This article is part of a series of essays titled "What Would the Founders Say?" where we explore modern-day issues through the eyes of America’s Founding Fathers. Drawing directly from their writings, letters, and speeches, we ask: How might these influential figures from our past advise us today? By reconnecting with their wisdom, we seek timeless insights to better navigate contemporary challenges.

💬 Introduction

Religion and faith have long been intertwined with the American identity—but how exactly did America’s Founding Fathers view the relationship between faith, morality, and public life? Today, we’re bringing seven iconic Founders together—George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison—to share their personal insights into the role religion plays in shaping American society, virtue, and civic responsibility. Their perspectives offer valuable lessons for navigating religion’s role in modern America.

🦅 George Washington

In Washington’s view, religious faith provides a foundation for public virtue and good citizenship.

“Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports.”

It was his belief that a nation cannot maintain moral order or personal accountability if it undermines these “great pillars of human happiness” on which civil society rests–anyone attempting to subvert religion and morality cannot truly be called a patriot.

Washington further explains,

“Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths… in courts of justice?” He urged his countrymen to “with caution indulge the supposition, that morality can be maintained without religion”, for “reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle”. 1

In other words, Washington believed that religious conviction reinforces ethical behavior – from ordinary dealings to the solemn oaths that uphold justice. Public life, in his mind, benefits when citizens are guided by the conscience that faith can instill.

While Washington did not advocate any one denomination, he consistently emphasized the social value of religion. In his Farewell Address, he warned that if we lose religious principle, we risk losing virtue – and with it, the very basis of American political prosperity. For America to flourish, he felt its people must cultivate both private morality and public virtue, drawing on religious faith as a vital source of both.

🦅 John Adams

If you asked our second president his view of religion, you might get a response such as the following:

“We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by… morality and religion.” If not for moral and religious restraint, “avarice, ambition… revenge or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution, as a whale goes through a net.” Our Constitution, in fact, “was made only for a moral and religious People. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” 

In his judgment, liberty could not survive unless American citizens remained virtuous and devout. The framework of our government relies on an ethical and self-regulating people – something he believed religion greatly encouraged. A republic lacking religious virtue would quickly fall prey to lawless impulses that no legal structure could contain.

Adams would admit, however, that his views on religion’s effects were nuanced. Out of frustration with religious strife, he wrote to Thomas Jefferson that many times he felt that

“This would be the best of all possible worlds, if there were no religion in it," But he quickly reconsidered this claim, saying: “in this exclamation I should have been as fanatical as” those I criticized, for "Without religion this world would be something not fit to be mentioned in polite Company, I mean Hell." 

Adams recognized that religion, despite its excesses, is a crucial source of morality. Even when he wearied of the fanaticism and conflicts fueled by sectarianism, he still believed that without religious principle to guide conscience, society would fall into chaos and misery. Indeed, he stated bluntly that irreligion would make the world “hell.” 2

This captures his conviction that faith, on balance, civilizes humanity. However skeptical one might be about particular dogmas, some form of respect for divine authority or moral law is necessary to restrain humankind's worst impulses and sustain virtue among the people. In short, Adams held that the American experiment in liberty required a moral populace – and that religion was the surest support for societal morality, even as he remained alert to its potential abuses.

🦅 Thomas Jefferson

To Jefferson, Religion was a profoundly personal matter of conscience. 

“The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others,” he said, “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.” 

Jefferson argued that an individual’s belief (or disbelief) in God by itself harms no one – implying that religious freedom and diversity pose no threat to social order. Unlike some of his colleagues, he did not think the state must prop up religion to maintain virtue. On the contrary, he was confident that allowing every American to follow his own religious lights would strengthen Americans civic culture by avoiding the corruption and strife that state-imposed dogma had caused in the past.

This is not to say he discounted religion’s importance to ethics. In fact, he greatly admired the moral teachings of Jesus of Nazareth –

“of all the systems of morality antient or modern, which have come under my observation, none appear to me so pure as that of Jesus”

Thomas Jefferson considered Christ’s genuine teachings (stripped of superstition) as the highest expression of virtue. In an 1813 letter to John Adams, he explained his project of extracting the true sayings of Jesus from scripture, noting that what remained was “the most sublime and benevolent code of morals which has ever been offered to man.” 3 This was his “Jefferson Bible,” a testament to his belief that the core ethics of Christianity – love, charity, humility, justice – are profoundly good for society.

However, President Jefferson believed these moral precepts stand on their own reason and goodness, not on miracles or priestly authority. He advised his nephew to

“Fix reason firmly in her seat… and call to her tribunal every fact, every opinion. Question with boldness even the existence of a god; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blindfolded fear.” 4

In his view, an enlightened faith guided by reason leads to genuine virtue. Whether one arrived at moral behavior through religious belief or through philosophical reasoning, the end result – a citizen of upright character – was what mattered for the young republic. He trusted that freedom of conscience and the spread of knowledge would allow religion’s positive contributions to virtue to flourish, while chaining the “tyranny” of ignorant fanaticism.

🦅 Benjamin Franklin

If you were to ask Dr. Franklin his view of religion, his answer might sound something like this:

My friends, I approach this topic as a man of practical wisdom. It has long been my observation that “If Men are so wicked as we now see them with Religion, what would they be if without it?”  

In a private 1757 letter, Dr. Franklin warned an acquaintance against publishing an irreligious pamphlet by pointing out that religion, for all its faults, is a restraining influence on human wickedness. He noted that many people lack the philosophical strength to behave virtuously on reason alone; thus, the “motives of religion” are needed to “restrain them from vice” and keep them virtuous until good habits take root. In essence, he saw religious belief as a useful buttress of public morality – especially for the “weak and ignorant” who might not otherwise resist temptation. 5

Personally, Dr. Franklin never aligned with any one sect’s dogmas, but maintained a core creed.

“Here is my Creed... I believe in one God, Creator of the Universe… that the most acceptable Service we can render him is doing Good to his other Children.”

He also acknowledged Jesus’s importance: “

I think the System of Morals [devised by Jesus]… as he left them to us, the best the World ever saw, or is likely to see”  

He held Jesus’s ethical teachings in high esteem, calling them the finest moral guide for humanity. That said, he also candidly admitted “I have… some Doubts as to his Divinity.” 6

In essence, Dr. Franklin valued religion for its ethical teachings and its social utility, rather than for theological doctrines. He even proposed daily prayers during the Constitutional Convention, invoking the need for God’s guidance: He remarked that

“the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see that God governs in the affairs of men,”

and famously asked,

“And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?” 7

In sum, Dr.  Franklin encouraged religious toleration and worked with people of all faiths, but also defended the idea that belief in divine Providence and the practice of religious virtue are beneficial to society. He saw religion and morality as intertwined; even if an enlightened person could be moral without orthodox faith, he believed that for society at large, religion was a critical instructor in virtue. “Work as if you were to live a hundred years, pray as if you were to die tomorrow,” he once advised – a balance of industry and piety apt for the American character.

🦅 Alexander Hamilton

As a younger man, Hamilton wrote passionately about natural rights being endowed by our Creator, and he always believed that religious principle upheld social order.

After the Revolution, alarmed by growing secularism in public life, he proposed concrete action. He called for an association to be formed and called it “The Christian Constitutional Society.” Its objects would be:

“1st. The support of the Christian Religion. 2nd. The support of the Constitution of the United States.”

In 1802 he urged the creation of this Society to unite Americans around two pillars: faith and their new republican government. To Hamilton, these goals went hand in hand. He believed that promoting Christianity would foster the morality and unity needed to sustain America’s constitutional system.

Why did he prioritize “the support of the Christian religion”?

Frankly, he shared the view that widespread religious faith was indispensable for national virtue. During America’s founding era, the founders saw France descending into chaos in the absence of religion, and Hamilton feared similar trends at home. By encouraging churches, charities, and Christian education, Hamilton thought they could counteract political extremism and social disorder. Such an effort was, in his mind, a patriotic duty – to “teach the people… religion, morality, and knowledge” as the surest foundation of public happiness (a sentiment common in those days).

Hamiltons own faith deepened over time. Though he did not often speak publicly about personal religion, in private he affirmed Christianity. He “examined carefully the evidence of the Christian religion,” and found it compelling – a point he made known to friends. 8

In his final years, especially after the tragic death of his son, Hamilton turned increasingly to prayer and Scripture for solace. He approached his fatal duel with Aaron Burr with a heavy heart and a Bible nearby. On the eve of his death he reassured my wife of “my tender reliance on the mercy of the Almighty, through the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ." 9 Such statements revealed his conviction that personal faith was a source of strength and virtue.

To the very end, Hamilton believed that religion and morality are essential to our private and public lives – they are, as he wrote elsewhere, the “best security” for the “good disposition” and order of society.

In short, Alexander Hamilton advocated not a theocracy, but a republic imbued with religiously informed virtue – a nation where Christianity’s moral influence would help secure our liberty and laws.

🦅 John Jay

As a devout Christian and the first Chief Justice, John Jay saw no conflict between faith and public service – in fact, he thought the two should reinforce each other. It was always his firm belief that the Gospel of Christ elevates the character of individuals and nations. 

“The most effectual way of producing [a peaceful disposition among nations] is by extending the prevalence and influence of the gospel... Real Christians will abstain from violating the rights of others, and therefore will not provoke war.”

In Jay’s view, Christian morality – with its commandments to love one’s neighbor and do no harm – naturally promotes peace and justice. A society imbued with true Gospel principles would be more harmonious and virtuous. He argued that if more people sincerely followed Christ’s teachings, there would be less greed, less cruelty, and thus fewer causes for conflict. Religion’s role in public life, then, was profoundly positive: it could civilize nations and curb mankind’s worst tendencies.

Jay often described America as a Christian people. He famously asserted

"Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers,” and “it is the duty as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers.” 10

By this he meant that our nation, blessed with religious liberty, should use its freedom wisely – by electing leaders of Christian character. Jay considered biblical values a sound guide for governance and believed that officials who genuinely practiced Christian virtues would govern justly. Indeed, in his later years he helped found the American Bible Society, because he wanted Scripture’s moral instruction to spread throughout the land.

“The Bible is the best of all books, for it is the word of God and teaches us the way to be happy in this world and the next... Continue therefore to read it and regulate your life by its precepts.” 11

Such was his outlook: the Bible’s teachings, if widely observed, would produce upright citizens and a righteous nation. He saw America’s identity as inseparable from its Judeo-Christian heritage – a heritage he felt obligated to uphold for the good of society.

It is true that John Jay never advocated for an established church – he supported complete religious freedom for all. Yet he hoped that, given liberty of conscience, the American people would freely choose to uphold Christian principles. In his experience, religion nurtures virtue, and virtue is the root of good government. Therefore, he believed a thriving, faithful Church (of whatever denomination) would be a wellspring of the honesty, duty, and charity that keep our republic healthy.

🦅 James Madison

Madison approached the role of faith in American Society as a proponent of religious liberty, but also as someone who recognizes the social value of religion. It was a foundational principle for him that government should not coerce religious belief – true faith must remain free. And experience bore out that this freedom benefits both church and state.

“The experience of the U.S., is a happy disproof of the error… that without a legal incorporation of religious & civil polity, neither could be supported.”

On the contrary,

“A mutual independence is found most friendly to practical Religion, to social harmony, & to political prosperity.”

In plain terms, when religion and government are kept separate – each independent in its own sphere – religion flourishes in its sincerity, and society enjoys more harmony and good order. Madison observed that in America, where there were there was no state-sponsored church, people’s devotion did not decrease. If anything, faith was purified of political corruption and thus held greater sway over individuals’ morals. This, in turn, contributed to public tranquility and prosperity. In his view, voluntary religion was more effective in nurturing virtue than state-supported religion, which often bred hypocrisy or conflict. 12

If you asked Madison what is the purpose of faith and religion, he might say –

I have always maintained that the virtue of the people is the crucial ingredient for republican government. “To suppose that any form of government will secure liberty or happiness without any virtue in the people, is a chimerical idea.”

Like his fellow founders, Madison believed no laws or institutions can save a nation devoid of virtue. However, he tended to emphasize education, civic responsibility, and freedom of conscience as the best means to foster that virtue – rather than official religious establishments. He trusted that Americans’ religiosity, if unshackled, would organically support morality. For example, he saw how congregations, charities, and schools (many inspired by faith) sprang up in the new republic and strengthened the character of communities.

In summary, Madison viewed religion as a matter of personal conviction that, when freely practiced, yields public benefits. He celebrated the fact that in America, “the number, the industry, and the morality of the Priesthood” all thrived without government aid – a clear vindication, to his mind, that liberty of religion is a friend to virtue. 13 He counted it a blessing that people of many creeds in America devote themselves to worship and good works. Those pious labors inculcate ethical standards like honesty, self-restraint, and charity, which are indispensable in a self-governing society. Thus, while Madison was known as a strict separationist in law, he never doubted that religion, freely exercised, is a source of social virtue and stability in the United States.

🙏 Conclusion

In considering the founders perspectives, it’s evident that despite some differences in theology and emphasis, all regarded a morally vibrant society as essential to the American experiment – and most of saw religious faith as a wellspring of that public virtue. Whether as an “indispensable support” for civic morals (in Washington’s words), “the best of all books” guiding personal happiness (to quote Jay), or simply one important influence among others, religion was, in their eyes, intertwined with the character of the nation. Their insights remind us today that faith remains key to sustaining the American experiment.

Footnotes

1. Washington, George. “Washington’s Farewell Address 1796.” Avalon Project - Washington’s Farewell address 1796. Accessed April 2, 2025. https://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/washing.asp#:~:text=Of%20all%20the%20dispositions%20and,the%20oaths%20which%20are%20the.

2. “From John Adams to Massachusetts Militia, 11 October 1798,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/99-02-02-3102.

3. Jefferson, Thomas. “Jefferson Quotes & Family Letters.” Religion | Jefferson Quotes & Family Letters. Accessed April 2, 2025. https://tjrs.monticello.org/tjrs-categorizations/religion.

4. “From Thomas Jefferson to Peter Carr, with Enclosure, 10 August 1787,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-12-02-0021. [Original source: The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, vol. 12, 7 August 1787 – 31 March 1788, ed. Julian P. Boyd. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1955, pp. 14–19.]

5. “From Benjamin Franklin to ———, [13 December 1757],” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Franklin/01-07-02-0130. [Original source: The Papers of Benjamin Franklin, vol. 7, October 1, 1756 through March 31, 1758, ed. Leonard W. Labaree. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1963, pp. 293–295.]

6. Benjamin, Franklin. “Letter from Benjamin Franklin to Ezra Stiles.” Beliefnet. Accessed April 2, 2025. https://www.beliefnet.com/faiths/faith-tools/the-founding-faith-archive/benjamin-franklin/letter-from-benjamin-franklin-to-ezra-stiles-1.aspx.

7. “Franklin’s Appeal for Prayer at the Constitutional Convention.” WallBuilders, May 20, 2024. https://wallbuilders.com/resource/franklins-appeal-for-prayer-at-the-constitutional-convention/.

8. “From Alexander Hamilton to James A. Bayard, [16–21] April 1802,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Hamilton/01-25-02-0321. [Original source: The Papers of Alexander Hamilton, vol. 25, July 1800 – April 1802, ed. Harold C. Syrett. New York: Columbia University Press, 1977, pp. 605–610.]

9. Todd, Obbie Tyler. “Was Alexander Hamilton a Christian? The Troubled Faith of a Disgraced Founding Father.” Desiring God, September 26, 2024. https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/was-alexander-hamilton-a-christian#:~:text=Alexander%20Hamilton%20is%20not%20typically,genuine%20faith%20during%20his%20lifetime.

10. Jerry. “Words from Our Founders: John Jay.” Family Council, July 2, 2012. https://familycouncil.org/?p=5617#:~:text=%E2%80%9CAlmost%20all%20nations%20have%20peace,%E2%80%9D.

11. https://christianquote.com/the-bible-7/#:~:text=Image

12. “From James Madison to Frederick C. Schaeffer, 3 December 1821,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/04-02-02-0357. [Original source: The Papers of James Madison, Retirement Series, vol. 2, 1 February 1820 – 26 February 1823, ed. David B. Mattern, J. C. A. Stagg, Mary Parke Johnson, and Anne Mandeville Colony. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2013, p. 433.]

13. The Papers of James Madison. Edited by William T. Hutchinson et al. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press, 1962--77 (vols. 1--10); Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1977--(vols. 11--). https://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/documents/v1ch13s36.html#:~:text=pubs,If%20there%20be%20sufficient

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