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. |
From inside the book
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... wrote that " Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion , or prohibiting the free exercise thereof . " My view is this : The conservatives are wrong when they assert that separation of church and state was a ...
... wrote that the settlers were “chosen by the finger of Cod.'"' In surviving, they prevented encroachment from French and Spanish Catholics who settled west and south of Virginia. At that moment in history, the Catholic Church was viewed ...
... wrote later , a clear " fulfillment of what Isaiah had prophesied . " He was quite certain that God had guided him . " With a hand that could be felt , the Lord opened my mind to the fact that it would be possible to sail from here to ...
... wrote that the settlers were " chosen by the finger of God . " 16 In surviving , they prevented encroachment from French and Spanish Catholics who settled west and south of Virginia . At that moment in history , the Catholic Church was ...
... wrote the Mayflower Compact , committing themselves to " ye glory of God , and ad- vancement of ye Christian faith . " Though the Pilgrims landed the starring roles in future Thanksgiving cel ebrations , it was the Puritans who thrived ...
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 |
Founding Faith: How Our Founding Fathers Forged a Radical New Approach to ... Steven Waldman No preview available - 2009 |