t Papers, the Bill of Rights, Washingtons Farewell address, Jeffersons first inaugural speech, the Gettysburg address, FDRs first inaugural speech, the pledge of allegiance, JFKs inaugural speech, and Martin Luther Kings I have a dream speech. The demigods of American civil religion are the founding fathers. Men such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin would all fit into this category. American civil religion also comes with its own set of high priests, if you will. These originally tended to be the Presidents- with some even becoming saints with days of national veneration. This group would include men like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, and Abraham Lincoln. Eventually Justices of the Supreme Court came to be included in this group as expositors of the sacred texts. The martyrs of American civil religion are those who have died in the service of democracy. Nathan Hale, an American spy at the time of the American Revolution, and members of the armed forces who have died in battle would be considered martyrs of American civil religion. Finally, American civil religion has its own set of sacred places. Examples of this would be the Washington Monument, the White House, Lincoln Memorial, and Mount Rushmore. It has been suggested that American civil religion is so popular, even fervent, because of the strong Judeo-Christian background of the country and the personal religious beliefs of its citizens. It has also been attributed to the American sense of exceptionalism, which is the belief that the United States is chosen by God. This might be an explanation as to why Americans are so eager to intervene in international affairs. So, while American civil religion is not an organized religion, I do believe that it is something that is thriving in American society. It serves as a means of unification of people across classes and cultures, and Im...
