The Creation of Moral Society and the Fallacy in the Separation of Church and State

From the time of the founding fathers to modern day there has been a small, seemingly insignificant yet profoundly acute strand of humanism, whether it be classical or secular, running through the veins of the American body. Some of histories most influential figures such as George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Paine and Thomas Jefferson among many others were all humanists. Why is humanism an integral part of the creation of a successful moral society? Perhaps it is because the entire philosophy of humanism is based off of human-centered ethical theories and rationalism (West.) It is quite evident that religion sparked the majority if not all political movements in the past and present. After all, what are the causes of political conflict? It boils down to ethics and morality; one side feels one way, the other feels the opposite. Religion being a major component in what defines right from wrong in the scheme of human existence and reality, it must be the innate beliefs of humans that dictate what should and should not be acceptable in a political system, and subsequently (and conversely) in society. So does this mean that political conflict may be resolved through social change and vice versa? It’s quite evident through the line of historical events, especially those of America, that whether true at it’s core nature or not, this theory is generally accepted by the majority at large. What does this tell us as people, humans, citizens of a political nation and social community? Religion or lack thereof is what dictates human behaviour and thought in a social context therefore religion as a focal point in political discourse would be a phenomenal foundation for a tame society and nation. Ceteris paribus a pious Christian is less likely to steal a horse from a neighbor than would be an Atheist. That’s not to say that within the universe there are not millions of variables that may or may not disrupt said constant, but as a theory it is just that, a constant. This being said, within the context of world political powers, what would be the best way for a government to keep a sound public and prevent disorder or to put it more blatantly, all out chaos? Religion! The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines government as the following:

1: the act or process of governing; specifically : authoritative direction or control

2obsolete : moral conduct or behavior : discretion

3 a: the office, authority, or function of governing bobsolete : the term during which a governing official holds office

4: the continuous exercise of authority over and the performance of functions for a political unit : rule

5 a: the organization, machinery, or agency through which a political unit exercises authority and performs functions and which is usually classified according to the distribution of power within it b: the complex of political institutions, laws, and customs through which the function of governing is carried out

6: the body of persons that constitutes the governing authority of a political unit or organization: as a: the officials comprising the governing body of a political unit and constituting the organization as an active agency bcapitalized : the executive branch of the United States federal government ccapitalized : a small group of persons holding simultaneously the principal political executive offices of a nation or other political unit and being responsible for the direction and supervision of public affairs: (1): such a group in a parliamentary system constituted by the cabinet or by the ministry (2): administration 4b

7: political science

Nowhere in the substance of this doctrine does it refer to the necessity of (or part of) a government to create a peaceful atmosphere because it is just that, the authoritative control over the morality of people that gives the government power and enables change after a state of content is reached. I would now like to focus on the role of religion in the public lives of influential figures in history such as those of Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson and the political impact of their choice in faith on society. To start, a summation of three integral aspects of religion (and secular social thought) will be reviewed: Unitarianism, Universalism and Humanism.

Late into the eighteenth century a new liberal branch of the New England Congregationalist church that denounced Trinity and professed the oneness of God and the Goodness of rational man was born (Unitarianism.) Unitarianism was created for Christians who didn’t believe in the Father, Son and Holy Ghost theory, but rather a sole unison of the state of a Higher Being (God.) Although the basic concepts of Unitarianism had been arousing the minds of society not long after the death of Jesus, formal religious groups were not formed until the mid seventeenth century in England and mid sixteenth century in Transylvania. Early in history believers were often viewed as freethinking, unorthodox radicals looking to undermine the church and were often punished for their rebellious beliefs. Fortunately, once spread to the colonies the ideologies of Unitarianism had a profound influence on many historical figures and events. John Quincy Adams, John Adams, Paul Revere, Theodore Parker,William Howard Taft and Frank Lloyd Wright all exercised their religious freedom in early America and thus helped Unitarianism as a religious entity flourish. By the 1820’s the American Unitarian Association had been created voicing their liberal opinions on education reform, orphanages, moderation in temperance, capital punishment, peace, prison reform, ministry to the poor and the abolition of slavery. With several presidential powers speaking their language, the voice of Unitarianism spread out over the entire country in quite the timely manner. Through the introduction of Henry David Thoreau and Transcendentalism, the results of the Civil War, and several other key historical movements and events in the future, Unitarianism began turning into one of the worlds most broad and flexible faiths.

Similar to Unitarianism grew Universalism which originated in Massachusetts, also in the late eighteenth century (Universalism.) Universalists believed that God is loving and could not condemn anyone to an eternal life in hell. The concept of universal salvation and the belief that every person would inevitably be harmonized with God built the foundation on which the religion stood. The start of Universalism was marked in Origen in 200 CE but the religion didn’t turn into a widespread movement until late into the eighteenth century in America. The Universalist Church of America was created in 1793 and attracted an astonishing amount of people especially in rural areas and the growing west due to its benevolent, kind nature of doctrine. Notable Universalists include Benjamin Rush, Thomas Starr Livermore, Clara Barton, George Pullman and John Murray. Their most adamant causes included the battle for the separation of church and state, education and non-sectarian schools, prison reform, capital punishment, women’s rights, the abolition of slavery and other social issues. The Universalists were the first denomination to appoint a woman a position of authority in the US. After the Civil War with many churches destroyed and ministers killed the concept of damnation was introduced to the faith making it less distinctive and subsequently less appealing. Later in history after other historical events and movements that made the religion more and more broad, they decided to merge with the Unitarian denomination creating Unitarian Universalism. Even at the birth of the two separate religions, they were extremely open to the beliefs and practices of other denominations. In time, practically every faith including Christianity, Humanism, Paganism, Theism, Deism, Buddhism, Judaism, Hinduism, Atheism, Agnoticism and Islam among others were welcome to Unitarian Universalism making it the worlds most versatile faith.

Humanism is perhaps one of very few globally accepted philosophies; at least on a wide spectrum anyway (Humanism.) Defined it is an ideology stressing the existence of humans in the present tense, the ethical responsibility of moral behavior and as a ‘religion’ focusing more on rationality as opposed to supernatural religious thought. Humanism focuses on the human ability and interest in the quest for knowledge, truth and conscience in a context devoid of belief without reason, absent of the reliance on parochial ‘cures’ and brimming with enthusiasm on the topic of the human condition and universal morality. Rationality is probably the best term that could most fully embody the philosophy of humanism.

Now why were these things important in early America? I quote Rev. Sarah Oelberg, a Unitarian Universalist believer in Humanism saying:

“Humanism leads me to find a sense of wider relatedness with all the world and its peoples, and it calls me to work for a sound environment and a humane civilization… Humanism also makes me aware of the existence of moral dilemmas and the need to be very careful and intentional in my moral decision-making.”

In creating the US constitution, the foundation for government, the governing of people and subsequently the morality of the people, the founding fathers along with other extremely influential historical figures in history generally were not Christians or Seculars… but more commonly strong advocates of Humanism (West.) I quote Thomas Paine saying:

“I do not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish church, by the Roman church, by the Greek church, by the Turkish church, by the Protestant church, nor by any church that I know of…Each of those churches accuse the other of unbelief; and for my own part, I
disbelieve them all.”

He was known rather well for his anti-religious perspective and was denied burial in a Quaker cemetery at his death. Another quote professing his non-Angelical belief includes:

“The Christian religion is a parody on the worship of the sun, in which they put a man called Christ in the place of the sun, and pay him the adoration originally payed to the sun”

Scholars have come to believe that he was making the bible seem allegorical and believed that faith and religion were a branch of early interest in astrology (Origin of Freemasonry.) However could this not actually be a reference to an early Unitarian Universalism? Many of the founding fathers and other historical figures seem to contradict their own beliefs… yet there are several logical reasons why this may seem so. The leaders of society are supposed to sustain order in an environment. Perhaps they were trying to appeal to the entire human populace. There are also the chances that we as modernists are interpreting their time in a way which it was not mean to be understood or we may be taking things out of context (as in textual context, say a quote from one books next to a small random quote from another) and manipulating them so that they seem to make opposite sense. Perhaps Jefferson, a self proclaimed Unitarian, and Paine, a self proclaimed Deist (the most abundant proclamation in several works anyway) are putting the governance of society on a higher pedestal than religion itself (Jefferson and Paine being the only two leaders I will slightly elaborate on as the topic is rather broad)(Loflin.) Jefferson, a rejector of trinity, original sin and gnostic beliefs but a believer in the afterlife one said

“I am a Christian, in the only sense he wished any one to be; sincerely attached to his doctrines, in preference to all others; ascribing to himself every human excellence; & believing he never claimed any other.”

Contradiction? Perhaps but more so he was appealing to as many people in the US as he possibly could at one time. He states he is a Christian, then refutes the term in its context of Trinity beliefs and rather labels himself a believer in humanism although without saying the actual term to avoid conflict. He let it be known through ‘The Jefferson Bible: The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth Extracted Textually from the Gospels’ that he was a follower of Jesus but made it clear he felt Christianity was a corrupted form of the teachings of Jesus, a mortal man rather than divine being, thus there was no contradiction in his perspective (Loflin.) Many of the founding fathers and other influentials including Paine and Jefferson used Unitarianism (Universalism), Humanism and Deism (beliefs very similar to the other three but based more on reason, scientific theory and non-anglican irrefutable evidence) as their system of beliefs (at least publicly) because of their natural flexibility with the wide array of human beliefs. To reach and influence the most people on a comfortable, personal level is to secure a union and create peace. Many times people were already looking to the nation’s leaders for advice so with the slight nudge of encouragement by representing similar beliefs that may be a bit different but not too farfetched, it is more likely that they would sway morally and thus politically, reinforcing the government and current leaders beliefs. For instance during the Civil War and the fight for the abolition of slavery, at first Lincoln wasn’t extremely open about pushing his main concern: making slavery illegal (Maier.) He proposed his thoughts on the subject at first, however to rally more supporters he had to argue other aspects that lead to his original intention. In a way it was a bit devious, but by the way he maneuvered through the Civil War and waited until it was safe to fully reveal his anti-slavery ideas (such as after the introduction of Uncle Tom’s Cabin etc. where the people would be more likely to agree with him at least partially) he rallied the majority of the populace and ultimately made America a more ‘moral’ place to live. Especially in the eyes of those who supported the Second Great Awakening, the beliefs during the Antebellum Period and the basic moral philosophies of the constitution, Lincolns ideas resonated more and more as time went on proving that his strategic way of manipulating his own beliefs through time and slight contradiction brought America to his own perspective. This ultimately ended in support and victory. It is here that lies the problem in the separation of church and state.

At the very skeleton of the separation of church and state lies a dilemma. Although on a broad scale, it is very possible to have separation of church and state, that which is evident in many contemporary cases, on the most miniscule of scales, it very near impossible. How can one govern a people without morals? I quote John Adams saying:

“We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion … Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

This quote nicely conveys the theory that morality and religion coincide. Should a nation not have any sense of religion than there would be no morality (Barton.) It is for this reason that Unitarianism, Universalism and Deism were so popular amongst the leaders of early America. To have common grounds was to have the trust of the masses, to have the most influence on the masses was to have the most power in creating peace (or, respectively, anything else discernable.) To begin concluding I quote a House Judiciary Report made in 1854:

“The great vital and conservative element in our system is the belief of our people in the pure doctrines and divine truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Although in this context Jesus Christ is being used in a holy way, it is still applicable to Jeffersons belief in the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth (Loflin.) In addition to the basic concepts of Unitarianism, Universalism and Humanism, this generality in religion is an incredible part of what holds a society together. The founding fathers of America along with other great influential leaders have helped shape America into a successful, peaceful union in which people may exercise their own rights and freedoms without infringing on that of others (without punishment) while abiding by the moral standards set by the government. It was the realization of the brilliant correlation between religion, morality and society that guided political leaders in the creation of a just, functioning, socio-political system and it was the genius behind the concepts of humanism and the other universal ‘faiths’ that provided a foundation for unity on which the founding fathers could build. The doctrine that is the body of American society itself runs fluid and agile on strong legs of morality.

Works Cited

1. Maier, Pauline, Merrit R. Smith, Alexander Keyssar, and Daniel Kevles. Inventing America. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2003.

2. West, John G., and Iain Maclean. Encyclopedia of Religion in American Politics. Ed. Jeffrey D. Schultz. New York: Oryx P, 1998.

3. “Humanism.” Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations. 11 Dec. 2007. 8 Aug. 2008 <http://www.uua.org/visitors/beliefswithin/6642.shtml>.

4. “Universalism.” Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations. 18 Apr. 2008. 8 Aug. 2008 <http://www.uua.org/visitors/ourhistory/6904.shtml>.

5. “Unitarianism.” Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations. 18 Apr. 2008. 8 Aug. 2008 <http://www.uua.org/visitors/ourhistory/6903.shtml>.

6. Loflin, Lewis. “Thomas Jefferson: Deist or Christian? Debunking Dr James Kennedy.” Sullivan County. 22 June 2007. 9 Aug. 2008 <http://www.sullivan-county.com/deism/jefferson_deist.htm#1>.

7. Paine, Thomas. The Age of Reason. Buffalo: Prometheus Books, 1984.

8. Barton, David. “Christianity and Our History.” Christian Heritage of the United States of America. 9 Aug. 2008 <http://www.preparetheway.cc/christianheritage.html>.

9. “Origin of Freemasonry.” The Age of Reason. By Thomas Paine. Buffalo: Prometheus Books, 1984.