Was Lincoln a Christian?

Apologies for another short link, but this essay about the quest to discover President Lincoln's spiritual beliefs caught my eye today. Lincoln has been "claimed" by Christians, non-Christians, and everyone in between as a proponent of their views, but apparently it is quite difficult to discern what he actually believed about God, prayer, and Christianity.

Login to comment

Comments (12)

Lincoln was not a Christian.
And how would you know this factoid? You weren't alive then and surely didn't speak to Mr. Lincoln personally. Anything you read is suspect in regards to any famous historical person, especially old' Abe. Whatever Lincoln was or wasn't shouldn't concern me or you, it only matters that our sovereign God used him to do something of lasting value to mankind and our country.
You know by the comments that the person made; and also by their actions, and what others around them said. Lincoln was also an elitist. Besides, if Lincoln was a Christian than why would he allow his wife Mary Todd to have seances in the White House?
Lincoln was many things, calling him an "elitist" might be a stretch. I never said Lincoln was
a Christian. Lincoln may have been a Christian "yoked" to an un-believeing wife who suffered
from many of the same spiritual ills of today's society. Lincoln was the leader of the Union but
not the spiritual head of his own home.
How do you know this?
I always wonder how close someone really is concerning our Lord God. I like the old saying that you may be surprized who you see in heaven and they may be surprized to see you. I've had the opportunity given to me by God to be associated with many people of many religious beliefs and I don't know which one of them will be standing at the gate talking to Peter when I get there. I do however, just recently was given a little something which is hard to define, but it doesn't matter what a person does to show they are a Christian, but what is shown as an example. I don't know if Lincoln was a Christian or not, but I hope and pray for all to come closer to God. In God's Grace John
How can anyone possibly know, unless they are God ? Honestly, whether or not someone is a Christian is between them and God. For all any of us know, our Christian friends, famous scholars, bands, preachers, etc. could be struggling inside with their beliefs. And those we think are in need of salvation might already be saved.
Does struggling with my beliefs mean that I am not a Christian? Didn't Paul also struggle with his beliefs when he spoke about the difficulty of doing what is right? "The things I wish to do, I do not do. The things I do not do are the things I wish to do" What about Christ on the cross when he asked if God had forsaken him? I totally agree with you that no one knows the relationship between a man and his God, it is not our business to know. I guess it all comes down to judging...
Paul was't struggling with a belief, he was struggling with sin that was all around him. He was still mortal, and had many sinful desires; but he kept his beliefs in tact. He never wavered in his belief in Jesus Christ. If he did; he never would have been martyred by beheading.
Did anybody notice the reference to Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address? Has anyone read it? Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan referred to its "profound theological content." That was an accurate description. Nobody knows Lincoln's denominational preference, if any, nor what doctrines he believed, if any, but he had an amazing grasp on his own relationship to God, the relationship of God to a civil war in which both sides prayed for victory, and the fact that the Almighty has purposes other than ours.
You might find this interesting (this is a quote by the way):

There is a remarkable letter that comes to us from an Illinois clergyman who talked to Lincoln after this time. He said this to Mr. Lincoln (Again, I commend him for his boldness): "Mr. President, do you love Jesus?" After a long pause, Mr. Lincoln solemnly replied: "When I left Springfield I asked the people to pray for me. I was not a Christian. When I buried my son, the severest trial of my life, I was not a Christian. But when I went to Gettysburg and saw the graves of thousands of our soldiers, I then and there consecrated myself to Christ. Yes, I do love Jesus." By the way, when I preached this sermon before, someone challenged that statement. Well, I would suggest they do what I do. Go to Washington. Go to Ford's Theater. Go across the street to the Lincoln Museum; ask for The Lincoln Memorial: Album-Immortelles in the O.H. Oldroyd Collection. The book was published in 1883, and the quote is found on page 366.

You can find this at http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles...

I run a ministry for Christians who don't belong to a church. I fancy Mr Lincoln fell into this bracket. It is often hard for people to accept that someone can be a Christian and yet not be a member of a church. This would have been near impossible to accept back then.

I think this quote (and given his life story) it's pretty clear he became a Christian.
why does it matter? As great a man as Lincoln was, his faith should not affect yours. Your faith is between you and God, as was Lincoln's.

See the latest in:

Promotion

promo 1 promo 2
promo 3 promo 4

Donate Now