Regarding Mark Newby’s June 4 letter “Bible remains relevant,” here’s a quick overview of the religious beliefs of the Founding Fathers. Let’s hope this puts a dent into the myth that they were “very devout Christians.” Nope, not true.
Many consider George Washington and James Madison to be Deists: God may have set things in motion, but he didn’t keep his thumb on the scales, so to speak. Neither gave extra devotion to Christ, either. Not only was John Adams not devout, many believe he didn’t believe in the divinity of Christ, or the Holy Trinity for that matter. Thomas Jefferson thought Adams was on the right track, and he firmly hoped that his fellow Americans would become Unitarians. Basically, he thought all the miracles and other Bible stories were no more credible than Greek myths. Thomas Paine, the author of “The Age of Reason,” was the 18th-century poster child for freedom from religion.
It’s ludicrous for Newby to assume that anyone needs the guidance of the Bible (or Jesus Christ) to be good citizens of America. It wasn’t anyone’s idea 300 years ago, isn’t now. God save us from such a notion or nation. Amen.
Marjorie Holland
Vancouver
