Here’s the short version of why this meme is stupid. All Presidents grew up in a Christian context and most Presidents were officially a member of a Congregation, but that was generally a Congregation they were born into, and plenty show evidence of having no faith-based devotion to that Congregation. Those without a Congregation may have held deep religious conviction, but it’s generally hard to guess on that unless they put it in writing. A goodly number were demonstrably a-religious. I’ve made a list of Presidents who are either a-religious or non-conventionally religious. Those NOT on the list: 1.) Members of either main-line Protestant or Roman Catholic Congregations AND 2.) Active within their Congregation AND 3.) Seemed to hold beliefs consistent with that Congregation Those that ARE on the list: 1.) Members of Congregations that are neither main-line Protestant nor Roman Catholic 2.) Not active in their Congregation, whatever it is 3.) Seemed to hold beliefs putting them outside or at odds with that Congregation, whatever it is 4.) No Congregation 5.) Demonstrably a-religious Even with a clear criteria, it proved complicated. For example: Teddy Roosevelt, one of the most devotional of Presidents, was a life-long Dutch-Reform Protestant, but his aggressive ecumenicalism (probably the most ecumenical President before WWII) put him somewhat outside his Congregation, so he’s on the list; Jimmy Carter, similarly devotional, was always fighting with his Baptist hierarchy, so he’s on the list; but Dwight D. Eisenhower, who rejected the faith of his youth, Jehovah Witnesses, and didn’t convert to Presbyterian until already President, was by all evidence quite solidly Presbyterian, so is not on the list. This is the list and I think it’s accurate. I invite corrections and comment: (1.) Washington, it is unclear if he was at all religious or Christian, many consider him a luke-warm deist but that’s controversial (2.) Adams, the first of four American presidents have been Unitarian, and all four, by definition, do not accept the divinity of Jesus BUT Adams himself was deeply religious within his unusually (for Americans) secular Congregation. (3.) Jefferson, no Congregation, flatly rejected the divinity of Jesus and was openly hostile to Christianity. Probably a deist and some argue an atheist. (5.) Monroe, never gave any indication of what, if any, religious faith he had (6.) Adams, Unitarian like his father, but less religious. One of two Presidents who didn’t place his hand on the Bible when he took the oath of office (10.) Tyler, largely a-religious (11.) Polk, probably Christian, but never really embraced either of the Congregations that claim him (12.) Taylor, largely a-religious (13.) Filmore, Unitarian (14.) Pierce, no Congregation (16.) Lincoln, no Congregation, as a-religious than Jefferson. It has been argued he had a late-in-life conversion, but those arguments are dubious (17.) Johnson, no Congregation (18.) Grant, no Congregation and a-religious. Claims of a death-bed conversation are probably false (19.) Hayes, no Congregation but there’s little dispute that he was Christian (20.) Roosevelt, one of the more devotional Presidents but was aggressively ecumenical about it, attending everyone’s churches with equal fervor and was the second President to take oath of office without hand on Bible (21.) Taft, Unitarian and suspected of being an atheist (22.) Hoover, Quaker so forbidden to swear oaths, making his actual religious ideas unclear. Probably devotional (23.) Truman didn’t want anyone to know what his religious beliefs were which often put him in conflict with his Baptist hierarchy (37.) Nixon, Quaker so, again, this makes his actual religious ideas unclear, but he did violate most of the Church’s doctrines without much second thought and was probably a-religious (39.) Carter, one of the most devotional of Presidents, was constantly at odds with his Baptist hierarchy and eventually quit. He’s just as devotional now, but has no Congregation (42.) Clinton, Christian with little interest in affiliation, maybe like Roosevelt with less fervor (44.) Obama, largely a-religious till his twenties, then converted to Trinity United. He had to split with them as their leader, perhaps slipping into dementia, caused a series of public scandals. Now still clearly Christian, but with no Congregation https://scontent-a-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/10385304_930934830299980_2723469902143147160_n.jpg?oh=2ce8656d7e91e4a8b385566d449cb646&oe=54FAF5D3
Posted on: Sat, 27 Dec 2014 16:20:45 +0000
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