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Founding Fathers (view source)

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Founding fathers
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===Religion===
 
===Religion===
 
The [[founding fathers]] did not discuss or advocate for a "[[separation of church and state]]."<ref>Dinan, Stephen; Swoyer, Alex (January 2, 2020). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/jan/2/founding-fathers-never-discussed-separation-betwee/ Founding fathers never discussed wall of separation between church and state]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved January 4, 2020.</ref> They were religiously and theologically diverse, coming from several denominational backgrounds.<ref name="Holmes">David L. Holmes. [https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Founding-Fathers-Deism-and-Christianity-1272214 The Founding Fathers, Deism, and Christianity]. ''Encyclopædia Britannica''. Retrieved May 22, 2017.</ref> Their actual beliefs and practices are debated, but here too, they were diverse and must not be generalized.<ref name="Frazer"/> Some argue that the majority of the founding fathers were deists,<ref name="Holmes"/> while others argue that the most important fathers were "theistic rationalists," meaning they were not deists, but not necessarily Christians either.<ref name="Frazer">Dr. Greg Frazer. [http://masters.edu/the-faith-of-the-founding-fathers/ The Faith of the Founding Fathers]. ''The Master's University''. Retrieved May 22, 2017.</ref> Despite this, scholars agree that some founding fathers were orthodox Christians.<ref name="Holmes"/><ref name="Frazer"/> The founding fathers that were not Christians were influenced by Christianity in a culture where publicly being a Christian was normal.<ref name="Frazer"/>
 
The [[founding fathers]] did not discuss or advocate for a "[[separation of church and state]]."<ref>Dinan, Stephen; Swoyer, Alex (January 2, 2020). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/jan/2/founding-fathers-never-discussed-separation-betwee/ Founding fathers never discussed wall of separation between church and state]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved January 4, 2020.</ref> They were religiously and theologically diverse, coming from several denominational backgrounds.<ref name="Holmes">David L. Holmes. [https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Founding-Fathers-Deism-and-Christianity-1272214 The Founding Fathers, Deism, and Christianity]. ''Encyclopædia Britannica''. Retrieved May 22, 2017.</ref> Their actual beliefs and practices are debated, but here too, they were diverse and must not be generalized.<ref name="Frazer"/> Some argue that the majority of the founding fathers were deists,<ref name="Holmes"/> while others argue that the most important fathers were "theistic rationalists," meaning they were not deists, but not necessarily Christians either.<ref name="Frazer">Dr. Greg Frazer. [http://masters.edu/the-faith-of-the-founding-fathers/ The Faith of the Founding Fathers]. ''The Master's University''. Retrieved May 22, 2017.</ref> Despite this, scholars agree that some founding fathers were orthodox Christians.<ref name="Holmes"/><ref name="Frazer"/> The founding fathers that were not Christians were influenced by Christianity in a culture where publicly being a Christian was normal.<ref name="Frazer"/>
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==religious affiliations of founding fathers==
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==List of presidents by religious affiliation==
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{| class="wikitable sortable"
 +
|-
 +
! Name
 +
! Religion
 +
! Branch
 +
! Further branch
 +
! Specific denomination
 +
! Years in office
 +
! Notes
 +
|-
 +
| {{sort|Harding|[[Warren G. Harding]]}}
 +
| [[Christianity|Christian]]
 +
| [[Protestant]]
 +
| [[Baptist]]
 +
| [[American Baptist Churches USA|Northern Baptist]]
 +
| 1921–1923
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
| {{sort|Truman|[[Harry S. Truman]]}}
 +
| [[Christianity|Christian]]
 +
| [[Protestant]]
 +
| [[Baptist]]
 +
| [[American Baptist Churches USA|Northern Baptist]]
 +
| 1945–1953
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
| {{sort|Carter|[[Jimmy Carter]]}}
 +
| [[Christianity|Christian]]
 +
| [[Protestant]]
 +
| [[Baptist]]
 +
| [[Southern Baptist Convention]], [[New Baptist Covenant]]
 +
| 1977–1981
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
| {{sort|Clinton|[[Bill Clinton]]}}
 +
| [[Christianity|Christian]]
 +
| [[Protestant]]
 +
| [[Baptist]]
 +
| [[Southern Baptist]]
 +
| 1993–2001
 +
| Later left the [[Southern Baptist Convention]]
 +
|-
 +
| {{sort|Coolidge|[[Calvin Coolidge]]}}
 +
| [[Christianity|Christian]]
 +
| [[Protestant]]
 +
| [[Reformed]]
 +
| [[National Council of the Congregational Churches of the United States|Congregationalist]]
 +
| 1923–1929
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
| {{sort|Garfield|[[James A. Garfield]]}}
 +
| [[Christianity|Christian]]
 +
| [[Protestant]]
 +
| [[Restoration Movement|Restorationist]]
 +
| [[Churches of Christ]]
 +
| 1881–1881
 +
| Formerly a member of the [[Disciples of Christ]] before it split into the Disciples of Christ and the [[Churches of Christ]]
 +
|-
 +
| {{sort|Johnson L|[[Lyndon B. Johnson]]}}
 +
| [[Christianity|Christian]]
 +
| [[Protestant]]
 +
| [[Restoration Movement|Restorationist]]
 +
| [[Disciples of Christ]]
 +
| 1963–1969
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
| {{sort|Van|[[Martin Van Buren]]}}
 +
| [[Christianity|Christian]]
 +
| [[Protestant]]
 +
| [[Reformed]]
 +
| [[Reformed Church in America]]
 +
| 1837–1841
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
| {{sort|Roosevelt T|[[Theodore Roosevelt]]}}
 +
| [[Christianity|Christian]]
 +
| [[Protestant]]
 +
| [[Reformed]]
 +
| [[Reformed Church in America]]
 +
| 1901–1909
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
| {{sort|Jackson|[[Andrew Jackson]]}}
 +
| [[Christianity|Christian]]
 +
| [[Protestant]]
 +
| [[Reformed]]
 +
| [[Presbyterian Church in the United States of America]]
 +
| 1829–1837
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
| {{sort|Buchanan|[[James Buchanan]]}}
 +
| [[Christianity|Christian]]
 +
| [[Protestant]]
 +
| [[Reformed]]
 +
| [[Presbyterian Church in the United States of America]]
 +
| 1857–1861
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
| {{sort|Cleveland|[[Grover Cleveland]]}}
 +
| [[Christianity|Christian]]
 +
| [[Protestant]]
 +
| [[Reformed]]
 +
| [[Presbyterian Church in the United States of America]]
 +
| 1885–1889
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
| {{sort|Harrison B|[[Benjamin Harrison]]}}
 +
| [[Christianity|Christian]]
 +
| [[Protestant]]
 +
| [[Reformed]]
 +
| [[Presbyterian Church in the United States of America]]
 +
| 1889–1893
 +
| [[Ruling elder]] of First Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis
 +
|-
 +
| {{sort|Wilson|[[Woodrow Wilson]]}}
 +
| [[Christianity|Christian]]
 +
| [[Protestant]]
 +
| [[Reformed]]
 +
| [[Presbyterian Church in the United States of America]]
 +
| 1913–1921
 +
| Became a [[ruling elder]] of Second Presbyterian Church in [[Princeton, New Jersey]] in 1897
 +
|-
 +
| {{sort|Eisenhower|[[Dwight D. Eisenhower]]}}
 +
| [[Christianity|Christian]]
 +
| [[Protestant]]
 +
| [[Reformed]]
 +
| [[United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America]]
 +
| 1953–1961
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
| {{sort|Reagan|[[Ronald Reagan]]}}
 +
| [[Christianity|Christian]]
 +
| [[Protestant]]
 +
| [[Reformed]]
 +
| [[Presbyterian Church (USA)]]
 +
| 1981–1989
 +
| Baptized into the [[Disciples of Christ]] but disaffiliated and became a member of [[Bel Air Presbyterian Church]] in his later years
 +
|-
 +
| {{sort|Trump|[[Donald Trump]]}}
 +
| [[Christianity|Christian]]
 +
| [[Protestant]]
 +
| [[Reformed]]
 +
| [[Presbyterian]]<ref name = unplugged>{{cite web |url=http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=42268 |title=Trump Unplugged |last=Mattera |first=Jason |date=March 14, 2011 |work=[[Human Events]] |accessdate=March 16, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110316171032/http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=42268 |archive-date=March 16, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
 +
|style="white-space: nowrap;"| 2017–present
 +
| Was married to his wife Melania in the Episcopal church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea in Palm Beach, Florida.  Their son Barron was baptized there.  They attend that church regularly when they are in Florida. <ref>https://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/new-the-palm-beach-church-where-trump-could-attend-easter-service/26I1Yi18vf08Tte6x0QSJI/</ref>  <ref>https://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/local/photos-trump-church-crossing-boundary-capturing-history/6b5Vz6pdSFiT5BN4gTlSIK/</ref>
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|-
 +
| {{sort|Washington|[[George Washington]]}}
 +
| [[Christianity|Christian]]
 +
| [[Protestant]]
 +
| [[Anglican]]
 +
| [[Episcopal Church (United States)|Episcopalian]]
 +
| 1789–1797
 +
| Baptized into the [[Church of England]]. It was reorganized as the Episcopal Church after the [[American Revolution]].
 +
|-
 +
| {{sort|Madison|[[James Madison]]}}
 +
| [[Christianity|Christian]]
 +
| [[Protestant]]
 +
| [[Anglican]]
 +
| [[Episcopal Church (United States)|Episcopalian]]
 +
| 1809–1817
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
| {{sort|Monroe|[[James Monroe]]}}
 +
| [[Christianity|Christian]]
 +
| [[Protestant]]
 +
| [[Anglican]]
 +
| [[Episcopal Church (United States)|Episcopalian]]
 +
| 1817–1825
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
|style="white-space: nowrap;"| {{sort|Harrison W|[[William Henry Harrison]]}}
 +
| [[Christianity|Christian]]
 +
| [[Protestant]]
 +
| [[Anglican]]
 +
| [[Episcopal Church (United States)|Episcopalian]]
 +
| 1841–1841
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
| {{sort|Tyler|[[John Tyler]]}}
 +
| [[Christianity|Christian]]
 +
| [[Protestant]]
 +
| [[Anglican]]
 +
| [[Episcopal Church (United States)|Episcopalian]]
 +
| 1841–1845
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
| {{sort|Taylor|[[Zachary Taylor]]}}
 +
| [[Christianity|Christian]]
 +
| [[Protestant]]
 +
| [[Anglican]]
 +
| [[Episcopal Church (United States)|Episcopalian]]
 +
| 1849–1850
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
| {{sort|Pierce|[[Franklin Pierce]]}}
 +
| [[Christianity|Christian]]
 +
| [[Protestant]]
 +
| [[Anglican]]
 +
| [[Episcopal Church (United States)|Episcopalian]]
 +
| 1853–1857
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
| {{sort|Arthur|[[Chester A. Arthur]]}}
 +
| [[Christianity|Christian]]
 +
| [[Protestant]]
 +
| [[Anglican]]
 +
| [[Episcopal Church (United States)|Episcopalian]]
 +
| 1881–1885
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
| {{sort|Roosevelt F|[[Franklin D. Roosevelt]]}}
 +
| [[Christianity|Christian]]
 +
| [[Protestant]]
 +
| [[Anglican]]
 +
| [[Episcopal Church (United States)|Episcopalian]]
 +
| 1933–1945
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
| {{sort|Ford|[[Gerald Ford|Gerald R. Ford]]}}
 +
| [[Christianity|Christian]]
 +
| [[Protestant]]
 +
| [[Anglican]]
 +
| [[Episcopal Church (United States)|Episcopalian]]
 +
| 1974–1977
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
| {{sort|Bush GH|[[George H. W. Bush]]}}
 +
| [[Christianity|Christian]]
 +
| [[Protestant]]
 +
| [[Anglican]]
 +
| [[Episcopal Church (United States)|Episcopalian]]
 +
| 1989–1993
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
| {{sort|Polk|[[James K. Polk]]}}
 +
| [[Christianity|Christian]]
 +
| [[Protestant]]
 +
| [[Methodism|Methodist]]
 +
| [[Methodist]]
 +
| 1845–1849
 +
| Never baptized until on his deathbed. Formerly more or less affiliated with [[Presbyterian]] churches. He eventually received a deathbed Methodist baptism by Methodist preacher [[John Berry McFerrin]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Mayo|first1=Louise|title=President James K. Polk : the dark horse president|date=2006|publisher=Nova History Publications|location=New York|isbn=1594547181|page=8|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PYSs5yfHZCIC&pg=PA8|accessdate=19 September 2016}}</ref>
 +
|-
 +
| {{sort|Grant|[[Ulysses Grant]]}}
 +
| [[Christianity|Christian]]<ref name=adherents1>{{cite web|url=http://www.adherents.com/people/pg/Ulysses_Grant.html|title=Religion of Ulysses S Grant, U.S. President|publisher=}}</ref>
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| [[Protestant]]
 +
| [[Methodist]]<ref name=adherents1/>
 +
| [[Methodist]]
 +
| 1869–1877
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
| {{sort|McKinley|[[William McKinley]]}}
 +
| [[Christianity|Christian]]
 +
| [[Protestant]]
 +
| [[Methodism|Methodist]]
 +
| [[Methodist Episcopal Church]]
 +
| 1897–1901
 +
| Member of [[First Methodist Episcopal Church (Canton, Ohio)|First Methodist Episcopal Church]] in [[Canton, Ohio]]
 +
|-
 +
| {{sort|Bush GW|[[George W. Bush]]}}
 +
| [[Christianity|Christian]]
 +
| [[Protestant]]
 +
| [[Methodist]]
 +
| [[United Methodist]]
 +
| 2001–2009
 +
| Former Episcopalian. Bush left his family's Episcopal church to join his wife's United Methodist church.<ref name=um>{{cite web |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/jesus/etc/script.html |title=The Jesus Factor |accessdate=September 1, 2008 |publisher=[[PBS]]}}</ref>
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|-
 +
| {{sort|Hoover|[[Herbert Hoover]]}}
 +
| [[Christianity|Christian]]
 +
| [[Protestant]]
 +
| [[Religious Society of Friends|Quaker]]
 +
| N/A<ref name="ReferenceA">There are no Quaker denominations ''as such'' to be compared with, for example, the United Methodist Church or the [[Evangelical Lutheran Church in America]] and there never were. Quakers are independent of being affiliated with a specific denomination and Quaker membership can only be more or less estimated on their yearly meetings which provides a contentious image of how many Quakers there really are.</ref>
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| 1929–1933
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
| {{sort|Nixon|[[Richard M. Nixon]]}}
 +
| [[Christianity|Christian]]
 +
| [[Protestant]]
 +
| [[Religious Society of Friends|Quaker]]
 +
| N/A<ref name="ReferenceA"/>
 +
| 1969–1974
 +
| Raised in an [[Evangelical Friends Church International|Evangelical Friends]] affiliated church.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Dockhorn |first1=Robert |title=''Nixon's First Cover-Up: The Religious Life of a Quaker President'' — reviewed |url=https://www.friendsjournal.org/nixons-first-cover-up-the-religious-life-of-a-quaker-president/ |website=[[Friends Journal]] |accessdate=8 March 2019 |date=1 November 2015}}</ref>
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|-
 +
| {{sort|Adams J|[[John Adams]]}}
 +
| [[Christianity|Christian]]
 +
| [[Nontrinitarian]]
 +
| [[Unitarianism|Unitarian]]
 +
| N/A
 +
| 1797–1801
 +
| Former [[Congregationalism in the United States|Congregationalist]]. He later became a Unitarian, and dropped belief in predestination, eternal damnation, the divinity of Christ, and most other Calvinist beliefs of his Puritan ancestors.
 +
|-
 +
| {{sort|Adams JQ|[[John Quincy Adams]]}}
 +
| [[Christianity|Christian]]
 +
| [[Nontrinitarian]]
 +
| [[Unitarianism|Unitarian]]
 +
| N/A
 +
| 1825–1829
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
| {{sort|Fillmore|[[Millard Fillmore]]}}
 +
| [[Christianity|Christian]]
 +
| [[Nontrinitarian]]
 +
| [[Unitarianism|Unitarian]]
 +
| N/A
 +
| 1850–1853
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
| {{sort|Taft|[[William Howard Taft]]}}
 +
| [[Christianity|Christian]]
 +
| [[Nontrinitarian]]
 +
| [[Unitarianism|Unitarian]]
 +
| N/A
 +
| 1909–1913
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
| {{sort|Obama|[[Barack Obama]]}}
 +
| [[Christianity|Christian]]
 +
| [[Protestant]]
 +
| Unspecified [[Protestant]]<ref name="Obama religion">* {{cite web|year=2009 |title=American President: Barack Obama |location=Charlottesville, VA |publisher=Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia |url=http://millercenter.org/academic/americanpresident/obama |accessdate=January 23, 2009 |quote=Religion: Christian |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090123091100/http://millercenter.org/academic/americanpresident/obama |archivedate=January 23, 2009 |url-status=dead }}
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* {{cite web|title=The Truth about Barack's Faith |publisher=Obama for America |url=http://www.fightthesmears.com/file_download/2/baracksfaith.pdf |accessdate=July 1, 2012 |archivedate=January 5, 2011 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110105040018/http://www.fightthesmears.com/file_download/2/baracksfaith.pdf }}
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* {{cite news|author=Miller, Lisa |date=July 18, 2008 |title=Finding his faith |work=Newsweek |url=http://www.newsweek.com/id/145971 |accessdate=February 4, 2010 |quote=He is now a Christian, having been baptized in the early 1990s at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100206163704/http://www.newsweek.com/id/145971 |archivedate=February 6, 2010 |url-status=live }}
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* {{cite news|author=Barakat, Matthew |agency=Associated Press |date=November 17, 2008 |title=Obama's church choice likely to be scrutinized; D.C. churches have started extending invitations to Obama and his family |publisher=NBC News |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/27775757 |accessdate=January 20, 2009 |quote=The United Church of Christ, the denomination from which Obama resigned when he left Wright's church, issued a written invitation to join a UCC denomination in Washington and resume his connections to the church. }}
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* {{cite web|date=January 20, 2009 |title=Barack Obama, long time UCC member, inaugurated forty-fourth U.S. President |publisher=United Church of Christ |url=http://www.ucc.org/news/obama-inauguration.html |accessdate=January 21, 2009 |quote=Barack Obama, who spent more than 20 years as a UCC member, is the forty-fourth President of the United States. |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090125002304/http://www.ucc.org/news/obama-inauguration.html |archivedate=January 25, 2009 |url-status=live }}
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* {{cite news|author=Sullivan, Amy |date=June 29, 2009 |title=The Obama's find a church home&nbsp;– away from home |work=Time |location=New York |url=http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1907610,00.html |accessdate=February 5, 2010 |quote=instead of joining a congregation in Washington, D.C., he will follow in George W. Bush's footsteps and make his primary place of worship Evergreen Chapel, the nondenominational church at Camp David.}}
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* {{cite news|author=Kornblut, Anne E. |date=February 4, 2010 |title=Obama's spirituality is largely private, but it's influential, advisers say |newspaper=The Washington Post |page=A6 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/03/AR2010020303619.html |accessdate=February 5, 2010 |quote=Obama prays privately&nbsp;... And when he takes his family to Camp David on the weekends, a Navy chaplain ministers to them, with the daughters attending a form of Sunday school there.}}</ref>
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| Various, including Episcopalian, Baptist and Methodist churches
 +
| 2009–2017
 +
| Former [[United Church of Christ]] member.<ref name="Obama religion" /> He left it as a presidential candidate during the [[Jeremiah Wright controversy]] in 2008.
 +
|-
 +
| {{sort|Hayes|[[Rutherford B. Hayes]]}}
 +
| [[Christianity|Christian]]<ref name=adherents2>{{cite web|url=http://www.adherents.com/people/ph/Rutherford_B_Hayes.html|title=The religion of Rutherford B. Hayes, 19th U.S. President|publisher=}}</ref>
 +
| [[Protestant]]
 +
| Unspecified [[Protestant]]<ref name=adherents2/>
 +
| Presbyterian and Methodist churches
 +
| 1877–1881
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
| {{sort|Kennedy|[[John F. Kennedy]]}}
 +
| [[Christianity|Christian]]
 +
| [[Catholic]]
 +
| [[Roman Catholic]]
 +
| [[Catholic Church in the United States]]
 +
| 1961–1963
 +
| Only [[Roman Catholic]] president to date.
 +
|-
 +
| {{sort|Johnson A|[[Andrew Johnson]]}}
 +
|[[Christianity|Christian]] <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.adherents.com/people/pj/Andrew_Johnson.html|title=Religion of Andrew Johnson, U.S. President|publisher=}}</ref>
 +
|No formal affiliation<ref name="PewResearch2017">{{Cite news|url=http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/01/20/almost-all-presidents-have-been-christians/|title=Almost all U.S. presidents, including Trump, have been Christians|date=2017-01-20|newspaper=Pew Research Center|access-date=2017-02-04|language=en-US}}</ref>
 +
|
 +
|
 +
| 1865–1869
 +
| Johnson self-identified as a Christian, but he is not known to have been a member of any church. He sometimes attended Methodist services with his wife, and he also attended Catholic services.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.adherents.com/people/pj/Andrew_Johnson.html|title=Religion of Andrew Johnson, U.S. President|publisher=}}</ref>
 +
|-
 +
| {{sort|Lincoln|[[Abraham Lincoln]]}}
 +
| [[Religious views of Abraham Lincoln|None specified]]
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|
 +
| 1861–1865
 +
|
 +
*Abraham Lincoln was raised in a [[Reformed Baptist]] family.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association|title=Abraham Lincoln and the Doctrine of Necessity|url=https://quod.lib.umich.edu/j/jala/2629860.0018.105/--abraham-lincoln-and-the-doctrine-of-necessity?rgn=main;view=fulltext}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|publisher=Indiana Magazine of History|title=The Religious Environment of Lincoln's Youth|url=https://scholarworks.iu.edu/journals/index.php/imh/article/view/7278/8269}}</ref>
 +
*Scholars and various sources have contradicting opinions as to whether or not Lincoln was a Christian.
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*Although Lincoln never made an unambiguous public profession of Christian belief, several people who knew him personally, such as [[Chaplain of the United States Senate|Chaplain of the Senate]] [[Phineas Densmore Gurley|Phineas Gurley]] and his wife [[Mary Todd Lincoln]], claimed that he believed in Christ in the religious sense.<ref name="online">Mary T. Lincoln to James Smith, June 8, 1870, in Robert J. Havlik, "Abraham Lincoln and the Reverend Dr. James Smith: Lincoln's Presbyterian experience of Springfield," ''Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society'' (Autumn, 1999) [https://web.archive.org/web/20090127011750/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3945/is_199910/ai_n8861124/pg_8 online]</ref><ref name="Reed 339">{{cite journal |first=James A. |last=Reed |title=The Later Life and Religious Sentiments of Abraham Lincoln |journal=Scribner's Monthly |volume=6| issue =  3 |date=July 1873 |page=339 |url=https://books.google.com/?id=KOYGAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA333&dq=%22Scribner%27s+Monthly%22+%2B1873+%2B%22The+Later+Life+and+Religious+Sentiments+of+Abraham+Lincoln%22 |accessdate=2010-02-20}} quoting Phineas Gurley</ref><ref>{{cite journal |url=https://books.google.com/?id=KOYGAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA333&dq=%22Scribner%27s+Monthly%22+%2B1873+%2B%22The+Later+Life+and+Religious+Sentiments+of+Abraham+Lincoln%22 |title=The Later Life and Religious Sentiments of Abraham Lincoln |publisher=Scribner's Monthly |volume=6| issue =  3 |first=James A. |last=Reed |date=July 1873 |page=340 |accessdate=2010-02-20}} Noah Brooks to J.A. Reed, December 31, 1872 <!-- also available at |url=http://www.infidelsorg/library/historical/john_remsburg/six_historic_americans/chapter_5.html#1.7 -->
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</ref>
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*However, close friends who knew Lincoln for years, such as [[Ward Hill Lamon]] and [[William Herndon (lawyer)|William Herndon]], rejected the idea that he was a believing Christian.<ref name=Steiner1936>
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{{cite book|url=http://www.positiveatheism.org/hist/steinlinc.htm |title=Religious Beliefs of Our Presidents |first=Franklin |last=Steiner |year=1936 |chapter=Abraham Lincoln, Deist, and Admirer of Thomas Paine |accessdate=2010-05-31 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100613034008/http://positiveatheism.org/hist/steinlinc.htm |archivedate=2010-06-13 }}</ref>
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|-
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| {{sort|Jefferson|[[Thomas Jefferson]]}}
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| [[Thomas Jefferson and religion|None specified]]<!--Discuss on talk page before removing!--><ref>https://www.pbs.org/godinamerica/people/thomas-jefferson.html</ref>
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| 
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|
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|
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| 1801–1809
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| Although raised as an [[Anglican]], Jefferson later in life rejected the idea of the [[divinity of Jesus]] and became a [[Deism|deist]].<ref>https://www.monticello.org/site/research-and-collections/jeffersons-religious-beliefs</ref>
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|}
    
The founding fathers considered to be "theistic rationalists" did believe God was active in earthly affairs and that religion was essentially important to society because it brought [[morality]].<ref name="Frazer"/> However, they believed this to be true for all religions, rather than just Christianity.<ref name="Frazer"/> They opposed the establishment of an official religion but supported religion in public life.<ref name="Frazer"/>
 
The founding fathers considered to be "theistic rationalists" did believe God was active in earthly affairs and that religion was essentially important to society because it brought [[morality]].<ref name="Frazer"/> However, they believed this to be true for all religions, rather than just Christianity.<ref name="Frazer"/> They opposed the establishment of an official religion but supported religion in public life.<ref name="Frazer"/>
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