My earlier views of the unsoundness of the Christian scheme of salvation and the human origin of the scriptures, have become clearer and stronger with advancing years and I see no reason for thinking I shall ever change them. Abraham Lincoln (To Judge J. S. Wakefield, following Willie Lincoln's death in 1862)
Originally posted by 667joe My earlier views of the unsoundness of the Christian scheme of salvation and the human origin of the scriptures, have become clearer and stronger with advancing years and I see no reason for thinking I shall ever change them. Abraham Lincoln (To Judge J. S. Wakefield, following Willie Lincoln's death in 1862)
what makes you believe that the above quote makes lincoln an atheist?
Originally posted by 667joe What do you think it makes him?
From:
"My earlier views of the unsoundness of the Christian scheme of salvation and the human origin of the scriptures, have become clearer and stronger with advancing years and I see no reason for thinking I shall ever change them. Abraham Lincoln (To Judge J. S. Wakefield, following Willie Lincoln's death in 1862)"
we can infer he didn't think the Christian scheme of salvation was sound (i.e. an element of Christian belief) and that he saw scripture as something created by humans. Taking the union of these doesn't rule out the possibility he believed in a variant of Christian god (divorced from at least the salvation element) and that he saw scripture as perhaps an attempt by humans to approximate the god he actually did believe exists.
Consequently, you cannot validly conclude he was an atheist just from the quote you give.
Originally posted by 667joe What do you think it makes him?
this quote alone is not sufficient to determine what it makes him. it is sufficient to determine that he doubts the christian scheme of salvation. ergo, he was not a christian in the popular sense that people understood to be christianity.
Originally posted by VoidSpirit this quote alone is not sufficient to determine what it makes him. it is sufficient to determine that he doubts the christian scheme of salvation. ergo, he was not a christian in the popular sense that people understood to be christianity.
“Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right” A. Lincoln
I doubt President Lincoln was or even now is an Atheist, but people will reach
for whatever they want to prove their points, correct or not.
Kelly
RIP Lincoln 1809-1865. A lot of things happened from 1862 to 1865. I believe lincoln became a Christian before he was killed. As far as I know Lincoln was never an atheist.
Originally posted by gambit3 RIP Lincoln 1809-1865. A lot of things happened from 1862 to 1865. I believe lincoln became a Christian before he was killed. As far as I know Lincoln was never an atheist.
posthumous rumors. lincoln wasn't alive at the time to verify or deny those allegations (that he became a christian).
Originally posted by gambit3 RIP Lincoln 1809-1865. A lot of things happened from 1862 to 1865. I believe lincoln became a Christian before he was killed. As far as I know Lincoln was never an atheist.
On what basis do you think he "became a Christian" before he was killed?
Originally posted by gambit3 RIP Lincoln 1809-1865. A lot of things happened from 1862 to 1865. I believe lincoln became a Christian before he was killed. As far as I know Lincoln was never an atheist.
There are no records that Lincoln ever attended church.
Originally posted by Kunsoo On what basis do you think he "became a Christian" before he was killed?
I do not remember what I heard about Lincoln in the early 1990s. It was stated that he became a Christian before the day of his death. I can tell you that I was listening to D. James Kennedy.
22 Jan '12 15:49
A. Lincoln (Atheist)
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