How can people believe that the founders of this country didn't believe in the God of Heaven when John Hancock and John Adams said 'We recognize no sovereign but God and no king but Jesus'?

Answer 1

There are good reasons for supposing that most, perhaps all, of the Founders believed in God, but this isn't one of them. There is no evidence whatsoever that either John Adams or John Hancock ever said "We recognize no sovereign but God and no king but Jesus." This is a modern urban legend recorded in no sober history book, and was in fact adapted from a slogan of the Fifth Monarchy Men in England a century before the American Revolution.

The urban legend has it that Adams and Hancock said this in reply to a British officer just before the battle of Lexington on April 19, 1775--but neither Adams nor Hancock was even there at the time. The same reply is also sometimes attributed to the Reverend Jonas Clark, who actually was there, but his own account, which is quite detailed, makes no mention of it, nor do any of the other witnesses who left a record of events.

A few commentsA few points:

• John Hancock and John Adams weren't the only founders
• Most of the founders do seem to have believed in God, and specifically in a God that took an active role in history
• The founders were generally in favor of various non-sectarian public religious expression
• The founders were emphatic supporters of religious freedom and tolerance, favoring individual conscience over mandated religion
• Some of the leading founders rejected certain key parts of Christian dogma. Most famously, Thomas Jefferson compiled his own version of The Bible, removing certain portions. Jefferson accepted Jesus's teachings, but denied his divinity, the Trinity, the resurrection, etc.
• However, The denominational affiliation of these men is a matter of public record. Among the delegates were 28 Episcopalians, 8 Presbyterians, 7 Congregationalists, 2 Lutherans, 2 Dutch Reformed, 2 Methodists, 2 Roman Catholics, 1 unknown and 3 deists--Williamson, Wilson and Franklin.