In a letter to Ezra Stiles, president of Yale, one month before Franklin died:
"Here is my Creed: I believe in one God, Creator of the Universe. That He governs it by his Providence. That he ought to be worshipped. That the most acceptable Service we can render to him, is doing Good to his other Children . . "
That sounds awfully religious to me. Did he really write this?
Levi G
Favorite Answer
Whoa. I think there's something odd going on...are our public schools actually omitting religion from America's founding ON PURPOSE?
Wendi888
According to many sources, he did say that, or write it. All it proves is that he believed in one God and he felt God should be worshipped. It wasn't a political agenda though, but a personal belief. He did not try to make it into part of the Constitution or a law that others must follow. He wasn't mixing politics and religion as we see the religious right doing today, trying to force religion upon everyone.
Molly
Yes, and he even went further to attribute it to Jesus Christ!
"Here is my Creed. I believe in one God, the Creator of the Universe. That He governs it by His Providence. That He ought to be worshipped.
That the most acceptable service we render to Him is in doing good to His other Children. That the soul of Man is immortal, and will be treated with Justice in another Life respecting its conduct in this. These I take to be the fundamental points in all sound Religion, and I regard them as you do in whatever Sect I meet with them.
As to Jesus of Nazareth, my Opinion of whom you particularly desire, I think the System of Morals and his Religion, as he left them to us, is the best the World ever saw, or is likely to see."
- Letter to Ezra Stiles, President of Yale University, March 9, 1790
Crimson rose of purity
Yes.
Also:
In a letter to Richard Price, Franklin stated that he believed that religion should support itself WITHOUT help from the government, claiming; "When a Religion is good, I conceive that it will support itself; and, when it cannot support itself, and God does not take care to support, so that its Professors are oblig'd to call for the help of the Civil Power, it is a sign, I apprehend, of its being a bad one."
Atheist.
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Please post the entire passage when discussing quotes. We should never change or intentionally leave off other s words to meet our personal agendas. Here is my Creed: I believe in one God, Creator of the Universe. That He governs it by his Providence. That he ought to be worshipped. That the most acceptable Service we can render to him is doing good to his other children. That the soul of man is immortal, and will be treated with justice in another life respecting its conduct in this. These I take to be fundamental points of all sound religion, and I regard them as you do, in whatever sect I meet with them. As to Jesus of Nazarus, my opinion of whom you particularly desire, I think his system of morals and his religion, as he left them to us, the best the World ever saw, or is likely to see; but I apprehend it has received various corrupting changes, and I have with most of the present Dissenters in England, some doubts as to his divinity; though it is a question I do not dogmatize upon, having never studied it. Benjamin Franklin (end of life)