From Deseret News archives:

Founding Fathers not deists

Published: Thursday, Sept. 20, 2007 12:06 a.m. MDT
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As much as Boyd Petrie wants you to believe the Founding Fathers were deists rather than Christians, (Readers' Forum, Sept. 18), it seems odd he hasn't contrasted the definition of deism and the practices of those good inspired men. No deist offers a prayer to a "totally uninvolved God who exists entirely apart from our world and does not influence the lives of human beings" (dictionary definition). Why then would these otherwise rational men pray for "divine providence," acknowledge the "Supreme Judge" and coin the phrase "In God We Trust"?

Interesting how every few months someone like Mr. Petrie yet again fruitlessly attempts to convince Americans our Founding Fathers were something other than religious worshippers of a personal God.

By the way, what do you call a deist who prays? A "jack-deist"?

Steve Miner

Cedar City

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