What did our nation's founders really say about God, religion and virtue? God of Our Fathers: Advice and Prayers of Our Nation's Founders presents their own statements on these subjects in historical context. More than 250 important observations on religion, morality, duty and liberty by the leaders of the American Revolution and the Constitutional Convention have been collected in this single volume for ready reference and reflection.
The accurate quotations in this book reflect the founders' genuine opinions about the relationship between freedom and religious observance. The Virginia Declaration of Rights, drafted by George Mason and edited by James Madison in 1776, described their sense of obligation in a succinct phrase: the duty which we owe to our Creator. Revealing the spiritual principles that guided the establishment of the United States, their statements are both inspiring and challenging.
In today's discussion of national and personal values, every American should once again become familiar with the actual words of the architects and early builders of our country. Quotations from the personal correspondence and official statements of Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton and James Madison emphatically convey their recognition of the vital role of religion in a democratic republic.
The words of other once-prominent participants in the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention Samuel Adams, Patrick Henry, John Hancock, John Jay, Benjamin Rush, John Dickinson and James Wilson are also included, together with biographical information and a useful historical timeline. Although some of these early leaders are nearly forgotten today, their statements reinforce George Washington's observation: Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports.
John Adams, second President of the United States, agreed with his predecessor: Religion and virtue are the only foundations, not only of republicanism and of all free government, but of social felicity under all governments and in all the combinations of human society.
By presenting the actual words of our nation's founders for personal examination, God of Our Fathers enables every reader to form an independent judgment about their beliefs and intentions without relying on the interpretation of professional commentators.
During the ongoing debate about the scope of religious freedom guaranteed by the First Amendment, it is interesting to note that James Madison, leader of the effort to obtain passage of the Bill of Rights, wrote: The belief in a God, all powerful, wise, and good, is so essential to the moral order of the world, and to the happiness of man, that arguments which reinforce it cannot be drawn from too many sources.
Thomas Jefferson summarized the central theme of the quotations in this book: The relations which exist between man and his Maker, and the duties resulting from those relations, are the most interesting and important to every human being, and the most incumbent on his study and investigation. To make informed decisions today, we need to understand the principles on which the government of the United States was founded.
