The founding fathers held diverse religious views and drew on secular sources

Evidence

But this story is a myth. The religious views of the Founders ranged widely: from atheism through deism and Unitarianism to Congregationalism, Baptism, and even Roman Catholicism. The Declaration and the Constitution drew on various influences, including classical liberalism (e.g., Locke) and civic republicanism (e.g., Machiavelli). More than a little of the nation’s wealth and prosperity were derived from stolen land and slave labor. These are all well-established historical facts. — Philip S. Gorski and Samuel L. Perry, The Flag and the Cross, 38

Categorization

• XREF: Echoes the established historiography on the Founders’ religious diversity (e.g., David Holmes, texts on deism). — connects to: America’s founders created the first secular republic. — Katherine Stewart, The Power Worshippers: Inside the…, 509; Christian nationalist pastors claim America’s Christian heritage is evident in founding documents — Andrew L. Whitehead; Samuel L. Perry, Taking America Back for God, 38; America’s founders wrote church-state separation into the Constitution — Katherine Stewart, The Power Worshippers: Inside the…, 1069 (+3 more)
• SEED: A myth-debunking fact list that could anchor a piece on why the ‘Christian nation’ origin story persists despite the historical record.

Broader Connections

• America’s founders created the first secular republic. #expands (0.85) — Katherine Stewart, The Power Worshippers, 509
• Christian nationalist pastors claim America’s Christian heritage is evident in founding documents #contradicts (0.85) — Andrew L. Whitehead; Samuel L. Perry, Taking America Back for God, 38
• America’s founders wrote church-state separation into the Constitution #expands (0.80) — Katherine Stewart, The Power Worshippers, 1069
• The United States was not founded as an explicitly Christian nation #corroborates (0.80) — Andrew L. Whitehead; Samuel L. Perry, Taking America Back for God, 115
• American religious freedom was historically limited to Protestant Whites #qualifies (0.70)