George Washington's church attendance as recorded in his diaries * *
http://s93614334.onlinehome.us/religion/George_Washington/
[scroll down about half way on page]
On many Sundays, GW records the weather, social visitors, or where he ate
dinner, but he doesn't say anything about church. That seems to indicate
fairly clearly that GW did not attend church on those ambiguous Sundays,
since on other Sundays he notes excuses such as 'prevented from church',
"Mrs. Washington we[nt] to Church", 'The two Miss Calverts went up to
Church', 'Attempted to go', sickness, etc. Also, GW frequently wrote 'at
home all day', once for 12 Sundays in a row (1773-4). Being 'at home all
day' every Sunday for many long stretches does not seem consistent with the
idea that "if he didn't say anything about church, it was because he went
habitually and only made a note when he couldn't attend".
However, GW's diaries in 1784 and after 1791 seem too ambiguous and/or
incomplete to use as a church attendance record. GW's 1784 diary does not
mention going to church at all. After 1791, GW's diary is mostly about the
weather, but he does mention going to church on 5 October 1794, 2 June
1799, and 17 November 1799. His letter James McHenry on 23 April 1799
suggests that he rarely went to church after the end of his presidency in
March 1797.
Summary: GW's diaries show that he attended church 20% of Sundays before
the Revolution, 5% of Sundays between the Revolution and becoming US
President, 54% of Sundays while he was US President, and 18% of Sundays
altogether. His diaries include accounts of almost 13 full years of
Sundays, spread from age 28 to age 59. His complete attendance rate as an
adult was probably lower, since keeping a diary and going to church are
both leisure activities. GW's low attendance rate seems especially
meaningful because GW was a vestryman of Truro and Fairfax parishes * *
from ~1763 to ~1782 and also because failing to attend church on Sundays
and holidays was a crime * * * * * in Virginia until ~1776.
"This diary was kept for many years with much particularity. A Sabbath day
rarely occurs, in which it is not recorded that he went to church..."
--Rev. Jared Sparks in Writings of George Washington 12:401 * * in ~1837
(GW's own diary shows that he only attended church on 18% of Sundays, as
noted above. Also, Sparks cut up GW's proposed first inaugural address into
paragraph-long souveneirs and destroyed other GW records, probably
including several years of GW's diaries. Given Sparks' direct lie here, the
topic of the lie, and Sparks' occupation as a Reverend, it seems very
likely that Sparks' censorship destroyed more of GW's non-pious-sounding
writings than GW's pious-sounding writings.)
"Doctor [Benjamin] Rush tells me that he had it from [US House of
Representatives Chaplain] Asa Green, that when the clergy addressed General
Washington on his departure from the Government, it was observed in their
consultation, that he had never, on any occasion, said a word to the public
which showed a belief in the Christian religion, and they thought they
should so pen their address, as to force him at length to declare publicly
whether he was a Christian or not. They did so. However, he observed, the
old fox was too cunning for them. He answered every article of their
address particularly except that, which he passed over without notice. Rush
observes, he never did say a word on the subject in any of his public
papers, except in his valedictory letter to the Governors of the States,
when he resigned his commission in the army, wherein he speaks of 'the
benign influence of the Christian religion.' I know that Gouverneur Morris,
who pretended to be in his secrets and believed himself to be so, has often
told me that General Washington believed no more of that system than he
himself did." --Thomas Jefferson in his diary on 1 February 1799
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What Was Washington's Belief?
by Franklin Steiner
the final section of Chapter I
"George Washington, The Vestryman Who Was Not A Communicant"
of his 1936 book
The Religious Beliefs Of Our Presidents
From Washington To F.D.R.
(Published by Haldemann-Julius;
reprint available from Prometheus)
http://www.positiveatheism.org/hist/steiner0.htm
Washington never made a statement of his belief, while his actions rather
prove that if he was not a positive unbeliever, he was at best an
indifferentist. We have seen that he was not a regular attendant at church
services -- rather an irregular one. I have examined 14 years of his
complete Diaries, 13 of them when he was at home, with two Episcopal
churches within eight or 10 miles. One of these years, 1774, was his banner
year for church attendance, when he went 18 times. Yet we find, in these 14
years, his average attendance to have been but six times a year -- not a
very good record.
That Washington did not commune is established beyond all doubt by
reputable witnesses. The evidence of Bishop White, the Rev. Dr. Abercrombie
and the Rev. Dr. Wilson certainly outweighs the very shady assertion that
he once took communion in a Presbyterian church, which rests upon
questionable and anonymous evidence, to say nothing of its utter
improbability.
Bishop White says Washington did not kneel in prayer. Nellie Custis says he
stood during the devotional service. She also admits that she never saw him
pray, but that someone long dead had told her that he had seen him praying
many years before. The Valley Forge prayer is a myth of even a weaker type
than the Presbyterian communion story. The "Prayer for the United States"
is a demonstrated fabrication. These fictions would not be necessary were
there true evidence that Washington was religious. During the Revolution,
forged letters were published in London attacking his personal moral
character. It has been said that letters written by Washington were in
existence that cast reflections upon him, but no one has ever been able to
produce them. Between the fictions, forgeries and falsehoods told to make
Washington either a plaster saint or a rake, it is difficult to say which
would have disgusted him the more.
Jared Sparks says:
"After a long and minute examination of the writings of Washington,
public and private, in print and in manuscript, I can affirm, that I have
never seen a single hint, or expression, from which it could be inferred,
that he had any doubt of the Christian revelation, or that he thought with
indifference or unconcern of that subject. On the contrary, wherever he
approaches it, and indeed wherever he alludes in any manner to religion, it
is done with seriousness and reverence." (Life of Washington, p. 525.)
If Dr. Sparks found from Washington's writings that he never had a "doubt
of the Christian revelation," neither could he find among them anything
proving his belief in the same. He may have thought about it, and it is
likely that he did, but as to expressing his views, he surely was
indifferent and unconcerned. The truth is that the majority of unbelievers,
especially men of prominence in political or social life, make no statement
of their unbelief. True, when Washington spoke of religion, he spoke with
"seriousness and reverence," but he so spoke of all religions and not of
any particular one. That an unbeliever is necessarily flippant, it is the
prerogative of Mr. Sparks to assert. Scholarly Freethinkers consider
religion an important subject, even though they reject its orthodox
interpretation. While not necessarily reverent in their attitude, they
discuss it seriously from the standpoint of science, logic and history.
Most important of all, there stands out the fact that while in Washington's
writings there is nothing affirming or denying the truth of Christian
revelation, there is also nothing inconsistent with Deism. Deists of the
time believed in God and his Providence. They accepted all of moral value
in the Christian Bible and in all other sacred books, holding it to be a
part of natural religion. They held in high esteem the moral teachings and
character of Jesus. Even the orthodox never tire of quoting complimentary
things said about him by Paine and Rousseau. Many Deists prayed and
believed in prayer.
Nor can Dr. Sparks find anything in the writings of Washington tending to
prove that he believed in Jesus as the Christ and the son of God. Nor will
he find anything which will prove that a future existence had any firm
place in his calculations, though Deists, as a rule, hope for "happiness
beyond this life." During Washington's sickness and death religion was not
mentioned. No minister was called in, though three doctors were present.
Dr. Moncure D. Conway says:
"When the end was near, Washington said to a physician present -- an
ancestor of the writer of these notes -- 'I am not afraid to go.' With his
right fingers on his left wrist, he counted his own pulses, which beat his
funeral march to the grave. 'He bore his distress with astonishing
fortitude, and conscious as he declared, several hours before his death, of
his approaching dissolution, he resigned his breath with the greatest
composure, having the full possession of his reason to the last moment,' so
next day wrote one present. Mrs. Washington knelt beside his bed, but no
word passed on religious matters. With the sublime taciturnity which marked
his life he passed out of existence, leaving no word or act which can be
turned to the service of superstition, cant or bigotry."
He died like an ancient pagan Greek or Roman. This has puzzled many who
have tried to fit Washington with orthodox garments.
In his letters to young people, particularly to his adopted children, he
urges upon them truth, character, honesty, but in no case does he advise
going to church, reading the Bible, belief in Christ, or any other item of
religious faith or practice. Once he wanted mechanics for his estate. He
did not demand that they be Christians, but he wrote to his agent, "If they
be good workmen, they may be from Asia, Africa, or Europe; they may be
Mohammedans, Jews, or Christians of any sect, or they may be Atheists."
Except the legal phrase, "In the name of God, Amen," there are no religious
references in Washington's will, something unusual in wills made at that
time. While he liberally recognizes his relatives he leaves nothing to
churches or for other religious purposes, but he does remember the cause of
education.
We have already quoted Bishop White to the effect that when the vestry of
Christ Church waited upon Washington with an address, he expressed
gratification at some things he had heard from their pulpit, but said not a
word that would indicate his own religious views. Just before he left the
Presidency, all the ministers of Philadelphia waited upon him, also bearing
an address. We will let Thomas Jefferson tell the story, as he wrote it in
his Diary, for February 1, 1800, just six weeks after Washington's death:
"Feb. 1. Dr. Rush tells me that he had it from Asa Green that when
the clergy addressed General Washington on his departure from the
Government, it was observed in their consultation that he had never on any
occasion said a word to the public which showed a belief in the Christian
religion and they thought they should so pen their address as to force him
at length to declare publicly whether he was a Christian or not. They did
so. However, he observed, the old fox was too cunning for them. He answered
every article in their address particularly except that, which he passed
over without notice. Rush observes he never did say a word on the subject
in any of his public papers except in his valedictory address to the
governors of the States when he resigned his commission in the army,
wherein he speaks of the benign influence of the Christian religion.
"I know that Gouverneur Morris, who pretended to be in his secrets
and believed himself to be so, has often told me that General Washington
believed no more in the system (Christianity) than he did." (The Writings
of Thomas Jefferson, vol. 1, p. 284.)
***************************************************************
You are invited to check out the following:
The Rise of the Theocratic States of America
http://members.tripod.com/~candst/theocracy.htm
American Theocrats - Past and Present
http://members.tripod.com/~candst/theocrats.htm
The Constitutional Principle: Separation of Church and State
http://members.tripod.com/~candst/index.html
[and to join the discussion group for the above site and/or Separation of
Church and State in general, listed below]
HRSepCnS · Hampton Roads [Virginia] SepChurch&State
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HRSepCnS/
[Its not just Hampton Roads folks who are members, there are members from
all over the US and a couple from overseas as well]
***************************************************************
.. . . You can't understand a phrase such as "Congress shall make no law
respecting an establishment of religion" by syllogistic reasoning. Words
take their meaning from social as well as textual contexts, which is why "a
page of history is worth a volume of logic." New York Trust Co. v. Eisner,
256 U.S. 345, 349, 41 S.Ct. 506, 507, 65 L.Ed. 963 (1921) (Holmes, J.).
Sherman v. Community Consol. Dist. 21, 980 F.2d 437, 445 (7th Cir. 1992)
.. . .
****************************************************************
USAF LT. COL (Ret) Buffman (Glen P. Goffin) wrote
"You pilot always into an unknown future;
facts are your only clue. Get the facts!"
That philosophy 'snipit' helped to get me, and my crew, through a good
many combat missions and far too many scary, inflight, emergencies.
It has also played a significant role in helping me to expose the
plethora of radical Christian propaganda and lies that we find at
almost every media turn.
*****************************************************************
THE CONSTITUTIONAL PRINCIPLE:
SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE
http://members.tripod.com/~candst/index.html
****************************************************************
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