Currently Reading
April 27, 2004 – 8:05 pmI’m in the middle (well, actually about a third of the way through) Susan Jacoby’s Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism.
Normally, I’m not one for US history, but I tend to enjoy intellectual histories more than other sorts (e.g., military, economic, etc.), so after seeing a review of the book in the Post, I decided to pick up a copy and go to town.
The thing that has struck me most powerfully in the first third of the book is without question the success that the freethinkers among the founders had with the Constitution - a success that was built upon an alliance with evangelicals and other religious groups. Contrast that with the truth of the situation today, so succinctly expressed by Michael Newdow before the Supreme Court, that no atheist (or for that matter, agnostic like me) would ever be elected to a major political office. Jefferson, Adams - they wouldn’t stand a chance if they were running for president today.
Seems kind of tragic, doesn’t it?
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