# Did any of the Founding Fathers advocate for Freedom of Religion, but only for Christians? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 4, 2025, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-of-the-founding-fathers-advocate-for-freedom-of-religion-but-only-for-christians/1024564 "2025-11-04T14:57:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2025, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-of-the-founding-fathers-advocate-for-freedom-of-religion-but-only-for-christians/1024564/21 "2025-11-05T00:53:21Z")
You, and others here, are probably correct on that point. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2025, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-of-the-founding-fathers-advocate-for-freedom-of-religion-but-only-for-christians/1024564/22 "2025-11-05T00:59:13Z")
Jefferson also stated that > [@](#): > > The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg. Twenty gods and no god are both pretty clearly not referring to Christianity. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2025, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-of-the-founding-fathers-advocate-for-freedom-of-religion-but-only-for-christians/1024564/23 "2025-11-05T01:25:06Z")
The answer to the OP is possibly yes, but they were individually unimportant: [Religion and the Constitution](https://www.religion-online.org/article/religion-and-the-constitution-the-triumph-of-practical-politics/) > [@](#): > > The most sustained religious discussion in these huge volumes has to do with the line in Article VI of the Constitution that “no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.” Luther Martin, a fierce opponent of ratification, reported that the “no religious test” clause easily had passed at Philadelphia, but went on sarcastically: > > “However, there were some members so unfashionable as to think that a belief of the existence of a Deity, and of a state of future rewards and punishments would be some security for the good conduct of our rulers, and that in a Christian country it would be at least decent to hold out some distinction between the professors of Christianity and downright infidelity or paganism.” The reason I say “possibly yes” is that I wonder if Luther Martin might have been the only constitutional convention delegate to clearly and unfashionably advocate “distinction between the professors of Christianity and downright infidelity.” And Martin, because he opposed ratification, does not seem to me any sort of founding father. Connecticut did not allow Jews and Catholics to vote until 1818, so someone mighty want to check out the Connecticut delegates. However, my quick googling of Connecticut’s signers of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution suggests that every one may have been in favor of religious toleration for all believers, and most were also in favor of tolerance for atheists. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2025, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-of-the-founding-fathers-advocate-for-freedom-of-religion-but-only-for-christians/1024564/24 "2025-11-05T01:27:39Z")
If I could attach a related follow-up question: did state-sanctioned persecution of [whatever religion was not endorsed by the colonial government] end when each colony/state ratified the Bill of Rights? Or had it petered out in the colonies by that time? And obviously I use the term “persecution” rather loosely. A one-schilling fine for working on the Sabbath, or whatever, does not persecution make. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2025, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-of-the-founding-fathers-advocate-for-freedom-of-religion-but-only-for-christians/1024564/25 "2025-11-05T01:34:44Z")
> [@Clearbluesky](#): > > Deism was popular with intellectuals, including at least a few founding fathers. Though maybe heavily influenced by Christianity. I’m not expert on religious beliefs but Deism seems kinda agnostic to me. Its a belief in a Supreme being, but no organized religion. > [@griffin1977](#): > > Though critically Deists had no problem turning up at church and worshiping as if they believed in a interventionist triune god Belonging to a church was a social and networking thing back then. Pretty much everyone went. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2025, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-of-the-founding-fathers-advocate-for-freedom-of-religion-but-only-for-christians/1024564/26 "2025-11-05T01:36:55Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > If I could attach a related follow-up question: did state-sanctioned persecution of [whatever religion was not endorsed by the colonial government] end when each colony/state ratified the Bill of Rights? Or had it petered out in the colonies by that time? Connecticut is often [described as a theocracy](https://digitalcommons.lib.uconn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1488&context=law_review) up until the new state constitution of 1818. In Massachusetts, I have read that Jews [could not hold office before the nineteenth century](https://jewishjournal.org/2023/02/16/from-colonial-times-jewish-politicians-made-a-steady-ascent-in-massachusetts/). The first amendment says that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.” That means to me that the federal Congress could neither start one up nor stop one already existing. So it would not have been possible for a federal law to stop a state or locality from having an established church. P.S. Having an established church is not the same as state-sanctioned discrimination. But I believe that in eighteenth century America, they went together. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2025, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-of-the-founding-fathers-advocate-for-freedom-of-religion-but-only-for-christians/1024564/27 "2025-11-05T13:45:47Z")
I have read that the motive behind writing freedom of religion into the Constitution was that everyone looked at the example of theocratic rule in early Massachusetts, and didn’t want their new government to go that way. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2025, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-of-the-founding-fathers-advocate-for-freedom-of-religion-but-only-for-christians/1024564/28 "2025-11-05T14:05:02Z")
Re last post, there is evidence in support. I have also read that the motive for inserting Bill of Rights parchment promises into the Constitution was to get the hold-out states of North Carolina and Rhode Island to ratify. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2025, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-of-the-founding-fathers-advocate-for-freedom-of-religion-but-only-for-christians/1024564/29 "2025-11-05T15:04:59Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Madison helped Thomas Paine get out of France after the publication of “The Age of Reason.” Paine was a deist, but if you’ve read that book you will see that he was definitely not a Christian. Thomas Paine was the exception as he was not happy to keep quiet, go to church, and not draw attention to the logical inconsistencies he saw in organized religion to the faces of his co-religionists. Most deists were happy to go to church, considered themselves Christians and in fact considered participation in organized religion a good thing. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2025, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-of-the-founding-fathers-advocate-for-freedom-of-religion-but-only-for-christians/1024564/30 "2025-11-05T16:23:32Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Belonging to a church was a social and networking thing back then. Pretty much everyone went. I would bet the number of atheists and agnostics who attend and who used to attend church back in the day would astound you. Church-going is a lot more complicated from a social and reputational perspective than just mere faith and belief. In many communities it’s a fundamental part of the social fabric. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2025, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-of-the-founding-fathers-advocate-for-freedom-of-religion-but-only-for-christians/1024564/31 "2025-11-05T16:36:52Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Church-going is a lot more complicated from a social and reputational perspective than just mere faith and belief. In many communities it’s a fundamental part of the social fabric. Hear hear. I live in a little rural mountain town, and I have openly agnostic friends who started attending the local Methodist church simply for social connections. I myself am not prepared to give up my Sunday mornings for that. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2025, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-of-the-founding-fathers-advocate-for-freedom-of-religion-but-only-for-christians/1024564/32 "2025-11-05T17:31:55Z")
I’d not be prepared to give up my ethics for that. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2025, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-of-the-founding-fathers-advocate-for-freedom-of-religion-but-only-for-christians/1024564/33 "2025-11-05T18:41:01Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > Thomas Paine was the exception as he was not happy to keep quiet, go to church, and not draw attention to the logical inconsistencies he saw in organized religion to the faces of his co-religionists. I don’t recall Paine finding inconsistencies in organized religion - he found them in the Bible. I don’t think we can call Paine a Founding Father, but Madison surely was, and his support of the anti-Christian Paine shows that he, at least, was not about to exclude non-Christians from freedom of religion. I’m actually surprised that so few examples of those wishing to exclude non-Christians were found. In such a big population, I’d expect some more. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2025, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-of-the-founding-fathers-advocate-for-freedom-of-religion-but-only-for-christians/1024564/34 "2025-11-05T20:08:33Z")
> [@bump](#): > > I would bet the number of atheists and agnostics who attend and who used to attend church back in the day would astound you. > > Church-going is a lot more complicated from a social and reputational perspective than just mere faith and belief. In many communities it’s a fundamental part of the social fabric. Wouldnt astound me. But I get your point. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2025, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-of-the-founding-fathers-advocate-for-freedom-of-religion-but-only-for-christians/1024564/35 "2025-11-05T20:15:27Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > I’d not be prepared to give up my ethics for that Neither did Thomas Paine. That’s why he ended his life a complete pariah ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2025, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-of-the-founding-fathers-advocate-for-freedom-of-religion-but-only-for-christians/1024564/36 "2025-11-05T20:33:45Z")
Conveniently for me, that’s not necessary in the current USA. It might be again in 20 years, but not yet. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2025, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-of-the-founding-fathers-advocate-for-freedom-of-religion-but-only-for-christians/1024564/37 "2025-11-05T20:34:28Z")
John Adams, writing in support of establishing a Jewish homeland in the Mideast: > I believe [that] . . . once restored to an independent government & no longer persecuted they [the Jews] would soon wear away some of the asperities and peculiarities of their character & possibly in time become liberal Unitarian Christians for your Jehovah is our Jehovah & your God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob is our God. > **[John Adams and the Jews | My Jewish Learning](https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/john-adams-and-the-jews/)** > > John Adams expressed Zionist sympathies, and his respect for ancient Jewry. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2025, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-of-the-founding-fathers-advocate-for-freedom-of-religion-but-only-for-christians/1024564/38 "2025-11-07T02:10:06Z")
Changed my mind about posting, given what forum this is. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-of-the-founding-fathers-advocate-for-freedom-of-religion-but-only-for-christians/1024564.md?page=1)