That's quite a claim, isn't it? I am suspicious of all-or-nothing statements like that. Going a step further, Jesus said His followers are known by their fruit (Matthew 7:16). Even if we don't agree on specifics, we can probably all agree that not all 45 men who governed our nation bore fruit evident of a relationship with Jesus. However, that doesn't mean they weren't Christians. Some of these men have done wonderful things for our country, but that does not mean they were Christians. I read the article in its entirety. All it really did was list the church affiliations or denominations these men had claimed to belong to.
Being a thinking Christian, I reserve the right to question this article's validity. Am I jumping the gun and saying certain Presidents weren't/aren't Christians? No. I make no assumption. I just didn't find this article's claim believable, and if all they're going to use to back it up is the Presidents' denominational affiliations, I am not intellectually satisfied.
First, we must answer the question, what makes someone a Christian? The Bible is very clear in multiple places, but one of my favorites is Romans 10:9-10, That if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved, for with the heart, man believes and is justified, and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation. In other words, being a Christian means believing Jesus Christ is who He claimed to be (the Son of God, God the Son), and believing that His death and resurrection paid the penalty for our sins, putting our faith in Him for eternal life. Jesus called this experience being "born again" (John 3:3). According to the Bible, belonging to a certain church or denomination doesn't make someone a Christian (although a Christian should be in a good church for their own growth in faith). Therefore, in light of this consideration, the article I read didn't satisfyingly prove that all 45 US Presidents were/are Christians. It didn't convince me they weren't/aren't either. It just didn't prove its bold claim. Maybe all our Presidents were/are Christians (I would like to believe that I'll see them all in Heaven), but the article did not tell us about these men coming to understand who Jesus is, and receiving Him as Lord and Savior.
I have read a few testimonies of some of our Presidents. I read that William McKinley came to a saving knowledge of Christ growing up, and it greatly impacted all areas of his life, including his Presidency. I have read that Dwight Eisenhower became a born again Christian during his Presidency. I have read the salvation testimony of George W. Bush. I have also read the testimonies of Vice Presidents Dan Quayle and Mike Pence. These testimonies line up with a biblical definition of becoming a Christian. Several other Presidents and Vice-Presidents (some I have agreed with politically, some I have not) have said things about Jesus that have led me to conclude they probably do know Him as well. Jimmy Carter actually shared that he was Born Again. Only God knows anyone's heart. But these statements and testimonies about Jesus and salvation are a lot more in line with the Bible than mere denominational affiliation.
Many modern Presidents had a close friendship with Billy Graham, the most powerful evangelist of the 20th century. Clearly, they had access to the gospel, and that is encouraging.
The fact that many of our Presidents had a Christian heritage and a church affiliation of some kind is assuring. God definitely uses these things. It just doesn't prove saving faith.
The President I would least likely believe was a Christian (by the Bible's definition) was Thomas Jefferson. He was a deist. According to my research, he claimed to believe Jesus was a good moral teacher, but not the promised Savior. That, right there, would make him not a Christian. Perhaps he changed his mind at a later time. I hope so. Other Presidents have said things about the Lord, the Bible, or the priority of faith that make me question the probability of their being saved, but I don't know. Jefferson's statements were the most boldly opposed to the Bible's definition of Christianity.
After reading the very unsatisfying article, I left a comment. I shared that I doubted all of these men truly had a salvation experience with Jesus. As a point, I shared a statistic that close to 80% of Americans claimed to be Christian, but upon deeper questioning, less than 25% claimed to have repented of sin and received Christ as Savior. I wasn't trying to be negative. Just realistic in light of the article's bold claim and flimsy evidence. I wasn't even pinpointing certain Presidents and saying which ones I thought were and weren't saved. I was doubting the claim more than any particular man.
The responses I got were almost funny. One woman told me I clearly wasn't a Christian. She said if I was, I'd never "judge" (there goes the magic word!). What makes it so crazy was that she went on to say that every US President was a Christian except--here she named one--and went on to use hateful and ridiculing language about him. Who's judging now? And telling me I'm not a Christian when I simply said something she didn't like? We have already established what makes someone a Christian. Being judgmental (if indeed that was what I did, and I'm not conceding that) doesn't make me unsaved. We can't establish someone's salvation on whether or not they say judgmental things. That would make it about works and not Christ. Salvation is by faith, not works. I'm a Christian because the Blood of Jesus washed my sins away when I placed my faith in Him for eternal life...not because I try to refrain from being judgmental.
Several other people also jumped on my case and accused me of being judgmental of our Presidents, though they weren't as dramatic as my hateful friend who took liberties with my salvation. It's still funny though, because I didn't mention one US President in my comment. I was establishing that not everyone who claims Christianity is saved. I was refuting the article, not a person.
It is easier to accuse people of judging than to think things through. Judging is the 21st century's unforgivable sin. Accusing someone of judging is the big smokescreen when someone doesn't want to take responsibility.
Matthew 7:1 (judge not lest you be judged) is such a misused and abused verse. I must confess, at times I'm tempted to wish it wasn't in the Bible. Martin Luther cut the book of James out of his Bible, mistakenly believing it to be heretical, and at times, I've felt that way about Matthew 7:1. But that isn't the answer. Martin Luther was wrong, and it would be just as wrong to remove any part of Scripture. Jesus, knowing all things, including the future of how people would misuse it, said these words of Matthew 7:1, and so we need to examine them. Was He saying we're never allowed to use the brains He gave us to form an opinion? Was He telling us we have to be in favor of everything and anything? Was He saying to ignore things that the Bible itself defines as sin? No!!! If He was, He would be contradicting the rest of Scripture. In Matthew 24:24, Jesus warned us not to let anyone deceive us. He was telling us to think critically. To use good judgment. In First John 4:1, we're told to test the spirits, because not every spirit is from God. Again, we're being told to use good (godly) judgment to determine the truth. Going back to Matthew 7:1, a look at the rest of the chapter and at parallel passages in the other gospels, reveals that we need to make sure we have our facts straight before making a judgment, and make sure we're not doing the sin we're about to call someone else out on. Get the facts, and get our own lives in order before we help someone else get theirs in order. That's what Jesus is saying. Not anywhere in the Bible are we told to ignore sin. We are not to believe and agree with everything. If I told you I had an elephant in my car, and you disbelieved me, would that make you judgmental in a sinful sense? Of course not!
Many years ago, I served on a jury for a trial. It was a very interesting experience. We found the defendant guilty. Anyway, the District Attorney kept telling us, "You have to find on the evidence, but that doesn't mean you check your common sense in at the front door." He was right. We come into every situation with common sense and knowledge gained from previous situations, as well as discernment from the Lord. We need to examine what we're told (find on the evidence), but we are to use these resources God gave us.
John 7:24 urges us not to judge by appearances, but to judge rightly. I would say those who simply assume all our Presidents are Christians are disobeying that verse. They're judging on the appearance that these men had a church affiliation. Judging rightly would require more research into their lives, and the evidence and information isn't always going to be there, especially not with earlier ones. Were all our Presidents Christians? We won't know until Heaven. As Christians, we are to study God's word, and rightly divide the word of truth (Second Timothy 2:15). This means be thinking people, holding up everything we are told to the standard of the Bible!
First, we must answer the question, what makes someone a Christian? The Bible is very clear in multiple places, but one of my favorites is Romans 10:9-10, That if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved, for with the heart, man believes and is justified, and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation. In other words, being a Christian means believing Jesus Christ is who He claimed to be (the Son of God, God the Son), and believing that His death and resurrection paid the penalty for our sins, putting our faith in Him for eternal life. Jesus called this experience being "born again" (John 3:3). According to the Bible, belonging to a certain church or denomination doesn't make someone a Christian (although a Christian should be in a good church for their own growth in faith). Therefore, in light of this consideration, the article I read didn't satisfyingly prove that all 45 US Presidents were/are Christians. It didn't convince me they weren't/aren't either. It just didn't prove its bold claim. Maybe all our Presidents were/are Christians (I would like to believe that I'll see them all in Heaven), but the article did not tell us about these men coming to understand who Jesus is, and receiving Him as Lord and Savior.
I have read a few testimonies of some of our Presidents. I read that William McKinley came to a saving knowledge of Christ growing up, and it greatly impacted all areas of his life, including his Presidency. I have read that Dwight Eisenhower became a born again Christian during his Presidency. I have read the salvation testimony of George W. Bush. I have also read the testimonies of Vice Presidents Dan Quayle and Mike Pence. These testimonies line up with a biblical definition of becoming a Christian. Several other Presidents and Vice-Presidents (some I have agreed with politically, some I have not) have said things about Jesus that have led me to conclude they probably do know Him as well. Jimmy Carter actually shared that he was Born Again. Only God knows anyone's heart. But these statements and testimonies about Jesus and salvation are a lot more in line with the Bible than mere denominational affiliation.
Many modern Presidents had a close friendship with Billy Graham, the most powerful evangelist of the 20th century. Clearly, they had access to the gospel, and that is encouraging.
The fact that many of our Presidents had a Christian heritage and a church affiliation of some kind is assuring. God definitely uses these things. It just doesn't prove saving faith.
The President I would least likely believe was a Christian (by the Bible's definition) was Thomas Jefferson. He was a deist. According to my research, he claimed to believe Jesus was a good moral teacher, but not the promised Savior. That, right there, would make him not a Christian. Perhaps he changed his mind at a later time. I hope so. Other Presidents have said things about the Lord, the Bible, or the priority of faith that make me question the probability of their being saved, but I don't know. Jefferson's statements were the most boldly opposed to the Bible's definition of Christianity.
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| Thomas Jefferson |
The responses I got were almost funny. One woman told me I clearly wasn't a Christian. She said if I was, I'd never "judge" (there goes the magic word!). What makes it so crazy was that she went on to say that every US President was a Christian except--here she named one--and went on to use hateful and ridiculing language about him. Who's judging now? And telling me I'm not a Christian when I simply said something she didn't like? We have already established what makes someone a Christian. Being judgmental (if indeed that was what I did, and I'm not conceding that) doesn't make me unsaved. We can't establish someone's salvation on whether or not they say judgmental things. That would make it about works and not Christ. Salvation is by faith, not works. I'm a Christian because the Blood of Jesus washed my sins away when I placed my faith in Him for eternal life...not because I try to refrain from being judgmental.
It is easier to accuse people of judging than to think things through. Judging is the 21st century's unforgivable sin. Accusing someone of judging is the big smokescreen when someone doesn't want to take responsibility.
Matthew 7:1 (judge not lest you be judged) is such a misused and abused verse. I must confess, at times I'm tempted to wish it wasn't in the Bible. Martin Luther cut the book of James out of his Bible, mistakenly believing it to be heretical, and at times, I've felt that way about Matthew 7:1. But that isn't the answer. Martin Luther was wrong, and it would be just as wrong to remove any part of Scripture. Jesus, knowing all things, including the future of how people would misuse it, said these words of Matthew 7:1, and so we need to examine them. Was He saying we're never allowed to use the brains He gave us to form an opinion? Was He telling us we have to be in favor of everything and anything? Was He saying to ignore things that the Bible itself defines as sin? No!!! If He was, He would be contradicting the rest of Scripture. In Matthew 24:24, Jesus warned us not to let anyone deceive us. He was telling us to think critically. To use good judgment. In First John 4:1, we're told to test the spirits, because not every spirit is from God. Again, we're being told to use good (godly) judgment to determine the truth. Going back to Matthew 7:1, a look at the rest of the chapter and at parallel passages in the other gospels, reveals that we need to make sure we have our facts straight before making a judgment, and make sure we're not doing the sin we're about to call someone else out on. Get the facts, and get our own lives in order before we help someone else get theirs in order. That's what Jesus is saying. Not anywhere in the Bible are we told to ignore sin. We are not to believe and agree with everything. If I told you I had an elephant in my car, and you disbelieved me, would that make you judgmental in a sinful sense? Of course not!
Many years ago, I served on a jury for a trial. It was a very interesting experience. We found the defendant guilty. Anyway, the District Attorney kept telling us, "You have to find on the evidence, but that doesn't mean you check your common sense in at the front door." He was right. We come into every situation with common sense and knowledge gained from previous situations, as well as discernment from the Lord. We need to examine what we're told (find on the evidence), but we are to use these resources God gave us.
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