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"The founders believed that true religion was not something handed down by a church or contained in a Bible, but was to be found through free, rational inquiry," he told the class of 500. In other words, he said the founders believed that science was the highest form of religion. "They possessed a great confidence in an individual's ability to understand the world and its most fundamental laws through the exercise of his or her reason. … This core set of beliefs led the founders, who constantly engaged and questioned things, to secure their idea of religious freedom by barring any alliance between church and state."

Ah yes, the founders and their barring of any alliance between church and state. Jones read a bit of Jefferson and claimed his views represented "the founders." His alma mater's namesake, John Dickinson, might have disagreed, especially on his view of "true religion."  "Not the least intimation in history or tradition that religion was discovered by reason. But the contrary—that is— by revelation," he wrote. "The great question as to reason is this—whether reason since the introduction of sin into the world is sufficient to discover our duty and incline us to enforce its performance. Denied." He had some nice things to say about the Bible, too, but we'll let you grab James Hutson's The Founders on Religion (where we grabbed the above quote) to see for yourself.

Quote of the day
"The only alternative to tradition is bad tradition."
—Jaroslav Pelikan in a 2003 interview with Speaking of Faith's Krista Tippett, rebroadcast this month after Pelikan's death.

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Da Vinci Code money:

1. At $77 million, it's code green for Da Vinci | Worldwide the Sony release is estimated to have grossed $224 million (The Washington Post)
   
   
2. Code hops over Hedge | So much for the "other-cott" (The Washington Times)
   
   
3. Da Vinci II: studio lines up the next blockbuster | Sony Pictures, the studio behind The Da Vinci Code, is hoping to bring another novel by Brown, Angels and Demons, to the big screen (The Times, London)
   
   
4. Also: Even God loves sequels | Sony follows up Da Vinci with 'Angels' (Variety)
   
   

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Da Vinci Code "controversy":

1. Da Vinci theater projector lenses stolen | But the manager said he did not think the theft was related to protests of the film (Associated Press)
   
   
2. Christians protest against the Da Vinci Code | The statement by the three Church mother bodies urged Christians in Zambia to stand proud of their faith rather than be overly defensive about the book and the film (The Post, Zambia)
   
   

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May (Web-only) 2006, Vol. 50