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The founders were a mixed group of Protestants that included the following denominations and included in that list were several who were also Deists.
- Episcopalian/Anglican
- Presbyterian
- Congregationalist
- Quaker
- Dutch Reformed/German Reformed
- Lutheran
- Catholic
- Huguenot
- Unitarian
- Methodist
There were no declared atheists who signed the Declaration of Independence. People who know about religious belief and rejected it as a part of their own life were treated with suspicion and contempt then much as they are today by religionists. However, a simple answer wouldn't explain the issue of Atheism at that time. Several factors should be discussed to provide an informed answer to your question. Remember that this was the age of the Scientific Revolution and the Age of Enlightenment. Atheism was gaining a foothold in Europe among the intellectuals. Deism might be considered the first bridge leading from the traditional religious belief systems to atheism.
Deism holds that God does not interfere with the functioning of the natural world in any way. The world may have had a supernatural creator, who then stepped back, leaving nature to run things. He was not concerned with the daily life of people and did not communicate with them through books or revelation. Deists were more intellectually inclined individuals who were raised as Christians but viewed organized religion with disfavor. They didn't believe in supernatural events, the inerrancy of The Bible or the Trinity.
Deists favored religious toleration, which would have supported an open expression of atheism. They tended to favor the civil freedom of conscience which was every person's right. Deists viewed the world with reason. An interesting aspect of reason is that free exercise of reason makes it possible to reason one's way into atheism. In fact, the United States Constitution did away with the harsh religious persecution practiced by the Puritans that was rampant in Colonial America. It bestowed all our citizens with the right to exercise the beliefs of their own choosing without fear of punishment. In no way did it launch the new nation as a Christian nation.
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Did John Hancock signer of Declaration of Independence have a brother?
John Hancock (signer of the Declaration of Independence) was an only child therefore he had no brothers or sisters. His father's name was John Hancock as well and so was his grandfathers. I'm not sure if his father had any siblings but his grandfather had a brother named Nathaniel Hancock.
Did any woman sign or pen the Declaration of Independence?
No, all the signatories of the declaration of independence were men.
What document includes the phrases you hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal?
The Declaration of Independence.
Was there any documents before the Declaration of Independence?
doesnt matter cause the declaration of independence established the first government
Are there any typos in the original declaration of independence?
yes there are
What was the Christian significance of declaration of independence?
There wasn't any.
Are any specific events mentioned in the declaration of independence?
yes
Did any blacks singed the declaration of independence?
Prince Hall
Which of the thirteen colonies did not vote on the Declaration of Independence?
Every one of the thirteen colonies voted in favor of the Declaration of Independence. Rhode Island did not send delegates to the Constitutional Convention, but did ratify it after it was finalized.
Does the Declaration of Independence govern like the founding fathers would have wanted in the present day?
The Declaration of Independence did not establish any form of government. You are thinking of the Constitution.
Is there any pictures of Richard Henry lee before he died?
Yes. They are paintings. Richard Henry Lee was a signer of the Declaration Of Independence. He was also Virginia's first senator. Also he was a cousin of Light Horse Harry Lee and Robert E. Lee.
Were any of the signers of the Declaration of Independence captured or arrested by the British for signing it?
No
