{"id":5448,"date":"2026-02-02T10:10:07","date_gmt":"2026-02-02T15:10:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adamosborne.net\/?p=5448"},"modified":"2026-07-04T09:48:45","modified_gmt":"2026-07-04T14:48:45","slug":"u-s-founding-fathers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adamosborne.net\/index.php\/2026\/02\/u-s-founding-fathers\/","title":{"rendered":"U.S. Founding Fathers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

George Washington<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.\u201d<\/strong>
Attributed in multiple 19th-century collections; often cited by early biographers.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Bible is the best gift God has ever given to man.\u201d<\/strong>
From a handwritten inscription in a Bible Washington donated.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

John Adams<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity.\u201d<\/strong>
Letter to Thomas Jefferson, June 28, 1813<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSuppose a nation in some distant region should take the Bible for their only law book\u2026\u201d<\/strong>
Diary, Feb. 22, 1756<\/em>
(Adams argued that such a nation would produce admirable citizens.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Bible contains the most profound philosophy, the most perfect morality, and the most refined policy.\u201d<\/strong>
Diary and Autobiography<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Samuel Adams<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Holy Scriptures are to be the sure guide to all our actions.\u201d<\/strong>
Speech, 1772<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI rely upon the merits of Jesus Christ for a pardon of all my sins.\u201d<\/strong>
Last Will and Testament<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Thomas Jefferson<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Jefferson is often misunderstood\u2014he rejected miracles but deeply valued biblical ethics<\/strong>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Bible is the cornerstone of liberty.\u201d<\/strong>
Letter to Charles Thomson, 1809<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am a real Christian\u2014that is to say, a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus.\u201d<\/strong>
Letter to Benjamin Rush, 1803<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo nation has ever existed or been governed without religion.\u201d<\/strong>
Letter to Alexander von Humboldt, 1811<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

James Madison<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have staked the whole future of American civilization\u2026 upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves according to the Ten Commandments.\u201d<\/strong>
Often quoted; summarized from Madison\u2019s writings and ideas\u2014sometimes overstated in popular form.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cReligion and government will both exist in greater purity the less they are mixed together.\u201d<\/strong>
Letter to Edward Livingston, 1822<\/em>
(Madison believed separation protected religion<\/strong>, not removed it.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Benjamin Franklin<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI believe the Bible to be the best book that ever was or ever will be known in the world.\u201d<\/strong>
Letter to Ezra Stiles, 1790<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhere liberty dwells, there is my country.\u201d<\/strong>
(Franklin saw biblical morality as essential to liberty.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Patrick Henry<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Bible is a book worth more than all the other books that were ever printed.\u201d<\/strong>
Attributed in early biographies<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded\u2026 not by religionists, but by Christians.\u201d<\/strong>
Speech, 1814<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

John Jay (First Chief Justice of the Supreme Court)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Bible is the best of all books, for it is the word of God.\u201d<\/strong>
Letter to his son, 1784<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cProvidence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty\u2026 of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers.\u201d<\/strong>
Letter to Rev. Jedidiah Morse, 1797<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

The Founders:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They separated church and state to protect the church, not to remove the Bible from public life.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

    \n
  • \nAbraham Lincoln<\/b>: I believe the bible is the best gift God has ever given to man. All the good from the Savior of the world is communicated to us through this book.<\/li>\n\n
  • George Washington<\/b>: It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.<\/li>\n\n
  • Daniel Webster<\/b>: If there is anything in my thoughts or style to commend, the credit is due to my parents for instilling in me an early love of the scriptures. If we abide by the principles taught in the Bible, our country will go on prospering and to prosper; but if we and our posterity neglect its instructions and authority, no man can tell how sudden a catastrophe may overwhelm us and bury all our glory in profound obscurity.<\/li>\n\n
  • John Quincy Adams<\/b>: So great is my veneration for the Bible that the earlier my children begin to read it the more confident will be my hope that they will prove useful citizens of their country and respectable members of society. I have for many years made it a practice to read through the Bible once every years.<\/li>\n\n
  • John Adams<\/b>\u2013 2nd President of the United States\n\u201cThe general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were\u2026 the general principles of Christianity.\u201d\n\u2014 Letter to Thomas Jefferson, June 28, 1813\n\n\u201cOur Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.\u201d\n\u2014 Address to the Massachusetts Militia, 1798<\/li>\n\n
  • Andrew Jackson<\/b> : That Book, sir, is the rock on which our republic rests.<\/li>\n\n
  • Sir Isaac Newton<\/b>: There are more sure marks of authenticity in the Bible than in any profane history.<\/li>\n\n
  • James Jennings<\/b>: If a man\u2019s Bible is coming apart, it is an indication that he himself is fairly well put together.<\/li>\n\n
  • Thomas Jefferson <\/b>\u2013 3rd President of the United States, Author of the Declaration of Independence\n\n\u201cThe doctrines of Jesus are simple, and tend all to the happiness of man.\u201d\n\u2014 Letter to Van der Kemp, 1816\n\n\u201cI am a real Christian \u2013 that is to say, a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus Christ.\u201d\n\u2014 Letter to Benjamin Rush, April 21, 1803<\/li>\n\n
  • Benjamin Franklin<\/b>\u2013 Founding Father, Diplomat, Inventor\n\u201cAs to Jesus of Nazareth, I think the system of morals and His religion\u2026 the best the world ever saw or is likely to see.\u201d\n\u2014 Letter to Ezra Stiles, March 9, 1790\n\n\u201cGod governs in the affairs of men\u2026 and if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?\u201d\n\u2014 Constitutional Convention, June 28, 1787<\/li>\n\n
  • James Madison<\/b> \u2013 4th President of the U.S., Father of the Constitution\n\u201cWe have staked the whole future of American civilization\u2026 upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God.\u201d\n(Attributed, though debated, it reflects his broader writings on religion and morality.)\n\n\u201cReligion is the basis and foundation of government.\u201d\n\u2014 Letter to William Bradford, 1773<\/li>\n\n
  • Patrick Henry<\/B>\u2013 Founding Father, Famous for \u201cGive me liberty, or give me death!\u201d\n\u201cIt cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians\u2026 on the Gospel of Jesus Christ.\u201d\n\u2014 Attributed from writings and speeches<\/li>\n\n
  • Noah Webster<\/b>\u2013 Founding Educator, Creator of Webster\u2019s Dictionary\n\u201cThe moral principles and precepts found in the Scriptures ought to form the basis of all our civil constitutions and laws.\u201d\n\u2014 Preface to Webster\u2019s American Dictionary of the English Language, 1828\n\n\u201cEducation is useless without the Bible.\u201d\n\u2014 Advice to the Young, 1832<\/li>\n\n
  • Samuel Adams<\/b>\u2013 Signer of the Declaration, Governor of Massachusetts\n\u201cLet divines and philosophers, statesmen and patriots, unite their endeavors to renovate the age by\u2026 inculcating the great and moral truths which are supported by the Christian religion.\u201d\n\u2014 Speech at the State House, 1790<\/li>\n\n
  • Daniel Webster<\/b>\u2013 Senator, Statesman, Lawyer\n\u201cIf we abide by the principles taught in the Bible, our country will go on prospering\u2026 but if we and our posterity neglect its instructions\u2026 no man can tell how sudden a catastrophe may overwhelm us.\u201d\n\u2014 Speech, 1821<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
    \n\nIn Summary:<\/b>\nEven with their differences in denominational belief or personal theology, the Founding Fathers overwhelmingly believed that:\nFaith in God and Biblical values were essential for individual and national integrity.\nChristian moral teachings were necessary to sustain a free and virtuous republic.\nThe Bible was seen not just as a religious book, but as a moral foundation for civil society.","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    George Washington \u201cIt is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.\u201dAttributed in multiple 19th-century collections; often cited by early biographers. \u201cThe Bible is the best gift God has ever given to man.\u201dFrom a handwritten inscription in a Bible Washington donated. John Adams \u201cThe general principles on which the fathers achieved independence […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5448","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-old-new-testament"],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pgIEZq-1pS","jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adamosborne.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5448","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adamosborne.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adamosborne.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adamosborne.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adamosborne.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5448"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/adamosborne.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5448\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5515,"href":"https:\/\/adamosborne.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5448\/revisions\/5515"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adamosborne.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5448"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adamosborne.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5448"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adamosborne.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5448"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}