Impressionable school children and young adults sit in class and learn that George Washington was a deist. A deist is about as far away from Christianity as you can get because the definition of one holding to deism is one who believes that "God created the world but has since remained indifferent to it." By "since remained indifferent to it," the Bible, the Savior, any blessing, and all miracles are ipso facto omitted. Over and out.
One must wonder if there's a nefarious motive behind saying that George Washington was a deist: it leads to the conclusion that our Founder Fathers had no Christian orientation. But let us pause a moment and go to the source, Washington himself. That means researching what Washington himself said, not what somebody said that he said. (That makes sense.)
So, here's just one of the hundreds of times Washington referred to a God who intervenes in human history, a violation of the cardinal doctrine of deism:
"Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of
Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and
humbly to implore His protection and favor…. For the great degree of
tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish
constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and
particularly the national one now lately instituted; for the civil and
religious liberty with which we are blessed…”
"His protection" doesn't sound like a Creator who's walked away. "His favor" doesn't sound like a God who's no longer involved. "To be grateful for His benefits" has no reference to a God who doesn't care, but blesses.
How about another look? Washington doesn't write like a deist:
“And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and
supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations, and beseech Him
to pardon our national and other transgressions … to render our national
government a blessing to all the People, by constantly being a
government of wise, just and constitutional laws, discreetly and
faithfully executed and obeyed … and to bless them with good government,
peace, and concord, to promote the knowledge and practice of the true
religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and Us, and
generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity
as He alone knows to be best.”
What did you say about George Washington? That he was a deist?
No.
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