Celebrating Lincoln, His Beliefs and Philosophy

After Abraham Lincoln was assassinated on the Good Friday of 1865, many American religionists compared him with even Christ, portraying him as exemplary of the Christian faith. However, he was not one in the conventional sense. It was his reading, rather than people, that influenced Lincoln’s beliefs the most. Here, we discuss some of Lincoln’s beliefs on Presidents Day holiday.

Lincoln’s Religion

Allen Guelzo, a professor at Eastern College, Pennsylvania, observed that Lincoln contributed to the American idea of free will and other issues of theology. The teacher of American history and an Episcopalian, Guelzo has viewed Lincoln as a secular figure.

In his intellectual biography of Lincoln, Guelzo states that religiously, while the former President was not able to believe, the man had never felt comfortable with this unbelief. Skeptical about religion in his youth, he gradually gained deeper respect for it.

Lincoln’s Philosophy: Factors Influencing Lincoln’s Beliefs

The key to his system of beliefs was a rough version of the belief in predestination, which he had absorbed from the churches of his parents. Both of them were Primitive Baptists. Later, his father and stepmother were rigidly Calvinistic. In his young days, Lincoln was inclined towards the “Doctrine of Necessity.” He believed that the human mind is impelled to act or rest by a power that was not controllable by mind. While he believed in a form of providence at work in the universe, he did not believe in God as his savior. However, this did not mean that Lincoln was a follower of Unitarianism.

When he launched his political career, Lincoln, being a champion of business, chose to be with the Whig Party, which drew support from evangelical Protestants (who wanted the abolition of slavery). He did not join any church, maintain a religious stand or keep doubts to himself for political gains.  He remained honest. When he contested for a seat in the U.S. House against Democrat Peter Cartwright in 1846, the opposition projected him as an infidel. As a reply, he issued a pamphlet in which he accepted that he was not a member of any Christian Church. However, he denied disrespecting Christianity in general or any religious group.

On the death of her son, Lincoln’s wife became actively committed to Presbyterianism. Thereafter, Presbyterian clergy came to be regarded as the family pastors of Lincoln. However, Lincoln was never affiliated with any Christian body. However, he chatted a lot with James Smith, the Springfield pastor. Smith, unlike other skeptics, noted that Lincoln was a constant reader of the Holy Bible.

Lincoln believed in a market-oriented democracy, where one could prosper through ambition. However, he didn’t favor the accumulation of profit at the cost of moral principles. He viewed slavery as immoral and declared that Civil War could be won, if fought for a moral cause.

Saluting these beliefs on Abraham Lincoln’s birthday…