Yahoo Answers is shutting down on May 4th, 2021 (Eastern Time) and beginning April 20th, 2021 (Eastern Time) the Yahoo Answers website will be in read-only mode. There will be no changes to other Yahoo properties or services, or your Yahoo account. You can find more information about the Yahoo Answers shutdown and how to download your data on this help page.

Did Ben Franklin say this?

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?

18 Answers

Relevance
  • 1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    Whoa. I think there's something odd going on...are our public schools actually omitting religion from America's founding ON PURPOSE?

  • 1 decade ago

    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
    Lv 6
    1 decade ago

    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

  • 1 decade ago

    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.

  • How do you think about the answers? You can sign in to vote the answer.
  • 6 years ago

    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)

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    Notice that Franklin used his belief in God as a carpenter would use a hammer, to build things... not as a criminal would, which is what too many of my Christian brothers and sisters do today.

    Source(s): Wanderer
  • Laurel
    Lv 4
    5 years ago

    For the best answers, search on this site https://shorturl.im/ayiDg

    Franklin said it because he wasn't profoundly retarded. It's OBVIOUSLY true.

  • 1 decade ago

    He also said - The best way to see Faith is to shut the eye of Reason. That does not sound religious to me.

  • 1 decade ago

    Franklin was a mono-theist. Though not a Christian himself, he respected Christianity. He did indeed write what you have quoted.

  • 1 decade ago

    It's hard to say.

    Here are a couple other quotes by him;

    "Lighthouses are more helpful than churches."

    "The way to see by faith is to shut the eye of reason."

Still have questions? Get your answers by asking now.