New Book Reveals Details on Founding Fathers’ Religious Beliefs

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A new book out by Rev. Gary Kowalski paints a different religious picture of the Founding Fathers than many have envisioned. The book gives well-rounded insight as to the honest beliefs of these men.

Kowalski’s fifth book Revolutionary Spirits: The Enlightened Faith of America’s Founding Fathers points out that the first leaders of the U.S. were neither devout Christians not secularists.

As USA Today reports:

“I wanted to set the record straight,” said Kowalski, 54, senior minister at the First Unitarian Universalist Society in Burlington, Vt. “I really felt that their legacy had been misappropriated by the religious right.”

The Reverend searched through authoritative biographies and personally written original documents of each of the men in question to find the truth instead of the myths that are commonly held.

What Kowalski found was one core belief that all of the fathers behind the start of the United States held and that was they wanted the nation to be inclusive for all religions. They also appear to have been fascinated by the scientific discoveries that happened during their lifetimes. What they did not hold in common were their personal religious backgrounds.

Many of the founders had a unique brand of spirituality. As USA Today reports:

“I think they would be surprised at how much our political leaders advertise their religious beliefs,” Kowalski said, “as well as the preponderance of evangelicalism in the country today.”

Kowalski’s research also revealed that these men used reason when dealing with the sermons on Christianity. They were at times wary of the messages that came from the pulpit.

Benjamin Franklin used his art of writing when it came to his thoughts on the Puritan-led witch burning. He penned a satirical story about the matter for the Pennsylvania Gazette to expose the silliness of such beliefs.

George Washington was once arrested for traveling on the Sabbath. He was running behind schedule and wasn’t in church.

While the final research Kowalski shows the men whose views and actions started the country were not secularists they were not devote church goers either. They all had their own faiths and beliefs. They had wished for a nation that like them could believe in the particular faith of their own choosing.

As USA Today reports:

“I think they would be very pleased by the spiritual diversity in our country today,” Kowalski said. “With greater diversity, there’s less chance for one religion to become too powerful.”

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