American Presidents Writing on Christianity

George Washington said, "Being no bigot, I am disposed to indulge (humor) Christian ministers and the church." Washington refused to take communion, looking upon it as superstition.

The Treaty of Tripoli, negotiated during George Washington's administration stated in Article 11: "As the government of the United States is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion...." The treaty was ratified unanimously by the Senate in 1797.

John Adams said, "The doctrine of the divinity of Jesus has made a convenient cover for absurdity." Adams signed the Treaty of Tripoli.

Thomas Jefferson, author of our Declaration of Independence said, "I have examined all the known superstitions of the world, and I do not find in our particular superstition of Christianity one redeeming feature. They are all alike, founded on fables and mythology. What has been the effect of this coercion? To make one half the world fools and the other half hypocrites. And to support roguery and error all over the Earth.... the Bible is a dunghill."

"In every country and in every age the priest has been hostile to liberty; he is always in alliance with the despot, abetting his abuses in return for protection to his own." "The serious enemies are the priests of the different religious sects to whose spells on the human mind its improvement is ominous"
"It is not to be understood that I am with him [Jesus] in all his doctrines. I am a Materialist."

"His [Calvin's] religion was demonism. If ever man worshiped a false God, he did. The being described in his five points is ... a demon of malignant spirit. It would be more pardonable to believe in no God at all, than to blaspheme him by the atrocious attributes of Calvin"

Writing to Jefferson on the 5th of May, 1817 John Adams declares. "This would be the best of all possible worlds if there were no religion in it." Jefferson replied: "If by religion, we are to understand sectarian dogmas, in which no two of them agree, then your exclamation on that hypothesis is just, 'that this would be the best of worlds if there were no religion in it' "

James Madison, author of the Constitution and Bill of Rights said, "A just government, instituted to perpetuate liberty, does not need the church or the clergy. During almost 15 centuries, the legal establishment of Christianity has been on trial. What have been its fruits? These are the fruits, more or less, in all places: pride and indolence in the clergy, ignorance and servility in the laity, and in both clergy and laity, superstition, bigotry and persecution."

Madison passionately objected to state-supported chaplains in Congress or in the military as well as the exemption of churches from taxation.

Abraham Lincoln said, "Christianity is not my religion. I have never united myself to any church because I could never give assent to the long, complicated statements of Christian doctrine and dogma which characterize their articles of belief." According to Mary Todd Lincoln, her husband,”... would never be baptized, never joined a church and never made any profession of faith.” Moreover she said: "My husband is not a Christian, but is a religious man, I think."