Talk:George Washington

An event in this article is an April 30 selected anniversary (may be in HTML comment)

• Talk:George Washington/Archive 1 includes the following sections: Disconnect of GW's Wealth, Repairs undone>, First President and "under the Constitution" issues, Religious beliefs, Odd stories, Father of his/the/our Country, Honored Americans, Birth date, Washington's poet friend?, Birthplace, Final Rank, Wig/powdering, Military Rank, Category Scottish-American, Cut 'n paste editing, Sources in this article, Federalist?, Reentering the military?, Can we add some Washington trivia?, I changed part of the introduction to religious views., His Bible, George Washington Farewell address..., Recent shortenings of article, Farewell Address, Unanimous?, Innoculation.

• Talk:George Washington/Archive 2 includes: Opening Lines, "Personal Information" section, Presidency section, Personal qualities, Major presidential acts, Section inaccuracies, Trivia, French and Indian War, "Humane" to slaves, Two Technical Questions, extended semi-protection, Personal Wealth, Farewell address, Lead portrait, Factoid vault, Washington and Slavery, Washington's Swearing, Indian views of Washington, Changing the Revolutionary Army

If any discussion from these topics has not been finished, feel free to bring the thread back to this page.

Delete religious beliefs?

I deleted the "A Christian or not a Christian" section. If anyone wishes to read the insanity that was that discussion (partly my fault), click here. It took up 21 kilobytes on this page! Anyway, the real discussion that should be had is whether to keep the religious beliefs section. I am FOR deleting it. Since Washington never stated his religious beliefs (reluctant to do so apparently) and since his output on religion is limited to religious pluralism (though that famous letter is said to have been ghost written by Jefferson, if the source is correct), is it noteworthy? Lincoln's religious beliefs are a matter of controversy as well, yet his article contains no section on religious beliefs. I suggest we delete the religious beliefs section and leave the whole religion controversy to List of United States Presidential religious affiliations. It is what they deal with. Does anyone agree with me that the section should be deleted? --Sparkhurst 21:32, 20 June 2006 (UTC)

I suggest we delete this section as well. Especially since there is overwhelming evidence showing his strong Christian faith. The liberals/humanists on this board seek to undermine this fact.

Provide some real evidence then, keeping in mind that deists are not atheists. --JimWae 16:33, 4 July 2006 (UTC)

I provided overwhelming evidence yesterday all of which has been deleted. Keep in mind that Deists are not Christians. — Preceding unsigned comment added by User:Gbdill (talk • contribs)

To answer Sparkhurst's question, Washington's religious beliefs are disputed enough to merit at least some coverage in our article. Right now, the section is strong on anecdote and completely lacking in scholarly opinion. For example, here are three scholarly views:

According to biographer James Thomas Flexner, "George Washington was, like Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, a deist." On the other hand, biographer John Ferling writes that Washington "was not a Deist, however. He believed in God's intervention in worldly affairs, and he anticipated a life after death." According to biographer Marcus Cunliffe, Washington "was a Christian as a Virginian planter understood the term."

I haven't added these yet because I haven't read two essential books on Washinton's beliefs: Frank Grizzard's The Ways of Providence: Religion and George Washington, and Paul Boller's George Washington & Religion. And anyone who hasn't read these hasn't read widely enough to write a good overview appropriate for this encyclopedia. --Kevin Myers | (complaint dept.) 16:56, 4 July 2006 (UTC) --- Agreed. Unless both sides are equally presented I believe this section should be omitted. I will continue to edit this section until the administrator of this site says otherwise. I believe there is overwhelming evidence to show that Washington was a Christian in the literal sense. I presented these facts yesterday all of which has been deleted.--Gbdill 17:06, 4 July 2006 (UTC) --- I am terribly dismayed by the lack of evidence to show our president's as something other than being a Christian in the literal sense. I believe there is an overwhelming attempt at undermining our president's religious beliefs here. I propose we eliminate these sections from all of our president's entry altogether. Mr. Wae seems to have an agenda here by labelling most of our president's as deists or unitarians just based on a few quotes that have nothing to do with their religious beliefs.--Gbdill 17:32, 4 July 2006 (UTC)

Unconstitutional laws during Washington's presidency?

Were any laws made under the presidenticy (sorry for my infamously poor spelling) of George Washington ruled unconstitutional?