Welcome to this special place on the path to spiritual reality. Here, you will find wisdom, insight into the nature of spiritual authenticity, and the encouragement to think for yourself and form a centered, rational, informed perspective on spirituality and religion.
William Edelen has spent his life in courageous pursuit of the historical truth about religion. Basing his research on facts, not popular opinions or religious dogma, he stands for accuracy.
Bill was a Marine Pilot for 12 years during WW II and the Korean War, where he learned his love of reading and scholarship. Earning advanced degrees in anthropology and theology, he taught at the university level, where his classes were always popular. Among his many learned friends were Buckminster Fuller, Walter Annenberg and Joseph Campbell. It was Joseph Campbell who recommended to Bill that he keep pointing people “Toward the Mystery.”
You will find many surprising historical truths in his inspiring lectures and columns, such as the fact that the first six presidents of the United States were not Christians – they were Deists and Humanists and were against the church being involved with government.
Join William Edelen as he presents the documented origins of religious beliefs, mythologies, traditions, and ceremonies, as well as introduces the stimulating spiritual philosophies of some of the world’s greatest minds in modern times and throughout history.
Founding presidents not Christian
February 7, 2010
One of my favorite times of the year is the Presidents month of February. Why? Because it gives me an annual opportunity to make a dent in the historical and religious ignorance of the political and Christian knee-jerk right-wingers. They spend almost full time in perverting American history, claiming that the bible and Christianity were at the foundation of this nation. What total hogwash. Once a year, I get to bring a few undisputed facts to their attention.
The Encyclopedia Britannica, 1968, Vol. 2, p. 420, says: “One of the embarrassing problems for the nineteenth-century champions of the Christian faith was the fact that NOT ONE of the first six presidents of the United States was a Christian. They were Deists.”
In Deism, there is no personal “God,” only an impersonal “force” or “energy” or “Nature’s God” or “providence.” In Deism, the bible is nothing but literature, and bad literature at that. Jefferson and Paine both called it “a dunghill.” Others of our founders used similar language. In Deism, Jesus was nothing more than a nomadic teacher. I will now let these men speak for themselves:
George Washington: “Being no bigot, I am disposed to humor Christian ministers and the church.” Looking for servants, he said: “I will be happy to have atheists, Jews, Christians, or Mohammedans.” In 1831, Episcopalian minister Bird Wilson said in a sermon: “Washington is no more than a Unitarian, if anything.” Washington refused to take communion, looking upon it as superstition. He refused to ever kneel in church according to his wife and minister, James Abercrombie. In the Treaty of Tripoli, written under Washington, Article 11 begins: “As the government of the United States is NOT IN ANY SENSE founded on the Christian religion…” This Treaty was ratified by the senate in 1797 under Adams, without a SINGLE OBJECTION. Read the story »
Recent Columns
- Founding presidents not Christian · February 7, 2010
- Karma · January 31, 2010
- Free of the biblical god · January 24, 2010
- Jews without God · January 17, 2010
“Readers of my essays have asked me, over the years, to put together a book with what I consider some of my best columns from the last 30 years. Here it is: newspaper essays that I think are among the best. You will find that the majority of them are timeless. Just as relevant today as they were when I wrote them.
Order a hardbound, limited edition, signed by William Edelen-
“Edelen's in love with the truth.”
