And a deist.

Jim

Biden your hero is a deist also

Came directly off the Free Mason site from Ohio. Guess they are uninformed.

Guss:

Here is evidence that Washington was a Deist:

"Many of the founding fathers—Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Madison and Monroe—practiced a faith called Deism. Deism is a philosophical belief in human reason as a reliable means of solving social and political problems."

https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-founding-fathers-religious-wisdom/#:~:text=Many%20of%20the%20founding%20fathers,solving%20social%20and%20political%20problems.

Where's your evidence that Biden is a Deist?

Jim

I thought deism meant that one believed in a supreme being.

If the ability to reason is part of the definition of deism, then Biden is certainly not a deist. He can't reason enough to know which way he is going.

Here's the remainder of the paragraph I quoted:

"Deists believe in a supreme being who created the universe to operate solely by natural laws—and after creation, is absent from the world. This belief in reason over dogma helped guide the founders toward a system of government that respected faiths like Christianity, while purposely isolating both from encroaching on one another so as not to dilute the overall purpose and objectives of either."

Jim

The definition James gives leaves out the Supreme Being. Surprise, surprise.

Never mind. There was a correction. Lol

I said several pages back that Deists believe in a supreme being. Didn't know it was necessary to repeat myself.

Jim

Jim,

As you noted, a deist believes in a Creator, but is then absent from the world. In other words, create the world, then hands off, no further action from the Creator. I'm no theologian, but that's my rural farm kid understanding.

If one reads Washington's writings, I fail to see him as a deist.

Case in point, though other manuscripts as well as personal testimonies of Washington's habits and life likely exist: https://www.mountvernon.org/educati...ticle/thanksgiving-proclamation-of-1789/

"Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor-- and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be-- That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks--for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation--for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war--for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed--for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted--for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us."


Does this sound like a man who does not believe in the intercession of God in the lives of humans? It certainly doesn't to me. Do I know for certain what his faith was exactly? No. I will say from what I've seen and read, he was a man who believed in and accepted many Christian principals, lived out many, was probably imperfect in all this living, and still had questions he did not know answers to but sought out.

And you may disagree with my conclusion. That's cool, I'm not here to prove wrong or right beyond shadows of doubt. But, there is ample evidence to conclude that the statement of Washington being a deist isn't necessarily a true, or at least complete, statement of fact.

Insanelupus:

You're right, Washington did refer to God, Providence, and the Grand Architect of the Universe in public and private letters and speeches.

I found the following passages in the Wiki article "Religious Views of George Washington.



"Even during his lifetime, people were unsure of the degree to which Washington believed in Christianity. As noted above, some of his contemporaries called him a deist. Debate continues to this day regarding whether he is best categorized as a deist or as a Christian, and some writers have introduced other terms to describe a blending of the two.

Deism was an influential worldview during his lifetime.[70] There is no known record of Washington ever using "Jesus" or "Christ" in private or public writings or speeches. One document he signed but did not write did say to the Delaware Indian chiefs that learning the "religion of Jesus Christ" is the most important thing they can do.[71] Furthermore, Washington used "God" 146 times in his personal and public writings.[72] Some of these references to "God" are stock phrases like "God forbid" or "God be with you". Some instances are serious expressions about God and especially His divine intervention in the affairs of mankind, commonly known as Providence. Washington used words such as "Grand Architect" and "Providence" that were popular among some deists.[73] These terms were also commonly used by the Freemasons.[74] While deists and Freemasons did use these words, words like "Providence" specifically were not exclusively used by deists and Freemasons, but were also used by Christians during Washington's time period.

Historian Fred Anderson says that Washington's Providence was, "a generally benevolent, as well as an omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient being, but He was hardly the kind of warm and loving God embraced by the evangelical Protestants."[75]

Paul F. Boller, Jr. stated "Washington was no infidel, if by infidel is meant unbeliever. Washington had an unquestioning faith in Providence and, as we have seen, he voiced this faith publicly on numerous occasions. That this was no mere rhetorical flourish on his part, designed for public consumption, is apparent from his constant allusions to Providence in his personal letters. There is every reason to believe, from a careful analysis of religious references in his private correspondence, that Washington's reliance upon a Grand Designer along Deist lines was as deep-seated and meaningful for his life as, say, Ralph Waldo Emerson's serene confidence in a Universal Spirit permeating the ever shifting appearances of the everyday world."[76]

David L. Holmes, author of The Faiths of the Founding Fathers, in a sidebar article for Britannica categorizes Washington as a Christian deist.[77] His usage of this category implies a religious spectrum of sorts for deism. Holmes also distinguishes between strict deists and orthodox Christians by their church attendance, participation in religious rites (such as baptism, Holy Communion, and confirmation), the use of religious language, and opinions of contemporary family, friends, clergy, and acquaintances. Regarding these specific parameters, Holmes describes Washington as a Christian deist due to his religious behavior falling somewhere between that of an orthodox Christian and a strict deist. Although Washington was clearly not a communicant, was infrequent in his Church attendance, and did not deem it necessary to participate in religious rites, Holmes labels him as a Christian deist due to his references of God, which resemble strict deistic terminology yet add a Christian dimension of mercy and divine nature."

Jim

I belive Biden doesn't belive in God. Look at what he did in Afghanistan made us look like (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman) kissing up to Xi.

Do any Catholics want to be freemasons? I guess if you feel your religion is holding you back, it may be time to switch or drop out.

Probably not many politicians that believe in God.

Being a god fearing good christian is an anchor around a politicians neck.Look what happend to that good christian man Mike Pense.

I find it curious that many people think that merely believing in God's existence gains them some sort of credit or good standing in God's sight. That's a very misguided thought.

That would like saying, that since I believe in Hillary Clinton's existence, that must make me a Democrat.

That's true waggler. The belief in the resurrected savior Jesus is the only way to get credit/good standing with God.

What happened to Mikey?

He dropped out of the President’s race.

I wouldn’t believe much on wiki , how about we see what Washington’s contemporaries said about his Christian faith.
John Peter Muhlenberg was a General in Washington’s army camped at Valley Forge in the winter of 1778 and his father visited the encampment. His father was the Rev. Henry Muhlenberg and had this to say after the visit, “General Washington...respects God’s word, believes in the atonement through Christ, and bears himself in humility and gentleness.”

Doesn’t sound like a deist to me, he believed in Christ the Savior, this is from a man that knew Washington. Taken from:
The Journals ofHenry Melchior Muhlenberg (Philadelphia:The Muhlenberg Press,1958), 3:149, journal entry for May 7th, 1778.