Episcopal Church by David Barton

The original Maxims of Washington was recently reprinted in its entirety 70 – at least, almost in its entirety. The difference was that the introduction to each section was changed; and in the section on Washington’s religious maxims, the personal, eye-witness testimonies from those who declared George Washington to be a Christian were replaced by the commentary of a present-day professor claiming that George Washington was a deist, not a Christian. 71 This is revisionism – rejecting the testimony of eyewitnesses and replacing it with the opinion of a so-called “expert” two hundred years after the fact. quotes about george washington from the original 1855 MAXIMS OF WASHINGTON

 

A further example of how revisionism attempts to misportray the religious faith of George Washington recently appeared in an ad in a national magazine. 72 That ad (promoting a new book) claimed “George Washington was Unitarian” and not Christian. The only problem with the charge is that it is not true. All of George Washington’s religious ties were to the Episcopal church, which did not hold Unitarian beliefs; furthermore, Washington died in 1799, and the Unitarians did not even organize until 1818 – nineteen years after Washington’s death!

 

David Barton shows us that contrast to the current revisionist changes stands perhaps the most concise testimony of George Washington’s faith – that of Nelly Custis, Washington’s adopted daughter. Nelly lived with the Washingtons at Mount Vernon for twenty years, from her childhood until her own marriage. In a letter she wrote to Jared Sparks, a chaplain of Congress, Nelly confirmed Washington’s Christianity: [George Washington] attended church [in Virginia] at Alexandria when the weather and roads permitted a ride of ten miles [ – a two or thee hour journey, one way]. [While serving as President i]n New York and Philadelphia he never omitted attendance at church in the morning, unless detained by [sickness]. [Sunday] afternoon was spent in his own room at home. . . . [and] visiting and visitors were prohibited [on Sundays]. No one in church attended to the services with more reverential respect. . . . I should have thought it the greatest heresy to doubt his firm belief in Christianity.

Comments

[Thomas Gary]

I assume that by using the third person you are not David Barton, but someone writing in the perspective of David Barton??

Thanks