Saturday, October 25, 2008

Richard Brookhiser on the Founders and Religion

Here is a short clip of historian Richard Brookhiser on the religion of the founders. Brookhiser argues that the founders never intended to set up a Christian nation, but they did intend for the United States to be a religious nation:











I believe that Brookhiser's assertion that America was intended to be a religious nation fits nicely with Franklin's idea of a public religion, and Jefferson's notion of natural religion. For all of their arguments against religion in government -- and there are many -- you would be hard-pressed to find many arguments against America being a religious nation.

2 comments:

Phil Johnson said...

.
So.
.
Can we get a learned explanation of what was meant by the term, "Our Civil Religion", as it was used by some of the Founders?
.

Phil Johnson said...

.
It seems to me that the modifier, civil, in the term, "civil religion", points to something outside of the conventional ideas of religion; but, one of political beliefs.
.