John Adams on Christianity

A friend of mine forwarded on some great quotes from Norman Cousins' In God We Trust concerning Founding Father John Adams and his opinions on Christianity:Christianity to him was the

"brightness of the glory and the express portrait of the character of the eternal, self-existent, independent, benevolent, all powerful and all merciful  creator, preserver and father of the universe, the first good, the first first, and first fair."

As to the administration of Christianity:

"The blackest billingsgate, the most ungentlemanly insolence, the most yahooish brutality is patiently endured, countenanced, propagated and applauded.

But touch a solemn truth in collision with a dogma of sect, though capable of the clearest proof, and you will find you have disturbed a nest, and the hornets will swarm about your legs and hands and fly into your face and eyes."

[Here is John Adams at 21 - JP]

The Church of Rome has made it an article of faith that no man can be saved out of the church.

Oh! That I could wear out of my mind every mean and base affectation; conquer my natural pride and self- conceit; expect no more deference from my fellows than I deserve; acquire that meekness and humility which are the sure  mark and characters of a great and generous soul; subdue every unworthy passion and treat all men as I wish to be treated by all men. How happy should I then be in the favor and good will of all honest men and the sure prospect of a happy immortality.

[And:]

"Let it be revealed or demonstrated that there is no future state, and my advice to every man, woman and child would be, as our existence would be in our own power, to take opium. "For I am certain there is nothing in this world worth living for but hope, and every hope will fail us, if the last hope, for a future state is extinguished." John Adams -- December 27, 1816