- Benjamin Franklin’s religious views underwent a significant transformation over the course of his life. His early years were marked by a devout upbringing in a Dissenting Presbyterian family. He attended grammar school with the intention of becoming a clergyman.
- However, as he encountered diverse religious doctrines and philosophical arguments through reading, Franklin’s faith in traditional dogma wavered. He questioned several tenets of Presbyterianism, such as predestination and reprobation, and eventually began to doubt the validity of Revelation itself.
- His exposure to Deist writings further reinforced his skepticism, leading him to embrace Deism in his youth. Deism, a philosophical perspective popular during the Enlightenment, emphasized reason and observation while questioning traditional religious authority.
- Franklin’s Deist phase manifested in his actions. He engaged in “indiscrete disputations about religion,” which earned him a reputation as an “infidel or atheist” among some in Boston.
- While in London, Franklin authored a pamphlet, “A Dissertation on Liberty and Necessity, Pleasure and Pain,” which reflected his Deist leanings. This pamphlet explored philosophical concepts of free will, determinism, and morality, concluding that “nothing could possibly be wrong in the world, and that vice and virtue were empty distinctions”.
- However, as Franklin matured, he found Deism to be “not very useful”. His personal experiences with betrayal and moral conflicts, alongside his observations of human behavior, led him to reassess his views.
- Franklin shifted towards a more pragmatic approach to religion, emphasizing its practical value in promoting virtue and social harmony. He came to believe that certain actions might be “forbidden because they were bad for us, or commanded because they were beneficial to us”.
- This evolving perspective shaped his actions. Though he rarely attended public worship, Franklin supported the establishment of places of worship for various denominations, recognizing their role in fostering morality and community.
- Franklin’s practical approach to religion is exemplified in his involvement in projects like the founding of a hospital and the paving and lighting of Philadelphia’s streets. These initiatives, while not explicitly religious, stemmed from his belief in the importance of “doing good to man,” which he considered the “most acceptable service of God”.
- Furthermore, Franklin’s publication of “Poor Richard’s Almanac” served as a platform for disseminating moral and practical advice to a wide audience, emphasizing values such as industry, frugality, and virtue.
- In his later years, Franklin continued to advocate for religious tolerance and the separation of church and state. When helping to establish a meeting house in Philadelphia, he insisted that it be open to preachers “of any religious persuasion”.
- Despite his evolving religious beliefs, Franklin maintained a core set of principles throughout his life, including a belief in God, divine providence, the immortality of the soul, and the existence of reward and punishment in the afterlife.
- It is important to note that Franklin’s autobiography, the primary source for his religious views, was written decades after many of the events described. His recollections may be colored by hindsight and his evolving perspectives on religion.
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