Our country was NOT built on the roots of Christianity. Maybe you should do YOUR research :)  In early June 1776, after the Congress had debated and then tabled Richard Henry Lee's resolution for independence, and before the vote for independence, Bartlett was appointed by the Congress to represent New Hampshire on the drafting committee for the Articles of Confederation, the country's first constitution. In June 1976 he wrote to Mary, "I have been for about a week on a Committee of one member from each colony to form a Confederation or Charter of firm & Everlasting Union of all the United Colonies. It is a matter of the greatest Consequence & requires the greatest Care in forming it. May God grant us wisdom to form a happy Constitution, as the happiness of America to all future Generations Depend on it."  The following ORIGINAL PROGRESSIVE LIBERALS all good loyal Americans MOCK YOU for your arrogance and WEEP for our Nation and it's collective ignorance as it stands today:  ABRAHAM BALDWIN (SIGNER OF THE CONSTITUTION): Chaplain in the American Revolution for two years.  ALBION PARRIS (GOVERNOR OF MAINE): Manager of the American Sunday School Union.  ALEXANDER HAMILTON (SIGNER OF THE CONSTITUTION): Proposed formation of the Christian Constitutional Society to spread Christian government to other nations.  ANDREW KIRKPATRICK (CHIEF-JUSTICE OF NEW JERSEY SUPREME COURT): Vice-President of the New jersey Bible Society; Vice-President of the American Bible Society.  BENJAMIN LINCOLN (REVOLUTIONARY GENERAL; LT. GOVERNOR OF MASSACHUSETTS): Member of the Society for the Propagating of the Gospel among the Indians and Others.  BENJAMIN RUSH (SIGNER OF THE DECLARATION): Founder and manager of the Philadelphia Bible Society.  BUSHROD WASHINGTON (U. S. SUPREME COURT JUSTICE): Vice-President of the American Bible Society; Vice-President of the American Sunday School Union.  CALEB STRONG (CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION; U. S. SENATOR; GOVERNOR OF MASSACHUSETTS): Vice-President of the American Bible Society.  CHARLES CARROLL, SIGNER OF THE DECLARATION  CHARLES COTESWORTH PINCKNEY (SIGNER OF THE CONSTITUTION): President of the Charleston Bible Society; Vice-President of the American Bible Society.  CHARLES GOLDSBOROUGH (GOVERNOR OF MARYLAND; U. S. REPRESENTATIVE): Vice-President of the American Bible Society.  DANIEL BOONE, REVOLUTIONARY OFFICER; LEGISLATOR  DANIEL TOMPKINS (GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK; VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE U. S.): Vice-President of the American Bible Society.  DAVID BREARLEY, SIGNER OF THE CONSTITUTION  DAVID LAWRENCE MORRIL (GOVERNOR OF NEW HAMPSHIRE; U. S. SENATOR): Vice-President of the American Bible Society; Manager in the American Sunday School Union.  DEWITT CLINTON (GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK; U. S. SENATOR; INTRODUCED THE TWELFTH AMENDMENT): Manager and Vice-President of the American Bible Society.  ELLAS BOUDINOT (PRESIDENT OF THE CONTINENTAL CONGRESS): Founder and first President of the American Bible Society;President of the New Jersey Bible Society; of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions; member of the Massachusetts Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge.  FELIX GRUNDY (U. S. ATTORNEY GENERAL; U. S. SENATOR; U. S. CONGRESSMAN): Original Officer of the American Bible Society.  FRANCIS DANA (MEMBER OF CONTINENTAL CONGRESS; CHIEF JUSTICE OF MASSACHUSETTS SUPREME COURT; U. S. MINISTER TO RUSSIA): Member of the Society for Propagating the Gospel Among the Indians and Others.  FRANCIS SCOTT KEY (ATTORNEY; AUTHOR OF 'THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER"): Manager and Vice-President of the American Sunday School Union.  GABRIEL DUVALL, SELECTED AS DELEGATE TO CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION; U. S. SUPREME COURT JUSTICE  GEORGE MADISON (GOVERNOR OF KENTUCKY): Original Officer of the American Bible Society.  GEORGE MASON, FATHER OF THE BILL OF RIGHTS  GOUVERNEUR MORRIS, PENMAN AND SIGNER OF THE CONSTITUTION  GUNNING BEDFORD, SIGNER OF THE CONSTITUTION  INCREASE SUMNER (GOVERNOR OF MASSACHUSETTS): Member of the Society for Propagating the Gospel Among the Indians and Others.  ISAAC SHELBY (REVOLUTIONARY OFFICER; GOVERNOR OF KENTUCKY): Original Officer of the American Bible Society.  JACOB BROOM, SIGNER OF THE CONSTITUTION  JAMES BOWDOIN (GOVERNOR OF MASSACHUSETTS): Member of the Society for Propagating the Gospel Among the Indians and Others.  JAMES BROWN (U. S. SENATOR; DIPLOMAT): Original Officer of the American Bible Society.  JAMES BURRILL, JR. (CHIEF-JUSTICE OF RHODE ISLAND SUPREME COURT; U. S. SENATOR): President of the Providence Auxiliary Bible Society.  JAMES IREDELL, U. S. SUPREME COURT JUSTICE  JAMES KENT, FATHER OF AMERICAN JURISPRUDENCE  JAMES MCHENRY (SIGNER OF THE CONSTITUTION): President of the Baltimore Bible Society.  JAMES SULLIVAN (GOVERNOR OF MASSACHUSETTS; U. S. CONGRESSMAN): Member of the Society for Propagating the Gospel Among the Indians and Others.  JOEL BARLOW (DIPLOMAT UNDER WASHINGTON AND ADAMS): Chaplain in the American Revolution for three years.  JOHN BROOKS (GOVERNOR OF MASSACHUSETTS; REVOLUTIONARY GENERAL): President of Middlesex County Bible Society.  JOHN COTTON SMITH (GOVERNOR OF CONNECTICUT; U. S. CONGRESSMAN): President of the Litchfield County Foreign Missionary Society; first President of the Connecticut Bible Society; President of the American Bible Society; President of the American Board of Foreign Missions.  JOHN DAVENPORT (REVOLUTIONARY OFFICER; U. S. CONGRESS): Member of the Missionary Society of Connecticut.  JOHN DICKINSON, SIGNER OF THE CONSTITUTION  JOHN HAMILTON (MAJOR~GENERAL IN THE REVOLUTION; U. S. CONGRESS): Member of the New Jersey Bible Society.  JOHN HART, SIGNER OF THE DECLARATION  JOHN JAY (ORIGINAL CHIEF-JUSTICE OF THE U. S. SUPREME COURT): President of the American Bible Society; member of American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions.  JOHN LANGDON (SIGNER OF THE CONSTITUTION): Vice-President of the American Bible Society.  JOHN LOWELL (REVOLUTIONARY OFFICER; MEMBER OF THE CONTINENTAL CONGRESS): Member of the Society for the Propagating of the Gospel among the Indians and Others.  JOHN MARSHALL (CHIEF-JUSTICE OF THE U. S. SUPREME COURT; SECRETARY OF STATE; REVOLUTIONARY GENERAL): Vice-President of the American Bible Society; officer in the American Sunday School Union.  JOHN MORTON, SIGNER OF THE DECLARATION  JOHN QUINCY ADAMS: Vice-President of the American Bible Society; of the Massachusetts Bible Society.  JOHN RANDOLPH OF ROANOKE, U. S. CONGRESSMAN; U. S. DIPLOMAT  JOHN TREADWELL (GOVERNOR OF CONNECTICUT; MEMBER OF CONTINENTAL CONGRESS): Member of the Missionary Society of Connecticut.  JOHN WITHERSPOON, SIGNER OF THE DECLARATION  JONAS GALUSHA (GOVERNOR OF VERMONT): Original Officer of the American Bible Society.  JONATHAN TRUMBULL, GOVERNOR OF CONNECTICUT  JOSEPH BLOOMFIELD (GOVERNOR OF NEW JERSEY): Member of the New Jersey Bible Society.  JOSEPH NOURSE (REVOLUTIONARY OFFICER; U. S. TREASURY): Original Officer of the American Bible Society.  JOSIAH BARTLETT, SIGNER OF THE DECLARATION: He was identified as a Congregationalist by The Congregationalist Library. (Source: Ian Dorion, "Table of the Religious Affiliations of American Founders", 1997).  MARQUIS DE LAFAYETTE (REVOLUTIONARY GENERAL): Member of the American Sunday School Union.  PETER VROOM (GOVERNOR OF NEW JERSEY; U. S. CONGRESSMAN): Vice-President of the American Bible Society; member of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions.  RICHARD STOCKTON, SIGNER OF THE DECLARATION  ROBERT TREAT PAINE (SIGNER OF THE DECLARATION): Military Chaplain.  ROBERT TROUP (FEDERAL JUDGE; SECRETARY OF WAR): Vice-President of the American Bible Society.  ROGER SHERMAN, SIGNER OF THE DECLARATION; SIGNER OF THE CONSTITUTION  RUFUS KING (SIGNER OF THE CONSTITUTION): Selected as manager@ of the American Bible Society.  RUFUS PUTNAM (REVOLUTIONARY GENERAL; FEDERAL JUDGE): President of the Ohio Bible Society.  SAMUEL ADAMS, SIGNER OF THE DECLARATION  SAMUEL DEXTER (SECRETARY OF WAR UNDER ADAMS; U. S. CONGRESSMAN; U. S. SENATOR): Society for Propagating the Gospel Among the Indians and Others.  SMITH THOMPSON (U. S. SUPREME COURT; SECRETARY OF NAVY): Vice-President of the American Bible Society.  THOMAS POSEY (REVOLUTIONARY OFFICER; GOVERNOR OF INDIANA; U. S. SENATOR): Original Officer of the American Bible Society.  THOMAS WORTHINGTON (GOVERNOR OF OHIO; U. S. SENATOR): Original Officer of the American Bible Society.  TIMOTHY PICKERING, REVOLUTIONARY GENERAL; SECRETARY OF STATE  WILLIAM GASTON (CHIEF-JUSTICE OF NORTH CAROLINA SUPREME COURT; U. S. REPRESENTATIVE): Original Officer of the American Bible Society.  WILLIAM GRAY (LT. GOVERNOR OF MASSACHUSETTS; U. S. SENATOR): Original Officer of the American Bible Society.  WILLIAM JONES (GOVERNOR OF RHODE ISLAND): Original Officer of the American Bible Society.  WILLIAM PHILLIPS (LT GOVERNOR OF MASSACHUSETTS FOR TERMS): President of the Society for Propagating the Gospel Among the Indians; President of the Massachusetts Bible Society; member of the American Board of Foreign Missions; Vice-President of the American Bible Society; President of the American Society for Educating Pious Youth for the Gospel Ministry.  WILLIAM SAMUEL JOHNSON, SIGNER OF THE CONSTITUTION  WILLIAM TILGHMAN (FEDERAL JUDGE; CHIEF-JUSTICE OF PENNSYLVANIA SUPREME COURT): Original Officer of the American Bible Society.  WILLIAM WIRT ( U. S. ATTORNEY-GENERAL UNDER TWO PRESIDENTS): Manager of the American Sunday School Union; Vice-President of the American Bible Society.  ZEPHANIAH SWIFT, AUTHOR OF AMERICA'S FIRST LEGAL TEXT  Although Benjamin Franklin is not in this list and never claimed to be a Christian, he has left us a marvelous testimony of the nature of the people of America.  Franklin had previously explained to the French:  [B]ad examples to youth are more rare in America, which must be comfortable consideration to parents. To this may be truly added, that serious religion, under its various denominations, is not only tolerated, but respected and practised. Atheism is unknown there; infidelity [a disbelief in the Scriptures and in Christianity ] rare and secret; so that persons may live to a great age in that country, without having their piety shocked by meeting with either an atheist or an infidel. Original Intent David Barton 2000 p 134  Thomas Paine, in his discourse on "The Study of God," forcefully asserts that it is "the error of schools" to teach sciences without "reference to the Being who is author of them: for all the principles of science are of Divine origin." He laments that "the evil that has resulted from the error of the schools in teaching [science without God] has been that of generating in the pupils a species of atheism." Paine not only believed in God, he believed in a reality beyond the visible world.  1 Source of MANY (and it provides non-religous references as well just dig a bit.......... Athiests and NON-Christians they were protecting your rights too): h-ttp://toulonbaptist.com/foundingfathers.htm  My Dad (not my Father) and I always love it when someone claims to know what his ancestor was all about, what he believed and what he meant. Read about the Founding Fathers everyday lives and you will be able to ACCURATELY decipher the Constitution. If you don't do this it's like reading Latin from a book and not understanding the syntax. It's just empty words.  Brandon .. - The Progressive Liberal
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