George Washington quote re politics and religion - fake?

[greyl]

"Do not let anyone((or "any one")) claim to be a true American if they ever attempt to remove religion from politics."

This quote is reportedly from his farewell speech, but I'm leaning toward it being inauthentic. Thought I'd give it one last chance here. Anyone know of a valid source? The only 'sources' I find are right wing web sites.

[Avalux]

1. I've never heard it, sounds incredibly bogus.

The fact that you can't validate it from a source other than RW websites means it probably is. They are forever twisting and falsiflying the words of our founding fathers to suit their own purposes.

[Shilohtd16]

2. that english is WAY to modern to be said by washington

[silverweb]

3. Yale Law School

Is that a valid enough source for the text of the speech?

http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/washing.htm

[Democrats_win]

6. I didn´t find that quote in the link. Anyone else?

Still, he does say some good things about religion.

Good Americans have insisted that religion be a part of things. However, there are places where justice demands that it be absent.

[greyl]

7. Sorry if I was confusing.

I didn't mean to imply that if the quote wasn't in his speech that he never said it.
I only meant that some people say it was part of his farewell address(which clearly isn't true) but that before I decided he never said it on any occasion, I'd run it by the people here.

I'm confident that, as I suspected, it's a bogus quote being used by dingleberries. On par with the "Einstein believed in astrology" bullshit.

Thanks, guys. :)

[Warpy]

4. He said something similar, close but no cigar

"Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle." http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/g/george_washington.html

He said nothing about the separation of church and state, but he did voice the opinion of most believers who can't comprehend joyous and ethical atheists who live moral lives without the threat of hell hanging over them.

However, he also said things like,"Over grown military establishments are under any form of government inauspicious to liberty, and are to be regarded as particularly hostile to republican liberty," and "The constitution vests the power of declaring war in Congress; therefore no offensive expedition of importance can be undertaken until after they shall have deliberated upon the subject and authorized such a measure."

We'd do well to heed his warnings on military matters, something he knew a great deal more about than he did unbelievers.

[Zen Democrat]

5. Absolutely false. Not in there. Here's a link to the address:

http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/facts/democrac/49.htm

And here are two quite interesting passages that we should take to heart in these days of trouble:

"If in the opinion of the people the distribution or modification of the constitutional powers be in any particular wrong, let it be corrected by an amendment in the way which the Constitution designates. But let there be no change by usurpation; for though this in one instance may be the instrument of good, it is the customary weapon by which free governments are destroyed. The precedent must always greatly overbalance in permanent evil any partial or transient benefit which the use can at any time yield."

Also this passage strikes me today:

Observe good faith and justice toward all nations. Cultivate peace and harmony with all. Religion and morality enjoin this conduct. And can it be that good policy does not equally enjoin it? It will be worthy of a free, enlightened, and at no distant period a great nation to give to mankind the magnanimous and too novel example of a people always guided by an exalted justice and benevolence. Who can doubt that in the course of time and things the fruits of such a plan would richly repay any temporary advantages which might be lost by a steady adherence to it? Can it be that Providence has not connected the permanent felicity of a nation with its virtue? The experiment, at least, is recommended by every sentiment which ennobles human nature. Alas! is it rendered impossible by its vices?

[onager]

8. One of my favorite G.W. quotes....

Early in 1784, George Washington was trying to hire some workers for Mt. Vernon, and he wrote up a classified advertisement for the local newspaper.

The paper's editor asked if Washington...following the custom of the times...wanted to specify any particular KIND of workers. Presumably meaning white, Xian, non-Jewish, etc.

Washington replied: If they are good workmen, they may be from Asia, Africa or Europe; they may be Mahometans, Jews, Christians of any sect, or they may be Atheists... (Quoted in "The Washington Papers" by Saul Padover.)

I guess Washington didn't get the word that we atheists are all Angry Whackjobs. :-)

Seeing the most raving Fundie Xian Whackjobs try to claim George Washington is pretty funny. One hokey Xian myth is about Washington on his deathbed, that his last words were: "Bring me the Book." Meaning the One Honest-To-Gosh True Book In All Recorded Human History, of course...the Bible.

Xians should only make up deathbed lies about people who die alone. Washington died in the presence of 3 doctors and his personal secretary. None of them mentioned anything about him asking for a book.

Washington was as practical as you'd expect a lifelong farmer and soldier to be. He actually spent his last moments on Earth making sure he wouldn't be buried alive--not an unreasonable fear in the 18th Century.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

9. I am a genealogy freak

and one of my only genealogical claims to fame is that Rocky Hill, where GW gave his Farewell to the Troops, was owned by my family, the Berriens. Kind of the "old home place." It has been moved twice and is a museum now. I never lived there. It is actually rather small.

There were two "Farewell addresses." One to the troops at Rocky Hill (near Princeton) and the other much later when he left the presidency.

I know the first almost by heart, having seen it on framed prints most of my life. In it, he never uses the word "religion."

In the second address, I don't see anything like the OP mentioned, but there is this:


'And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.'

****

Let us remember that even in those days, there was such a thing as political spin!