Comments on: Ben Franklin on PA’s Religious Test http://www.positiveliberty.com/2007/01/ben-franklin-on-pas-religious-test.html Mon, 08 Sep 2008 06:49:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Positive Liberty » Richard Price’s Religious Liberalism http://www.positiveliberty.com/2007/01/ben-franklin-on-pas-religious-test.html#comment-568577 Positive Liberty » Richard Price’s Religious Liberalism Sat, 09 Feb 2008 18:51:31 +0000 http://positiveliberty.com/2007/01/ben-franklin-on-pas-religious-test.html#comment-568577 [...] Indeed, Benjamin Rush and Ben Franklin, with the help of Price’s writings, both fought mightily to remove PA’s aforementioned religious test. These two brief letters from Rush to Price on the matter are worth reproducing. Rush is clear that state religious tests, though they would be permitted as a constitutional compromise, nonetheless violated the natural rights ideals of the Declaration of Independence and therefore should be removed: Benjamin Rush to Richard Price [...] [...] Indeed, Benjamin Rush and Ben Franklin, with the help of Price’s writings, both fought mightily to remove PA’s aforementioned religious test. These two brief letters from Rush to Price on the matter are worth reproducing. Rush is clear that state religious tests, though they would be permitted as a constitutional compromise, nonetheless violated the natural rights ideals of the Declaration of Independence and therefore should be removed: Benjamin Rush to Richard Price [...]

]]> By: James J. Goswick http://www.positiveliberty.com/2007/01/ben-franklin-on-pas-religious-test.html#comment-318290 James J. Goswick Mon, 14 May 2007 20:42:10 +0000 http://positiveliberty.com/2007/01/ben-franklin-on-pas-religious-test.html#comment-318290 The religious test had to be regarding denomination of christianity as a belief in God was inherent in an oath. Religion is left to the states. The religious test had to be regarding denomination of christianity as a belief in God was inherent in an oath.

Religion is left to the states.

]]> By: Kenneth R. Gregg http://www.positiveliberty.com/2007/01/ben-franklin-on-pas-religious-test.html#comment-235731 Kenneth R. Gregg Thu, 01 Feb 2007 04:08:47 +0000 http://positiveliberty.com/2007/01/ben-franklin-on-pas-religious-test.html#comment-235731 BF's comment, "That I had opposed the Clause but being overpower’d by Numbers, and fearing might in future times be grafted on [it]"...speaks volumes about the nature of the people and the leaders who were taking up the Revolutionary principles during this important time. As the Quakers had lost their dominance to the Scotch-Irish Presbyterians in the Pennsylvania political circles (as the Scotch-Irish had managed to accomplish elsewhere in the colonies), new biases had come to the fore as well. That the more rationalist were concerned about this is an understatement as was seen in Virginia's Enlightened leadership's worries about a similar unwrenching of their entrenched pro-slavery doctrines. Again, the tides were traveling in many directions and many thought the English domination was the least of their problems. Be that as it may, in order to maintain a controlled and popular government in PA, Franklin had to tread as lightly as those further south would have to do, although for often different motivations. Each would come to value secularism and a United States. Both would find other issues as easily as troubling. Just a thought. Just Ken kgregglv@cox.net http://classicalliberalism.blogspot.com BF’s comment, “That I had opposed the Clause but being overpower’d by Numbers, and fearing might in future times be grafted on [it]“…speaks volumes about the nature of the people and the leaders who were taking up the Revolutionary principles during this important time. As the Quakers had lost their dominance to the Scotch-Irish Presbyterians in the Pennsylvania political circles (as the Scotch-Irish had managed to accomplish elsewhere in the colonies), new biases had come to the fore as well. That the more rationalist were concerned about this is an understatement as was seen in Virginia’s Enlightened leadership’s worries about a similar unwrenching of their entrenched pro-slavery doctrines. Again, the tides were traveling in many directions and many thought the English domination was the least of their problems.

Be that as it may, in order to maintain a controlled and popular government in PA, Franklin had to tread as lightly as those further south would have to do, although for often different motivations. Each would come to value secularism and a United States. Both would find other issues as easily as troubling.

Just a thought.
Just Ken
kgregglv@cox.net
http://classicalliberalism.blogspot.com

]]>