Founding Fathers Atheist Quotes:

The divinity of Jesus is made a convenient cover for absurdity. Nowhere in the Gospels do we find a precept for Creeds, Confessions, Oaths, Doctrines, and whole carloads of other foolish trumpery that we find in Christianity.

topic: Religious, Wall, Lying, Religious Faith, State Government

I do not find in orthodox Christianity one redeeming feature.

source: "Fictional character: John Adams". "Spirit", Book by William Edelen, 1989.

topic: Jesus, Faith Religion, Atheism, Founding Fathers Anti Religion, Founding Fathers Atheist

Shake off all the fears and servile prejudices under which weak minds are servilely crouched. Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call to her tribunal every fact, every opinion. Question with boldness even the existence of a god; because, if there be one, he must more approve the homage of reason, than that of blindfolded fear... Your own reason is the only oracle given you by heaven, and you are answerable not for the rightness but uprightness of the decision.

topic: Religion, Christianity, Orthodox, Orthodox Christianity, Deism

The day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the Supreme Being as his father, in the womb of a virgin, will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of Jupiter.

source: Thomas Jefferson's letter to Peter Carr, founders.archives.gov. August 10, 1787.

topic: Decision, Heaven, Mind, Questioning Beliefs, Weak Minds

The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity. I will avow that I then believed, and now believe, that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God.

topic: Jesus, Father, Brain, Minerva, World Religions

Of all the animosities which have existed among mankind, those which are caused by a difference of sentiments in religion appear to be the most inveterate and distressing, and ought to be deprecated. I was in hopes that the enlightened and liberal policy, which has marked the present age, would at least have reconciled Christians of every denomination so far that we should never again see the religious disputes carried to such a pitch as to endanger the peace of society.

source: John Adams (2015). “The Works of John Adams Vol. 10: Letters and State Papers 1811 - 1825”, p.38, Jazzybee Verlag

topic: Bible, God, Religious, One Nation Under God, Dependence On God

History, I believe, furnishes no example of a priest-ridden people maintaining a free civil government. This marks the lowest grade of ignorance of which their civil as well as religious leaders will always avail themselves for their own purposes.

topic: Christian, Religious, Differences, Denominations, Our Founding Fathers

We have abundant reason to rejoice that in this Land the light of truth and reason has triumphed over the power of bigotry and superstition, and that every person may here worship God according to the dictates of his own heart. In this enlightened Age and in this Land of equal liberty it is our boast, that a man's religious tenets will not forfeit the protection of the Laws, nor deprive him of the right of attaining and holding the highest Offices that are known in the United States.

topic: Religious, Believe, Ignorance, Theism, State Government

But how has it happened that millions of fables, tales, legends have been blended with both Jewish and Christian revelation that have made them the most bloody religion that ever existed?

topic: Religious, Heart, Men, Forfeit, Christian Church

Religions are all alike- founded upon fables and mythologies.

source: John Adams, Charles Francis Adams (1856). “The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States: With a Life of the Author, Notes and Illustrations”, p.235

topic: Christian, Religious, Faith Religion, Christian Atheist, Christian Father

Religious controversies are always productive of more acrimony and irreconcilable hatreds than those which spring from any other cause. I had hoped that liberal and enlightened thought would have reconciled the Christians so that their [NOT our!] religious fights would not endanger the peace of Society.

topic: Religious, Atheist, Religion, Anti Religious, Theism

Whenever we read the obscene stories, the voluptuous debaucheries, the cruel and tortuous executions, the unrelenting vindictiveness with which more than half the Bible is filled, it would be more consistent that we call it the word of a demon than the word of God. It is a history of wickedness that has served to corrupt and brutalize humankind.

topic: Christian, Religious, Spring, Our Founding Fathers, God And Country

- Thomas Paine

source: Thomas Paine (1877). “The Age of Reason”, p.15, Lyle Stuart

topic: Bible, Religious, Faith Religion, Called By God, Voluptuous

I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do, because I notice it always coincides with their own desires.

- Susan B. Anthony

topic: Inspirational, God, Death, Anti Religious, Religion And Politics

Lighthouses are more helpful than churches.

- Benjamin Franklin

topic: Spiritual, Atheist, Science, Lighthouse, Atheistic

I have recently been examining all the known superstitions of the world and do not find in our particular superstition [Christianity] one redeeming feature.

I beg you be persuaded that no one would be more zealous than myself to establish effectual barriers against the horrors of spiritual tyranny, and every species of religious persecution.

topic: Death, Wisdom, Political, Organized Religion, Christianity From Founding Fathers

The God who gave us life, gave us liberty at the same time.

topic: Spiritual, Religious, Would Be, Our Founding Fathers, Christian Church

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

topic: Life, Time, Liberty, Manure, Individual Liberty

- John Quincy Adams

topic: Religious, Business, 4th Of July, Moral Virtues, Morality And Religion

[N]o religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.

- James Madison

source: James Madison (1836). “The Debates in the Several State Conventions on the Adoption of the Federal Constitution: As Recommended by the General Convention at Philadelphia in 1787. Together with the Journal of the Federal Convention, Luther Martin's Letter, Yates's Minutes, Congressional Opinions, Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions of '98-'99, and Other Illustrations of the Constitution”, p.204

topic: Religious, Atheist, Faith Religion, Anti Religious, Atheistic

The error seems not sufficiently eradicated, that the operations of the mind, as well as the acts of the body, are subject to the coercion of the laws. But our rulers can have authority over such natural rights only as we have submitted to them. The rights of conscience we never submitted, we could not submit. We are answerable for them to our God. The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others.

The study of theology, as it stands in Christian churches, is the study of nothing; it is founded on nothing; it rests on no principles; it proceeds by no authorities; it has no data; it can demonstrate nothing; and it admits of no conclusion.

topic: Rights, Government, Law, Theocracy, State Government

- Thomas Paine

topic: Christian, Data, Religion, Anti Christian, Christian Atheist

The United States of America have exhibited, perhaps, the first example of governments erected on the simple principles of nature. . . . [In] the formation of the American governments . . . it will never be pretended that any persons employed in that service had interviews with the gods, or were in any degree under the influence of heaven. . . . These governments were contrived merely by the use of reason and the senses.

The government of the United States is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion.

topic: Simple, Government, America, State Government, Deism

. . . Thirteen governments [of the original states] thus founded on the natural authority of the people alone, without a pretence of miracle or mystery, and which are destined to spread over the northern part of that whole quarter of the globe, are a great point gained in favor of the rights of mankind.

topic: Christian, Atheist, Government, Founding Fathers Anti Religion, Founding Fathers Atheist

I almost shudder at the thought of alluding to the most fatal example of the abuses of grief which the history of mankind has preserved - the Cross. Consider what calamities that engine of grief has produced!

source: John Adams (1851). “The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States: With a Life of the Author, Notes and Illustrations”, p.293

topic: Religious, Father, Rights, State Government, Our Founding Fathers