February 2023
“These United States of America,” were not, as they claim, founded as a “democracy.” When asked about the form of government; I believe it was Benjamin Franklin who said, “A Republic if you can keep it.” Note that reply, “if you can keep it,” foresaw attempts of insurrection. According to an essay in “Great Issues in American History vol.1,” edited by Richard Hofstadter (1958), Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense” pamphlet (1776) was written due to some conversations between he and Franklin. Years ago, when I first read it, what popped out at me was the Godly references within it. I had been led to believe Paine was an atheist. Perhaps at some point he was, but these brief quotes say otherwise: “... lovers of civil and religious liberty... ,” “... we claim brotherhood with every European Christian...,” “... the distance at which the Almighty hath placed England and America ...,” “The Reformation was preceded by the discovery of America, as if the Almighty graciously meant to open a sanctuary to the persecuted ...”
Those don’t sound like the sentiments of an atheist to me. However, most important to my point upon America’s government is this quote, “But where, say some, is the king of America? I’ll tell ...
