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MattholomewCup · 4332 days ago · link · · parent · post: Why is America, a country built on secular principles, now the poster child for religious fundamentalism?
I agree with your assessment there. Jefferson clearly was under the impression that the government as he and the other founders created it would be revolutionized on a regular basis, and not treated as a dogma. He was very much against dogma, it seemed, and whether or not the other founders were similarly inclined, it seems clear, by their writings, that they were highly influenced by the Enlightenment, including thinkers like Voltaire and Thomas Paine. Whatever faith the founders were, it is inarguable that the men who influenced them most profoundly were philosophical deists and not able to be called Christian in the traditional sense. Sleep well, I hope to continue this discussion soon!