Introduction
Benjamin Franklin was born on 17th of January, 1706 in Boston, Massachusetts. His father was a real and true Puritan. In 1682 he migrated from England and almost immediately married a Boston native, Miss Folger. Being neither a farmer nor mechanic he commenced business of tallow-chandler and soap-boilder and carried out this business throughout his life. (Gaustad 75-95).
Benjamin’s parents wished him to become a minister of the gospel and started educating him accordingly. However, their slender means were not appropriate for their goals and the intention was later on abandoned. Benjamin remained at a common school for some years and ultimately joined his father’s business, although he was not satisfied with the business activities. He left family’s business and went to New York but did not obtain any employment and then proceeded to Philadelphia on foot.
Although Benjamin Franklin received extensive religious training but his humane nature as well as good sense compelled him to rebel against the inhuman and irrational tenets of his parents’ beliefs. (Gaustad 75-95).
Franklin as senior statesman
Franklin was older signatory of both the Constitution and Declaration of constitution as well as senior statesman of the Revolution attended the proceedings of committee that drafted the clauses of Declaration. Franklin won international fame as an author, printer-publisher, philosopher, inventor, scientist and philanthropist.
Benjamin Franklin was considered less religious as compared with Jefferson and Washington. Some signs indicate that Franklin believed in the Occultism mysteries, although he never wrote or expressed much about it. (Gaustad 75-95) The main Founding Fathers of nation- Washington, Jefferson, Franklin and Adams’- were intensely suspicious of a particular European style of government involvement and association with religion. Most of the founding Fathers of the nations were also Deists.
It is pertinent to mention that deism was, in fact, a religious philosophy evolved from Enlightenment. Moreover, God lets nature to watch out itself. At almost end of his life, Benjamin Franklin highlighted his deistic views in a letter that he believed in One God specifically as the Creator of Universe. He also expressed his opinion that God governs universe by His providence and as such God must be worshipped. These thoughts make Franklin a religious man with a firm believe in God as a creator of the Universe and everything. Some of the scholars even described him as a confirmed Deist who did not endeavor to ‘wither Christianity by ridicule’. (Gaustad 75-95).
Unique philosophy of Franklin
One unique philosophy of Franklin, in religion, politics or science, was; anything being important, meaningful and consequential had to be practical. Franklin was persuaded that for himself and also for most people, a strong belief in God is decent and good, whether false or true. His parents had a robust Puritan background and as such they expressed their grave concern about his particular religious expressions. Franklin stated his views through letters that opinions should be judged by their effects and influences. Due to his old-age thoughts, expressed in different letters, Benjamin Franklin can be regarded as a firm believer in God and a religious person.
Benjamin Franklin, along with other Founding Fathers of the nation, as against the common belief, was considered by many scholars a religious liberal whose ideas were mainly influenced by the logics of philosophy and modern science related to European Enlightenment. He was a firm believer in God and his thoughts on religion were against the traditional thoughts prevailing in his time. Franklin, in his autobiography, states that he was transformed into deist at much earlier age but left it in the later part of his life. The purpose of leaving deism was the fact that it cannot differentiate itself from virtue. He was, in fact, a meticulously practical and realistic philosopher. (Gaustad 75-95).
In his religious thoughts, Benjamin Franklin adopted the outline of non-traditional and independent thoughts related to God. Moreover, he also rejected some of the principles of Christianity. His liberalism in religion has some prominent features. He was a believer in God, however, not the God of conventional Christianity. As his God was not traditional, he is also regarded as ‘atheist.’ Though, it is not fair and deserving.
He stated a common theme of God’s omni-science, and justice. His thoughts comprise a divergence between normal and specific providence. The principle that God was closely involved in the activities for caring individuals appeared to intimidate human independent-resolution. Benjamin Franklin, due to his thoughts on conservation of matter, was a solid believer of afterlife. Due to his extensive readings he possessed an up-to-date knowledge about the devastating impacts of European way of government which opted to state religious faith and help one religion directly against any other.
Concluison
Because of his thoughts, along with other Founding Fathers, the words ‘Christianity’ and ‘God’ are not found in the Constitution. The main reason is the impact of such liberal religious thoughts. Although, it is a fact that most of the early Americans were accommodating of religious broadmindedness for different views of Christianity, it was his liberalism in religion, as well as other Founding Fathers, he fought in favor of, and ultimately gained complete religious autonomy for non-Christian believers and also for atheists.
Works Cited
Gaustad, Edwin. “Benjamin Franklin (Lives and Legacies)” Oxford University Press, 2006, p. 75-95.