President Lincoln and the Sioux Indian uprising in Minnesota in 1862

[RJNorton]

(09-24-2014 04:00 PM)My Name Is Kate Wrote:  I had read somewhere that at one time, Lincoln had written an article denouncing the Scriptures, or maybe the Bible in general, so that had me wondering what, if anything, he believed in of a religious nature.

Hi Kate. I have read this, too, but I don't know how true the story is. Essentially it says that in 1834 Lincoln wrote his own pamphlet about religion in which he expressed his personal religious skepticism. Samuel Hill, a New Salem friend and miller to whom Lincoln showed the small book, was totally shocked by what Lincoln had to say and tried to persuade Lincoln to destroy it. But Lincoln wanted to publish it. Thinking it would destroy Lincoln's future, Hill is said to have snatched it from Lincoln's hands and to have thrown it into the fire.

If the story is true, I think we would know a lot more about Lincoln's early skepticism if that small book had not been destroyed.

IMO, no matter the truth or untruth of this story, Lincoln had developed a strong faith by the 1860's. He was very different by the 1860's than he was in the 1830's.