George Washington owned slaves:many presidents have worshiped on Sunday only to get caught in scandals the following Monday; JFK, a good Catholic womanizer; lyndon Johnson abused his dogs; Bill Clinton had the morals of a dog in heat.... no one is a perfect Christian. Donald Trump says he is a Christian and goes to church. That’s good enough for me.
George Washington was not perfect. However, he will never be surpassed as the ideal President, IMHO.
“3. Washington Decided NOT to make himself supreme ruler of the United States. After risking his life to lead the American Revolution—often bravely putting himself directly in the line of fire—Washington shocked the entire world by voluntarily returning all his powers to the American people and their elected representatives. It was a decision that even led his recently defeated foe, King George III to comment that Washington was “the greatest character of his generation.” We will never know whether this decision was driven by altruism or a self-interested desire to be adored by history. What we do know is that decision aligned perfectly with the pattern of decisions Washington established throughout his lifetime. He was an exemplar of what Wharton professor Adam Grant (link is external) describes as “otherish”—people who are both highly giving and highly self-interested.
4. Washington decided NOT to forego his salary as president. No goal did Washington worked harder at achieving throughout his life than the goal of becoming a benevolent public servant both in reality and in reputation. So after becoming the only unanimously elected president in U.S. history, he declined his annual salary of $25,000. After all, what would history think about the one of the wealthiest men in the cash-strapped country accepting such a handsome salary?
Yet congress convinced him that this ostensibly noble act—like everything Washington did as the nation’s first president—would set an unshakeable precedent for the office. In this case, if he set an expectation that the president would not accept a salary, he was virtually guaranteeing that only the wealthiest people in the nation could afford to be president. That was something that Father Freedom could not stomach for the new republic, so even at the risk of minimizing his legacy of benevolence in the public eye he accepted the salary.
5. Washington decided to free his slaves. That Washington ever owned slaves to begin with has caused my cynical self to scoff at his supposed “greatness.” Yet, of the of the nine U.S. presidents who came from slave-owning families, guess how many set their slaves free? You guessed it—only one. Not only did he free them, he also made arrangements for the younger slaves to be educated and he set up a pension fund for the elderly slaves.
To a large extent, we are all products of our time and place.Throughout our lives, we will all be presented with a difficult choice to rise above that time and place. George Washington was great because he decided to do what others merely talked about doing. Regardless of how self-interested Washington’s motives may or may not have been, it’s easy to imagine a bright future for a world populated by people who view every decision as an opportunity to reveal an uncommon strength of character.”
Here is what Yeshua said to the people that think “going to church” can save them:
Matthew 7:
[20] Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
[21] Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
[22] Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
[23] And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
[24] Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
[25] And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
[26] And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
[27] And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
[28] And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:
[29] For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.