The faith of the founding fathers, including that of George Washington will probably always be debated among Christians. It is always risky business judging the state of a man's soul. We're on firmer ground evaluating the documents the founders produced.
by OliverWoods
The faith of the founding fathers, including that of George Washington will probably always be debated among Christians. It is always risky business judging the state of a man's soul. We're on firmer ground evaluating the documents the founders produced.
Why is this important?
But fools rush in where angels fear to tread, so we'll give it a go anyway. I am constrained to point out that the simple fact of one's being a Christian does not necessarily guarantee that everything he speaks or writes is always sound doctrine. That is emphatically true of the founding fathers even if we give them the benefit of the doubt regarding the reality of their faith. Just because its drafters may have been Christians does not automatically prove that the U.S. Constitution is a Biblically sound document.
For most Christians Washington's Christianity is a foregone conclusion. Others are not so sure.
A Study Of Source Documents
There are a lot of unanswered questions. Why are the references to Jesus Christ almost non-existent in Washington' voluminous private and public correspondence? Why did Washington's pastor state unequivocally that he doubted Washington's Christianity? Why was Washington a high-ranking leader and faithful adherent in the cultish, Masonic Lodge?
When it comes to Washington's religious convictions we are faced with the challenge of distinguishing between myth/legend and the ungarnished truth. It is not an easy task. It forces us to return to the original source documents to find out what Washington actually said and wrote. One man who did this about 50 years ago was Professor Paul Boller. He combed through the vast body of Washington's pubic and private utterances and produced a book called, "George Washington & Religion" (SMU Press, 1963).
The picture that emerged from these primary sources is far different from the vast body of myth and legend that had been built up by a succession of pietistic biographers. The latter popularized an encyclopedia of stories about Washington's religiosity based on hearsay and scanty evidence that could never hold up in a court of law.
The Real Washington
The real picture emerges from people who knew Washington well, such as Dr. James Abercrombie, his pastor during his Presidency. Dr. Abercrombie had grave doubts about the state of Washington's soul. While his wife kneeled with the communicants, Washington always walked out.
Dr. Abercrombie left us these words: "That Washington was a professing Christian, is evident from his regular attendance in our church; but, Sir, I cannot consider any man as a real Christian who uniformly disregards an ordinance so solemnly enjoined by the divine Author of our holy religion, and considered as a channel of divine grace."
It cannot be denied that Washington hired chaplains to serve in the Continental Army. And it would be futile to deny that Washington made statements about the benefits of religion in society or that he attended church occasionally and served as a vestryman. But "Churchianity" is not Christianity and there is much evidence to indicate that Washington was possessed of the former and not the latter.
Washington, Madison, Jefferson, Franklin, and Adams were typical of others who denied the Divinity of Christ and therefore also denied his Kingship in the realm of civil government. Thus it is probably more accurate to describe the key founders as "unitarian" rather than Deistic. Most contemporary Christian historians are quick to deny the latter at the same time they ignore the former. But the implications for subsequent American history cannot be ignored and they have been devastating.
About the Author:
For more on the anti-Christian nature of the U S Constitution visit the America Betrayed website. Webmaster at "America Betrayed" is Oliver Woods, who also serves as headmaster at King's Way Classical Academy an online classical, Christian school for grades 7-12.
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Religion & Faith 
