On this holiday I’m reminded of presidents past who have made more of an impression on the country than any of the more recent presidents. In terms of the what role religion should play in our country, the founding fathers had the right idea. I found this article about how our founding fathers felt about religion and government. I wish our more current presidents would take the same view as our founding fathers. Here are just a few quotes from presidents past on the topic of religion. As the article is titled, I’m sure christians would hate these quotes.

“The Government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion.”

~1797 Treaty of Tripoli signed by Founding Father John Adams

“Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, then that of blindfolded fear.”

~Founding Father Thomas Jefferson, letter to Peter Carr, August 10, 1787

“The civil government functions with complete success by the total separation of the Church from the State.”

~Founding Father James Madison, 1819, Writings, 8:432, quoted from Gene Garman, “Essays In Addition to America’s Real Religion”

“We have abundant reason to rejoice that in this Land the light of truth and reason has triumphed over the power of bigotry and superstition… In this enlightened Age and in this Land of equal liberty it is our boast, that a man’s religious tenets will not forfeit the protection of the Laws, nor deprive him of the right of attaining and holding the highest Offices that are known in the United States.”

~Founding Father George Washington, letter to the members of the New Church in Baltimore, January 27, 1793