Franklin and Paine on Christianity

Paper Summary:

To better understand these two Founding Fathers and their attitudes towards Christianity, this paper compares and contrasts the sentiments of Thomas Paine " author, pamphleteer, and political maverick and Benjamin Franklin " scientist, author, politician, statesman, and diplomat. It examines their backgrounds, their familial upbringings, their personal experiences as young men: essentially, how their life experiences shaped and molded their thinking on Christianity. In many aspects, both Paine and Franklin share common grounds on religion, though there's sufficient diversification that they both publicly espoused and noted in print.

From the Paper:

"It's a surprise that America is not a Christian nation. The entire history of Mankind is replete with rising civilizations having a religion closely associated within the structure and framework of a nation's government and society, such as the Church of England in Britain. America's Founding Fathers had the foresight not to designate any one sect as the official religion of a nation. At no point does Christianity enter the context of governmental recognition or incorporation in the Articles of Confederation or the Constitution of the United States of America; yet, many " if not all " of the Founding Fathers were raised in one Christian sect or another. When the Puritans first fled England, they were seeking a place to live without religious persecution from the authorities. Their journey first took them to the Low Countries of Europe and eventually to the New World of America. These Puritans were looking for a new home where they can live their lives, raised their families, become prosperous, explore new lands, and worship freely. As England expanded its colonies in America, religious institutions and houses of worship became the cornerstone of any community from Maine through Georgia, but, still, Christianity never became America's national religion."

More papers on Franklin and Paine on Christianity:

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• Analytical Essay # 46741 : "Franklin and Emerson"
• Essay # 137553 : "Frederick Douglass & James Baldwin - on Christianity"

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