Founding Faith: Providence, Politics, and the Birth of Religious Freedom in AmericaThe culture wars have distorted the dramatic story of how Americans came to worship freely. Many activists on the right maintain that the United States was founded as a “Christian nation.” Many on the left contend that the Founders were secular or Deist and that the First Amendment was designed to boldly separate church and state throughout the land. None of these claims are true, argues Beliefnet.com editor in chief Steven Waldman. With refreshing objectivity, Waldman narrates the real story of how our nation’s Founders forged a new approach to religious liberty, a revolutionary formula that promoted faith . . . by leaving it alone. |
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... thought , would use the trappings of faith to so distort the message of Jesus . Not surprisingly , the Virginia govern- ment attempted to squelch Catholicism within the colony . In 1640 , it prohib- ited Catholics from holding public ...
... thought drew sanctions : A Miss Alice George of Gloucester was to be whipped for calling a fellow a " wicked wretch " ; Mr. William Hewes and his son John were fined fifty shillings each for deriding those who sang in the congregation ...
... thought this doctrine created an ineffective system of car- rots and sticks , which possibly accounted for Christianity's mixed record in promoting positive behavior . " I wish it were more productive of good works , than I have ...
... thought . They were , he said , " grave and dull Animals . " 1 ? Franklin marveled at how , despite being the objects of persecution them- selves , Christians were inexorably drawn toward oppressing others . His frus- tration turned to ...
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Contents
18 | |
John Adams | 33 |
George Washington | 56 |
The pious infidel | 72 |
Natures God Meets the Supreme Judge | 86 |
James Madison | 93 |
A Diabolical Persecution | 100 |
The Mighty Current of Freedom | 107 |
Forgetting the Powerful Friend | 127 |
The First Amendment Compromise | 141 |
They Were Right | 188 |
Index | 209 |
207 | 243 |
Other editions - View all
Founding Faith: How Our Founding Fathers Forged a Radical New Approach to ... Steven Waldman No preview available - 2009 |