What role should prayer and religion play in public life?

OCR: 1 cited passage(s) are machine-read (OCR) text of old printings; quotations reproduce the stored OCR text, misreadings included.

1. WHAT HE SAID (the record)

Record ledger

• BELIEF (undated): Benjamin Franklin believed that the most acceptable service of God was the doing good to man, and that all crime will be punished and virtue rewarded, either here or hereafter. He respected all religions in his country, though with different degrees of respect, as he found them more or less mixed with other articles that divided people and made them unfriendly to one another. "I never doubted, for instance, the existence of the Deity; that he made the world, and govern'd it by his Providence; that the most acceptable service of God was the doing good to man; that our souls are immortal; and that all crime will be punished, and virtue rewarded, either here or hereafter. These I esteem'd the essentials of every religion; and, being to be found in all the religions we had in our country, I respected them all, tho' with different degrees of respect, as I found them more or less mix'd with other articles, which, without any tendency to inspire, promote, or confirm morality, serv'd principally to divide us, and make us unfriendly to one another." [1]
• BELIEF (1745-00-00): Benjamin Franklin expressed a belief that in matters of military success, such as attacking a fortified town, he would place more dependence on practical efforts ('works') than on faith or prayer. He suggested that taking strongholds requires force and violence, and humorously implied that prayers might not be effective against a French garrison, unless it was due to a lack of provisions. This shows his view that public matters, particularly military endeavors, should rely more on tangible actions than on prayer and religion. "Indeed, in attacking strong towns I should have more dependence on works, than on faith; for, like the kingdom of heaven, they are to be taken by force and violence; and in a French garrison I suppose there are devils of that kind that they are not to be cast out by prayers and fasting, unless it be by their own fasting for want of provisions." [2]
• BELIEF (undated): Benjamin Franklin believed that religious persuasion should not be compelled in public life, as liberty of conscience was granted by charter and confirmed by law. He argued that people should not be forced to participate in religious practices against their beliefs. "no person or persons inhabiting in this province ... shall be, in any case, molested or prejudiced ... because of his or their conscientious persuasion or practice, nor be compelled to frequent, or maintain any religious worship, place, or ministry, contrary to his or their mind" [3]
• BELIEF (undated): Benjamin Franklin believed that religion should promote morality and that all religions should be respected, as they can have good effects. He also believed that public worship could be useful when rightly conducted, but he found some religious practices unedifying and not conducive to moral instruction. "I never doubted, for instance, the existence of the Deity; that he made the world, and govern'd it by his Providence; that the most acceptable service of God was the doing good to man; that our souls are immortal; and that all crime will be punished, and virtue rewarded, either here or hereafter." [4]
• BELIEF (undated): Benjamin Franklin believed that the most acceptable service of God is doing good to man, and that religion should include worship through adoration, prayer, and thanksgiving. He also thought that a society based on moral virtues could promote public life and mutual support. (key quote above) [5]
• BELIEF (1756-07-25): Benjamin Franklin believed that religion could play a positive role in public life, particularly in promoting moral behavior and setting a good example for others. He expressed this belief in the context of imagining a religious and industrious colony on the Ohio that could serve as a model for Christians and facilitate the introduction of pure religion among the heathen. "Might it not greatly facilitate the introduction of pure religion among the heathen, if we could, by such a colony, show them a better sample of Christians than they commonly see in our Indian traders?" [6]
• BELIEF (undated): Benjamin Franklin believed in the usefulness of social worship and held the doctrines of Jesus Christ in high veneration. He aimed to make religious services more accessible and engaging by shortening them, suggesting that prayer and religion should be practical and conducive to public participation. "He is a sincere lover of social worship, deeply sensible of its usefulness to society; and he aims at doing some service to religion, by proposing such abbreviations and omissions in the forms of our Liturgy..." [7]
• BELIEF (undated): Benjamin Franklin believed that prayer and religion should play a role in public life, aiming to honor and promote religion through social worship and to increase unanimity and attendance on the worship of God. (key quote above) [8]
• ACTION (undated): Benjamin Franklin moved that prayers be held in the assembly every morning before business, requesting clergy to officiate. This shows he believed prayer and religious assistance should have a formal role in public deliberations. "I therefore beg leave to move— That henceforth prayers, imploring the assistance of Heaven and its blessing on our deliberations, be held in this assembly every morning before we proceed to business; and that one or more of the clergy of this city be requested to officiate in that service." [9]
• BELIEF (undated): Benjamin Franklin believes that religion plays a necessary role in public life by providing motives to restrain vice and support virtue, especially among the weak, ignorant, and inexperienced. He argues that the belief in a providence that favors individuals is foundational to religion and that religion helps maintain virtue as a habit, which is essential for societal security. [10]

What cuts against it

• BELIEF (undated): Benjamin Franklin believed that an indiscreeet zeal for spreading religious opinions could hurt the cause of the zealot, and that blind zealotry among Christians is prevalent. He argued that reforming behavior is as important as spreading opinions. "an indifcreet Zeal for fpreading an Opinion, hurts the Caufe of the Zealot. There are too many blind Zealots among every Denomination of Chriftians; and he that propagates the Gofpel among Rakes and Beaus without reforming them in" [11]

• ACTION (undated): The passage reports that in a convention, except for three or four persons, most thought prayer unnecessary. This is based on a letter from James Madison, who was a member of the convention, explaining that Dr. Franklin's motion in favor of a religious service was referred to a committee but not further pursued, possibly due to the Quaker usage in the location and the discord of religious opinions among the convention members. "The convention, except three or four persons, thought prayer unnecessary." [12]

• ACTION (undated): Benjamin Franklin moved that the convention have prayers every morning. The passage shows that Franklin believed prayer had a place in public life, as he proposed it, but the convention largely thought prayer unnecessary, leading to the failure of his motion. "I move that we have prayers every morning." [13]

2. HOW IT APPLIES (reasoning; inference is marked)

1. Benjamin Franklin believed that the most acceptable service of God is doing good to man, and that religion should include worship through adoration, prayer, and thanksgiving. [5]

2. He also believed that religion should promote morality and that all religions should be respected, as they can have good effects. [4]

3. Franklin believed that prayer and religion should play a role in public life, aiming to honor and promote religion through social worship and to increase unanimity and attendance on the worship of God. [8]

4. However, he also believed that an indiscreeet zeal for spreading religious opinions could hurt the cause of the zealot, and that blind zealotry among Christians is prevalent. [11]

5. In practice, Franklin moved that prayers be held in the assembly every morning before business, requesting clergy to officiate, but the convention largely thought prayer unnecessary, leading to the failure of his motion. [9]

3. HIS TAKE

Record coverage: PARTIAL

The record is silent on the specific role of prayer and religion in modern public life, but it does address the role of religion in promoting morality and the importance of doing good to others.

Extrapolation: Benjamin Franklin likely believed that prayer and religion should play a role in public life by promoting morality and doing good to others, but he also recognized the potential for zealotry and the importance of respecting different religious beliefs.

Competing readings: One reading is that Franklin believed in the importance of prayer and religion in public life, as evidenced by his motion for daily prayers in the assembly. Another reading is that he was cautious about the role of religion in public life, as he believed that an indiscreeet zeal for spreading religious opinions could hurt the cause of the zealot.

Confidence: Moderate, based on the partial coverage of the record and the competing readings.