Freethought & Rationalism Archive

SLD · 04-03-2003, 06:51 AM

In surfing some fundamentalist websites last night I came across a claim that George Washington kept a prayer book full of prayers to Jesus, etc. The prayers sounded very inconsistent with other things I've read about his religious beliefs, but I'm no expert on Washington. There were also many other bogus quotes on these web sites.

Further research found that this prayer book was found about 100 years after Washington's death at an auction by relatives of Washington who had several of his personal effects. The prayers are allegedy in his handwriting (at least one website claimed that). Of course, I'm highly suspicious of prayer books turning up 100 years after his death. PostiveAtheism claims that the only reference to Jesus that Washington ever made was in a poem he wrote when he was 13 years old. However the site had no information about this alleged prayer book.

Does anyone else know anything about this prayer book and serious analyses of its authenticity? All I could find through Google was fundamentalist websites.

SLDER

gravitybow · 04-03-2003, 08:12 AM

Here's a passage from The Religious Beliefs of Our Presidents in the infidels library:

Quote:

Franklin Steiner writes:
Washington must have been "powerful in prayer" if we are to believe two other stories told of his attempts to reach the "throne of grace." Some 30 years ago it was proclaimed that in his youth he composed a prayer book for his own use, containing a prayer for five days, beginning with Sunday and ending with Thursday. The manuscript of this prayer book was said to have been found among the contents of an old trunk. It was printed and facsimiles published. Clergymen read it from the altar, one of them saying it contained so much "spirituality" that he had to stop, as he could not control his emotions while reading it.

Yet, while this prayer book was vociferously proclaimed to have been written by Washington, there was not an iota of evidence that he ever had anything to do with it, or that it even ever belonged to him. A little investigation soon pricked the bubble. Worthington C. Ford, who had handled more of Washington's manuscripts than any other man except Washington himself, declared that the penmanship was not that of Washington. Rupert Hughes (Washington, vol. 1, p. 658) gives facsimile specimens of the handwriting in the prayer book side by side with known specimens of Washington's penmanship at the time the prayer book was supposed to have been written. A glance proves that they are not by the same hand.

Then in the prayer book manuscript all of the words are spelled correctly, while Washington was a notoriously poor speller. But the greatest blow it received was when the Smithsonian Institute refused to accept it as a genuine Washington relic. That Washington did not compose it was proved by Dr. W.A. Croffutt, a newspaper correspondent of the Capital, who traced the source of some of the prayers to an old prayer brook in the Congressional Library printed in the reign of James the First.

Even the Rev. W. Herbert Burk, rector of the Episcopal Church of Valley Forge, although a firm believer in Washington's religiosity, thus speaks of these prayers: "At present, the question is an open one, and its settlement will depend on the discovery of the originals, or upon the demonstration that they are the work of Washington."

Two sources say it is not in Washington's handwriting. The Smithsonian refused it as authentic. Some of the prayers are copied from an earlier book.

Steiner's passage gives several names if you want to pursue original sources. Good luck.

Toto · 04-03-2003, 10:27 AM

This was discussed in this old thread:

George Washington's Prayer Book

and a prior thread referenced there

George Washington was a Believer - {NOT}

but some topics never seem to die.

SLD · 04-03-2003, 09:24 PM

Thanks for the tips guys.

04-03-2003, 06:51 AM	#1
SLD Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Birmingham, Alabama Posts: 4,109	George Washington Prayer Book In surfing some fundamentalist websites last night I came across a claim that George Washington kept a prayer book full of prayers to Jesus, etc. The prayers sounded very inconsistent with other things I've read about his religious beliefs, but I'm no expert on Washington. There were also many other bogus quotes on these web sites. Further research found that this prayer book was found about 100 years after Washington's death at an auction by relatives of Washington who had several of his personal effects. The prayers are allegedy in his handwriting (at least one website claimed that). Of course, I'm highly suspicious of prayer books turning up 100 years after his death. PostiveAtheism claims that the only reference to Jesus that Washington ever made was in a poem he wrote when he was 13 years old. However the site had no information about this alleged prayer book. Does anyone else know anything about this prayer book and serious analyses of its authenticity? All I could find through Google was fundamentalist websites. SLDER

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04-03-2003, 10:27 AM	#3
Toto Contributor Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Los Angeles area Posts: 40,549	This was discussed in this old thread: George Washington's Prayer Book and a prior thread referenced there George Washington was a Believer - {NOT} but some topics never seem to die.

04-03-2003, 09:24 PM	#4
SLD Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Birmingham, Alabama Posts: 4,109	Thanks for the tips guys.

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