America 250!

Recently I was watching one of the many history documentaries released with the nation’s anniversary and I heard an odd statement. The commentator said that colonials would refer to “Providence” rather than to God, as though they didn’t actually believe in God. This is a serious misunderstanding of past beliefs in our nation.

Providence—as in the name of the Pilgrim city in Rhode Island—is like our current use of a words like “heaven.” For example, if someone says, “Heaven help us!” they are praying for God’s help. (Cf. how the Gospel of Matthew often says “kingdom of heaven” alongside the other Gospels saying “kingdom of God.”) God is the Provider and His behavior toward us is providence. So when colonials referred to Providence they were thinking of God providing for us as His people. Records show that this was a very common way for Christians to refers to the Triune God in early America.

GEORGE WASHINGTON

Another thing you may hear or read in the histories is that George Washington was not a Christian but a Deist. This again is a serious misunderstanding of colonial beliefs. Deism was a philosophical view of the time. It was not a practiced religion.

Washington was baptized as an infant on April 5, 1732 in the Church of England (Episcopal). He continued in the faith of his devout family, who left traditional Christian statements of faith in their wills. He attended services, especially during the Revolutionary War and during his later service as president. (Congregations of this era were often served by circuit riding preachers, who would hold services each Sunday but at different locations. So local services were less regular.) As he travelled, when an Episcopal Church was not near, he would attend services of other Christian congregations.

Washington was elected to the vestry of Episcopal churches in Virginia where he lived (Fairfax Parish in Alexandria and Truro Parish in Fairfax County). Records show that prior to the Revolution he took communion, which was commonly offered about four times per year. After the Revolution, when issues of loyalty to England affected the Episcopal Church, there are not records of Washington taking communion. Nevertheless, we know that his wife continued to commune and there is no indication that Washington lost his Christian Faith.

Below is a famous parting word from Washington about the importance of religious faith for American life:

“Let us with caution indulge the supposition, that morality can be maintained without religion.  Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that National morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.” (George Washington, 1796 Farewell Address)

Article Source: “George Washington and Religion: An Interview with Mary V. Thompson” at mountvernon.org.