Comments on: Letter from George Washington to an annual meeting of Quakers https://wthrockmorton.com/2011/04/28/letter-from-george-washington-to-an-annual-meeting-of-quakers/ A [retired] college psychology professor's observations about public policy, mental health, sexual identity, and religious issues Thu, 05 May 2011 14:58:19 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.3 By: Tim Schultheis https://wthrockmorton.com/2011/04/28/letter-from-george-washington-to-an-annual-meeting-of-quakers/#comment-49662 Thu, 05 May 2011 14:58:19 +0000 http://wthrockmorton.com/?p=9126#comment-49662 Ken,
Washington’s use of the term “Almighty God” doesn’t only mean the Christian god – “Almighty God” (the God of Abraham) is also worshiped by Jews & Muslims (who share large parts of the same “holy” book – including Genesis).
If Washington was speaking to a non-Christian group, I have no doubt he would have been more careful – and left out the “Almighty God” phrase altogether.
To understand the founding fathers’ views on religion, please go to Wikipedia and check out “deism” and “age of enlightenment”, and especially “Thomas Paine”. Understand that we were inventing England / Europe version 2, version 1 being severely troubled by centuries of wars – internal and inter-European, caused by “official” and dictated-by-law religious doctrine forced on the population (go to Wikipedia, look up “War of the Roses” and “Hundred Year War”, and even “Henry the 8th”.)
I hope the “Christian Nation” movement doesn’t do to our land what it did to Europe – which has “official state religion” in many of their laws, but very few humans in their churches. State influence on official religions is as bad for those religions as religious doctrine in law is bad for the State … from either side it makes sense to keep ’em separated (proven by history in Europe).

]]> By: Tim Schultheis https://wthrockmorton.com/2011/04/28/letter-from-george-washington-to-an-annual-meeting-of-quakers/#comment-90422 Thu, 05 May 2011 10:58:19 +0000 http://wthrockmorton.com/?p=9126#comment-90422 Ken,
Washington’s use of the term “Almighty God” doesn’t only mean the Christian god – “Almighty God” (the God of Abraham) is also worshiped by Jews & Muslims (who share large parts of the same “holy” book – including Genesis).
If Washington was speaking to a non-Christian group, I have no doubt he would have been more careful – and left out the “Almighty God” phrase altogether.
To understand the founding fathers’ views on religion, please go to Wikipedia and check out “deism” and “age of enlightenment”, and especially “Thomas Paine”. Understand that we were inventing England / Europe version 2, version 1 being severely troubled by centuries of wars – internal and inter-European, caused by “official” and dictated-by-law religious doctrine forced on the population (go to Wikipedia, look up “War of the Roses” and “Hundred Year War”, and even “Henry the 8th”.)
I hope the “Christian Nation” movement doesn’t do to our land what it did to Europe – which has “official state religion” in many of their laws, but very few humans in their churches. State influence on official religions is as bad for those religions as religious doctrine in law is bad for the State … from either side it makes sense to keep ’em separated (proven by history in Europe).

]]> By: Jayhuck https://wthrockmorton.com/2011/04/28/letter-from-george-washington-to-an-annual-meeting-of-quakers/#comment-49661 Sat, 30 Apr 2011 22:19:34 +0000 http://wthrockmorton.com/?p=9126#comment-49661 Oft,

David L. Holmes of William and Mary, among others, writes “few founders who were Deists would have participated in either rite” [communion]
He goes on to explain Deists rejected all sacraments of any church.

I do not think you understood my post. I suggest you read it again.

]]> By: Jayhuck https://wthrockmorton.com/2011/04/28/letter-from-george-washington-to-an-annual-meeting-of-quakers/#comment-90414 Sat, 30 Apr 2011 18:19:34 +0000 http://wthrockmorton.com/?p=9126#comment-90414 Oft,

David L. Holmes of William and Mary, among others, writes “few founders who were Deists would have participated in either rite” [communion]
He goes on to explain Deists rejected all sacraments of any church.

I do not think you understood my post. I suggest you read it again.

]]> By: Scott https://wthrockmorton.com/2011/04/28/letter-from-george-washington-to-an-annual-meeting-of-quakers/#comment-49660 Fri, 29 Apr 2011 18:53:10 +0000 http://wthrockmorton.com/?p=9126#comment-49660 These Barton posts all have a fish-in-a-barrel quality to them.

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