probably not perfect, but neither very defective; and if any one chooses to build a doctrine on any law of that period, supposed to have been lost, it is incumbent on him to prove it to have existed, and what were its contents. These were so far alterations of the common law, and became themselves a part of it; but none of these adopt Christianity as a part of the common law. If, therefore, from the settlement of the Saxons, to the introduction of Christianity among them, that system of religion could not be a part of the common law, because they were not yet Christians; and if, having their laws from that period to the close of the common law, we are able to find among them no such act of adoption; we may safely affirm (though contradicted by all the judges and writers on earth) that Christianity neither is, nor ever was, a part of the common law.

The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Memorial Association of
the United States, Published 1904, pages 90-91.

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Thomas Jefferson, diary entry concerning George Washington, February 1, 1800

Dr. Rush tells me that he had it from Asa Green that when the clergy addressed Genl. Washington on his departure from the govmt, it was observed in their consultation that he had never on any occasion said a word to the public which showed a belief in the Xn religion and they thot they should so pen their address as to force him at length to declare publicly whether he was a Christian or not. They did so. However he observed the old fox was too cunning for them. He answered every article of their address particularly except that, which he passed over without notice. Rush observes he never did say a word on the subject in any of his public papers except in his valedictory letter to the Governors of the states when he resigned his commission in the army, wherein he speaks of the benign influence of the Christian religion.

I know that Gouverneur Morris, who pretended to be in his secrets & believed himself to be so, has often told me that Genl. Washington believed no more of that system than he himself did.

Thomas Jefferson, personal journal entry, February 1, 1800.

The Works of Thomas Jefferson, ed. Paul L. Ford (Federal Edition) (New York and London, G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1904-05). 12 vols -- VOLUME I: THE ANAS (1791-1806) AND VARIOUS CONVERSATIONS WITH THE PRESIDENT

The Writings of Thomas Jefferson: Being His Autobiography, Correspondence, Reports, Messages ...By Thomas Jefferson, Published 1859, H. W. Derby. (Pg. 198)

(Note: Gouverneur Morris, mentioned in the entry, was responsible for writing several sections of the Constitution, including the Preamble, worked directly with Washington at Valley Forge and at the Constitutional Convention, and acted as Ambassador to France during Washington's Presidency.)

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