American Founding Fathers and Deism

Architects of American Democracy Neither Religious Nor Atheist

An idea floating around the Internet and popular culture incorrectly says the founding fathers of American democracy were atheists.  Many others believe that America is based upon religious principles, which is equally untrue, as evidenced in the separation of church and state provision in the Constitution.

Thomas Jefferson Author of the Declaration of American Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom, and Father of the University of Virginia. Note the bust of fellow Deist Benjamin Franklin in the portrait.

Several key founding fathers believed in Deism that neither endorses religious faith nor refutes it entirely.  This philosophical outlook likely influenced much of the debate during the Constitutional Convention of 1787.  Religion’s explicit exclusion from the affairs of government is entirely consistent with a Deist belief system.

Among the most famous American Deists were Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Paine and Ethan Allen.  The framers of the Constitution grew up and lived their entire lives during the height of what is now referred to as the Age of Enlightenment - an age dominated by reason that questioned core issues ranging from our ruling institutions to the nature of being itself.  The theoretical fabric of U.S. Constitution most likely owes much more to the ideals of the Enlightenment period than to any religion or lack thereof.

Deism is interesting, because it’s not a religion as traditionally conceived, however adherents acknowledge a higher power that’s rationally evident but not a matter of blind faith. 

Voltaire, whom many regard as the central figure of both the Enlightenment and Deism, said, “It is perfectly evident to my mind that there exists a necessary, eternal, supreme and intelligent being.  This is not matter of faith, but of reason.”

The key word in the above passage is “reason,” because this is the thematic heart of Deism.  God is knowable through rational thought and observation of natural processes; faith is both unnecessary and regarded as somewhat dangerous because it often leads to inflamed passions with no basis in substantive reality.  This viewpoint would certainly explain why the Constitution precludes faith as a factor in the politics of government.  Deists do not respect dogma.

Yet, Deists believe in a number of the finer points of religious thought and do not inherently oppose religious study as long as it is rational.  Justice, mercy and the equality of all people are central to a Deist’s belief system.  They further have no interest in interfering with the beliefs of others.

On the other hand, Deists reject the notion that any book is inherently holy or contains the “word of God.”  They find divinity in the natural order of things, and although they have high regard and base many of their beliefs upon books such as Paine’s Age of Reason, a Deist sees it as a tool to gain a higher understanding.

The afterlife for a Deist is an unknowable quantity, but nature provides clues indicating that life takes another form after death.  A Deist embraces the idea of Bertolt Brecht, who said, “Do not fear death so much, but rather the inadequate life.”

Deists do not believe that Christ was divine, born of a virgin or resurrected.  Although there’s great respect for Christ as a moral teacher, Deists do not support the idea of miracles or Christ’s relationship with God as being particularly special apart from any other person’s.

There are no holidays in Deism, although many Deists celebrate with others during Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. 

There’s no clergy in Deism, because equality is a basic tenet, and there are no organized gatherings or prayer services.  In this regard, Deism is much more a philosophy than religion.

Prayer for a Deist consists mostly of giving thanks for the natural processes that provide for each of us without effort.  There’s no need to supplicate or beg for divine intervention in a Deist’s belief system.  A moral and successful life only requires rational thought and sensible responsibility.

People interested in learning more about Deism may visit the World Union of Deism.