Wagner's "Unconfirmed" George Washington Quotation

That image is of one Dr. Bo Wagner who is a pastor in a Protestant evangelical-fundamentalist church. Normally I don't post pics with my posts, but I decided to post his because I find his style to be neato (seriously, that's a sharp looking man). But anyway, back in 2013, he wrote an article entitled "George Washington’s view of God."

Let me start off with a conclusion: According to the theology of Pastor Wagner's Church on what it means to be a "Christian," George Washington probably wouldn't make the cut. Books have been written on why this is so. But in brief, while Washington constantly talked about God or "Providence" in his recorded public and private words, he rarely talked about Jesus. In fact the words "Jesus Christ" are recorded only once, in a public address to Indians and one other time by example, but not named in the 1783 Circular to the States. Both of these were written by aides, but given under Washington's imprimatur.

In Washington's recorded, private words, to deafening silence, Jesus Christ is never mentioned. And as Brad Hart has pointed out, even though Washington prayed often and used a variety of terms for God, not once was Washington recorded praying in Jesus' name.

But that's not the impression Dr. Wagner's article leaves. Quote:

... The very father of our country was not afraid to recognize and speak of Jesus Christ. Here are the first and last lines of a prayer that he wrote, and had framed so that America would never forget: “Almighty God, we make our earnest prayer that Thou wilt keep the United States in Thy Holy protection... Grant our supplication, we beseech Thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.”

The problem with Dr. Wagner's claim is that George Washington didn't say it. The quotation actually originated sometime in the 19th century, long after Washington had passed. For detailed information on how this came to be, Snopes has the 411; see also Michael Meyerson; and Chris Rodda.

Though the context of Dr. Wagner's claim is interesting. Given Washington didn't say these words, would we then conclude that he was "afraid to recognize and speak of Jesus Christ"? I don't draw that conclusion because one of Washington's virtues was courage; he didn't seem to "fear" much if anything. Rather I conclude Washington simply didn't share Dr. Wagner's faith.

Washington was no strict deist or atheist. The appropriate term to categorize his creed is debatable. But he was not Dr. Wagner's kind of Christian.