Thoughts from our Founding Fathers, no. 2

I have to admit that the following quote gave me fits while researching, and comes from a speech Ben Franklin wrote and presented to the Constitutional Convention in 1787.  What took me down the rabbit hole are the multiple accounts of the speech as given.  There are two main sources: the first, and considered most reliable is the speech as written in Mr. Franklin's own hand, which surfaced in James Madison's journal.  It is this source from which the below quote comes.  The second account of the events as they transpired comes from a letter written in 1825 from a William Steele, who is recounting the events as told to him by General Dayton (yep, that'd be double-hearsay, thank you very much).  As typical with hearsay, Mr. Steele's account was eventually declared unreliable as Mr. Franklin's handwritten speech surfaced.  

"All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of superintending Providence in our favor. To that kind Providence we owe this happy opportunity of consulting in peace on the means of establishing our future national felicity. And have we now forgotten that powerful friend? Or do we imagine that we no longer need His assistance? I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth - that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?  We have been assured, Sir, in the Sacred Writings, that 'except the Lord build the House, they labor in vain that build it'." 

- Benjamin Franklin, to Colleagues at the Constitutional Convention (1787)

This quote is relevant today in the face of prayer-in-school debates, whether we should keep "In God We Trust" on our currency, and the never-ending separation of church and state arguments.  Yes, the Founders were afraid that a strong link between church and state could create Bloody Mary and Henry VIII-style oppression, but that does not mean they were atheists.  It's interesting as I ask God to help me get through my days of emotional litigation that our Founders did the same when constructing the foundation of our great nation.

Benjamin Franklin was born in 1706 in Boston, but ran away to Philadelphia when he was seventeen.  He was an author, scientist, inventor, foreign diplomat, and signed the Declaration of Independence.  You can read more about him here.  You can read about his involvement (and the debate surrounding his involvement) at the Constitutional Convention here.  And thanks again to my father-in-law, Capt. Philip Crowell, III, US Navy (retired) for this one; couldn't do it without him!

Enjoy!

JD

John D. Duncan is president of J.D. Duncan, PC, founding partner of Prater, Duncan & Craig, LLC in Newnan, Georgia, and is Esquire by Day.  You can find him at www.jdduncanlaw.com, or follow him on twitter and Facebook.