GaryP

Last Friday a woman wrote a letter to my local paper explaining why her group has a Bible Reading Marathon at the Bandstand every May. It was the usual stuff except she used these three examples of how America's leaders have "turned to prayer" in the past.

1. Washington praying at Valley Forge.


2. Franklin calling for invocations at the Constitutional Convention.

3. Lincoln during the Civil War.

I have composed a rough draft of a reply which I would invite comment and critique of.



I am writing in reference to xxxxxxx's letter of Feb. 7.

It is indeed enlightening to read the reasons for the annual Bible reading marathon at the Bandstand. While I would tend to disagree with her assertions as to the necessity of this activity, she certainly has the right to believe, and act upon it, as she does.

What I must take issue with, however, is two of the three examples she listed as proving that America’s founders were in the habit of praying in times of trouble.

Her first example is of Gen. Washington praying at Valley Forge while his army faced starvation. There is much evidence that this almost certainly did not take place. The story was published by Parson Mason Weems immediately after Washington’s death. He was supposedly quoting a man named Issac Potts who said he saw the General praying. This story was questioned as early as the 1850’s but by then had been engrained in American folklore. It may be noted that Parson Weems is the same gentleman who propagated the cherry tree story.

Next, xxxxxxx's stated that Ben Franklin called for prayer at the Constitutional Convention. While this appears to be accurate, what Ms Parcells did not mention is that the delegates did not even bother to vote on the matter. It was particularly opposed by Alexander Hamilton (from A More Perfect Union" by William Peters).

Since there was no vote, the meetings continued to be brought to order without an invocation. Indeed, neither God nor Jesus is mentioned in the document upon which our nation’s laws are founded.

Finally, she mentions Lincoln praying during the Civil War. I do not doubt this one. Although, it perhaps should be noted that many of his contemporaries considered him a non-believer. But he apparently did “get religion” in his latter years.

In conclusion, I would like to offer a quote, with source, for each of these three gentlemen.


I am persuaded, you will permit me to observe that the path of true piety is so plain as to require but little political direction. To this consideration we ought to ascribe the absence of any regulation, respecting religion, from the Magna-Charta of our country.
-- George Washington, responding to a group of clergymen who complained that the Constitution lacked mention of Jesus Christ, in 1789, Papers, Presidential Series, 4:274, the "Magna-Charta" here refers to the proposed United States Constitution



He [the Rev. Mr. Whitefield] used, indeed, sometimes to pray for my conversion, but never had the satisfaction of believing that his prayers were heard.
-- Benjamin Franklin, from Franklin's Autobiography


The Bible is not my book nor Christianity my profession.
-- Abraham Lincoln, quoted by Joseph Lewis in "Lincoln the Freethinker"

Thanks for any input!

Buffman

Hi Gary

http://www.ushistory.org/valleyforge...prayer.html#01

(Extract)
In 1918, the Valley Forge Park Commission refused a request by a patriotic organization for permission to erect a monument or marker on the spot where it was claimed Washington was seen kneeling in prayer. The Commission's report reviewed its examination of the thousands of pages of correspondence and diaries of the Commander-in-Chief and his staff; generals of divisions and brigades; officers and privates of regiments; the Congressional Committee who were at the camp; manuscripts in the Library of Congress and other institutions where Revolutionary matter is preserved. It concluded by observing "in none of these were found a single paragraph that will substantiate the tradition of the 'Prayer at Valley Forge.'"
(End extract)

Go to this URL:

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/amlaw/lwfr.html

Now go to: "Farrand's Records" Volume I
Then to: "NAVIGATOR"
Then: MADISON Thursday June 28th. in Convention
Then: Page 452 | Page image

Now scroll to the bottom of the page and read "Note #15" very carefully.

There are other references to these three instances, but you have done a nice, abreviated, job with them already. The information above is merely some strong backup references and URLs you may wish to keep handy for the future.

GaryP

Thanks, Buffman. I always appreciate your help!

Choy Lee Mu

Hi Gary,

Great letter. I enjoyed it.

The only thing I could find was that the word "engrained" should be spelled "ingrained".

-Choy Lee Mu