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Lincoln's Christianity by Michael Burkhimer
12-06-2015, 06:15 PM
Post: #64
RE: Lincoln's Christianity by Michael Burkhimer
I hired a researcher to go through William E. Barton's papers at the University of Chicago and among the 700 or so papers he sent me, I found a letter written by J.E. Burton to Barton on April 27, 1919 that I think perfectly encapsulates Lincoln's religion. At this time, Barton was in the process of researching and writing The Soul of Abraham Lincoln. Burton wrote:

"He was religious in his nature and as Grace Greenwood (Mrs. Appleton) once wrote me (as her private opinion) 'he no doubt had religion but did not know it.' I have always felt that she expressed it well."

I agree. In other words, Lincoln never found it necessary to wear his religion on his sleeve and considered it more of a private virtue than a public badge. If only we had more of that today.

Best
Rob

Abraham Lincoln is the only man, dead or alive, with whom I could have spent five years without one hour of boredom.
--Ida M. Tarbell

I want the respect of intelligent men, but I will choose for myself the intelligent.
--Carl Sandburg
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RE: Lincoln's Christianity by Michael Burkhimer - Rob Wick - 12-06-2015 06:15 PM

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