(November 17, 2014 at 10:20 am)Jenny A Wrote: I don't think Franklin was a Christian in the ordinary sense of the word, though like any well educated western man on his time period he was well versed in scripture. You can come up with quotes in which Franklin said the Christian doctrine was absurd, as well as quotes about religion providing a good moral foundation. And what he believed seems to have varied over his lifetime. But, I don't think he even could have recited the Nicene Creed with exact truthfulness.
He did publicly pray, and he referred often to the creator. And I don't think he was what we mean by deist today. That is that he certainly either believed or wanted to believe in a god that was interested in mankind. And he thought a lot of the moral philosophy of Jesus.
This letter to an atheist is telling: Letter to an Atheist
He doesn't condemn the man's reasoning but he does warn of what men unbound by religion might do.
The letter was interesting especially this part.
Quote:Think how great a Proportion of Mankind consists of weak and ignorant Men and Women, and of inexperienc'd and inconsiderate Youth of both Sexes, who have need of the Motives of Religion to restrain them from Vice
Someone once said that religion keeps the poor from killing the rich. This reminds me of that. Maybe some dumb asses need a sky daddy to restrain them.
