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To: BroJoeK
Adams was certainly a Unitarian

Certainly? How do you know that? Given where he was from — a section of Braintree, Mass., now incorporated into the Town of Quincy — in that time period, I'd say he was a Congregationalist. (I live about 30 miles distant from the place of his birth, as the crow flies. He was a life-long resident of that place. Unitarianism wasn't "big" there then....)

I take your point about the difference between accusation and reality. But certainly, a man who "daily walked with God" cannot be a Deist. For Deism holds that God has no role in the creation, beyond having created it in the first place; whereupon, He "withdraws" and lets His "clockwork universe" play itself out without any further assistance or intervention from Him.

And I take your point that the Founders in general were interested in the progress of the arts and sciences. Indeed, that is clear from Article I, Section 8, empowering Congress "To promote the Progress of Science and the useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries."

Science has always been held in high esteem in this (arguably) Christian nation....

1,551 posted on 01/31/2009 11:14:34 AM PST by betty boop
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To: betty boop
BroJoeK: "Adams was certainly a Unitarian"

betty boop: "Certainly? How do you know that? Given where he was from — a section of Braintree, Mass., now incorporated into the Town of Quincy — in that time period, I'd say he was a Congregationalist."

You are right, of course. He was a Congregationalist, but later became Unitarian.

religion of John Adams

You might also take note of this particularly curious wording, in a Treaty of Peace and Friendship with Tripoli, during the presidency of John Adams:

"As the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion - as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion or tranquility of Musselmen, - and as the said States never have entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mehomitan nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arrising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries."

Of course, we can understand the necessity for diplomatic niceties, but this is a bit unusual, wouldn't you agree?

1,573 posted on 02/01/2009 4:55:54 AM PST by BroJoeK (a little historical perspective...)
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