Lincoln's Christianity by Michael Burkhimer

[maharba]

You ask Why would an atheist write out such apparently devout thoughts. And that no one was really even supposed to see these personal jottings, anyway.

I believe I addressed that when I said earlier,

"I see supposed 'fragments' on this and that in dead letter Lincoln material: Niagra Falls, Golden apples, etc. This 'meditation' fragment sounds to me like future material being cooked for what amounted to another speech, the 2nd Inaugural..wonder how many other 'fragments' of Lincoln's may still be out there."

The War was clearly an horrific miscalculation and blunder, Lincoln was almost universally hated by North and South. But Lincoln was never a stupid fellow, and just as he constantly read telegraph messages and newspaper items, he was conferring with Seward, and Lincoln's very active mind was formulating various themes and pitches in planned messages to the American public (of the North). He would use those same make-believe pious appeals, and finally in the 2nd Inaugural he would blame the War on...GOD. It was the fated 'will of God' at work, and surely not Abraham Lincoln to blame.