Exactly renegadeviking. It was a later addition. The founding fathers were predominately Deist. That's why you don't find the word 'Jesus' on any of the documents.
Quote:The Founding Fathers were not religious men, and they fought hard to erect, in Thomas Jefferson's words, "a wall of separation between church and state." John Adams opined that if they were not restrained by legal measures, Puritans-the fundamentalists of their day-would "whip and crop, and pillory and roast." The historical epoch had afforded these men ample opportunity to observe the corruption to which established priesthoods were liable, as well as "the impious presumption of legislators and rulers," as Jefferson wrote, "civil as well as ecclesiastical, who, being themselves but fallible and uninspired men, have assumed dominion over the faith of others, setting up their own opinions and modes of thinking as the only true and infallible, and as such endeavoring to impose them on others, hath established and maintained false religions over the greatest part of the world and through all time."
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Religion/Godless_Constitution.htmlCan you imagine what would have happened if it had been otherwise? The Christian "Caliphate" of the USA?
This separation of church and state had enormous influence around the world. In the Muslim world, that other great Deist Kemal Atatürk founded a secular Turkey based on separation of religion and state.
Modern secularism has its roots in Deism. Were it not for these heretics of their time, the world would be a different place today.
By the way, be careful what you quote about Deism and Deists. Like atheists, some of them tend to make all kinds of generalised statements that are simply not true. A certain atheist has been known to say on this board "Atheists don't believe in superstition". That is a generalisation that is simply incorrect.
Like Atheists, Deists are free thinkers, unconstrained by dogma or doctrine. Atheists and Deists are a bit like cats - you can't herd them.
Most the politicians have some sort of religious background, especially the republicans. Most of them are based off Christan. Simple fact.
Some founding fathers were and some founding fathers weren't relgious.