|
|
Question
#55052. Buck540
asks:
Has an atheist or agnostic ever appeared on United States currency?
|
griffinj
|
Thomas Jefferson (five cent piece and two dollar bill), and James Madison ($5000 bill), may not have been true atheists, though a strong case could be made that they were so. And they certainly bore quite a strong antipathy toward organized religions. Abraham Lincoln (penny) was probably an atheist in his youth but later came to believe in the existence of God.
Feb 11 05, 1:07 PM
|
robboy
|
Somehow I knew Jefferson's name would come up as an answer, and I don't think that is at all correct. Jefferson himself states and his biographer's attest to the fact that he was a deist. He was frequently accused of being an atheist, verbally and in writing, but I believe there's adequate evidence against that or even being an agnostic. Some reference material:
 http://www.sullivan-county.com/id3/jefferson_deist.htm
Feb 11 05, 1:43 PM
|
griffinj
|
Sadly for the serious inquiry, I haven't been able to find any site, pro or con, that presents to me a truly objective view of Jefferson’s beliefs and isn't obviously trying to promote its own agenda. (The bias of the site listed by Robboy is quite clear from its heading.) There is plentiful evidence both for the atheistic and deistic views. Jefferson's own Bible is an excellent example of such evidence; it can be quite reasonably used to support both interpretations. Thus I put the qualifier in my answer.
Feb 11 05, 2:13 PM
|
kaylofgorons
|
I don't believe Benjamin Franklin ever really became religious, even though he was a very moral man and was good friends with a great evangalist.
Maybe Ben is your answer?
Feb 11 05, 2:40 PM
|
robboy
|
While most anything can be sloughed off with a 'qualifyer', I do find that using multiple and reputable citations are the best method of culling bias from fact. It's really not arguable at all, and I got distracted from answering the question. I believe Franklin would be the fit of an agnostic candidate, he being on the 50 cent piece and the 100 dollar bill.
http://www.faqfarm.com/History/Founding/2331
But then again, there's this about Susan B. Anthony. Biased as it is, of course.
http://www.atheists.org/Atheism/roots/anthony/
Feb 11 05, 2:42 PM
|
Buck540
|
I'm sorry Ben is not correct, and Kaylo I disagree with your statement that "Franklin was a moral man."
The true answer is Susan B. Anthony, who appears on our ill-fated dollar coin starting in 1979, was an atheist, and the following site explains it well:
http://www.atheists.org/Atheism/roots/anthony/
Feb 11 05, 3:08 PM
|
griffinj
|
Was Franklin an agnostic?
"God heals and the doctor takes the fee."
"Work as if you were to live 100 years, Pray as if you were to die To-morrow."
"All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of superintending providence in our favor. To that kind providence we owe this happy opportunity of consulting in peace on the means of establishing our future national felicity. And have we now forgotten that powerful friend? Or do we imagine that we no longer need his assistance? I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth-that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the Ground without his Notice, is it probable that an Empire can rise without his Aid?"
"Finally, there seem to be but three Ways for a Nation to acquire Wealth. The first is by War as the Romans did in plundering their conquered Neighbours. This is Robbery. The second by Commerce which is generally Cheating. The third by Agriculture the only honest Way; wherein Man receives a real Increase of the Seed thrown into the Ground, in a kind of continual Miracle wrought by the Hand of God in his favour, as a Reward for his innocent Life, and virtuous Industry."
"I think vital religion has always suffered when orthodoxy is more regarded than virtue. The scriptures assure me that at the last day we shall not be examined on what we thought but what we did."
Feb 11 05, 3:30 PM
|
robboy
|
Franklin in his own words admits he's not sure about the existence of a god. That'd be an agnostic to me. On a different note, the thing I found ironic about the Anthony Dollar is the motto 'In God We Trust'.
Feb 11 05, 6:49 PM
|
|
Fun Trivia | 
Quizzes | 
Games
| 
People | 
Services | 
Help | 
Me
Sign up NOW for your free FunTrivia account. Compete,
join
teams, and meet people!
Have a question that you want answered? Are you able to answer questions from other FunTrivia guests? Then you have come to the right
place!