Abraham Lincoln’s religious beliefs have been the subject of much discussion and debate. In his early years, he was accused by political opponents of being an “infidel” and a “scoffer at religion,” and not without reason. He made no secret of his skepticism, and he often ridiculed what he saw in the backwoods, frontier religion. Even then, however, he was a reader of the Bible. As a poor man on the frontier, he did not have access to very many books, but he did have a King James Bible which he read and reread.
The language and concepts of the Bible formed his thinking, writing, and speaking. Phrases from the Bible were woven into his speeches and conversations. The Biblical themes of judgment and mercy shaped his life, relationships, and politics. Later in life, after the death of two of his sons, and with the burden of leading a divided nation during the Civil War, he often sought the counsel of pastors in Washington, D.C. He spoke often of praying for God’s guidance, strength, and comfort.
Though Lincoln appeared to have a deep faith, sometimes his comments on religion were conflicting and confusing. At times he expressed doubts about some of the basic tenants of the Christian faith, he never joined a congregation, and he never made a profession of faith. Yet, he was clearly a man of deep moral wisdom, convictions, and fortitude. This prompted Leo Tolstoy to say of him, “He was a Christian and did not know it.”
The exact nature of Lincoln’s inner beliefs and faith remain a mystery, but one thing is certain: the man did know about mercy and he was able to forgive those who wronged him. The following quotes illustrate his wise and compassionate approach to life, and are well worth admiring and imitating.
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Lincoln said of himself that he was a “terrible hater,” meaning he never managed to get very good at it. He remarked that he could step outside the emotions of being attacked, and that “harsh words and acts of revenge rarely pay off.” For the good of the country, he was able to choose to work with those who had previously insulted him. In the best-known example of this, Lincoln appointed his former harsh critic, Edwin Stanton, as his Secretary of War.
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In a speech Abraham Lincoln delivered at the height of the Civil War, he referred to the Southerners as fellow human beings who were in error. An elderly lady chastised him for not calling them irreconcilable enemies who must be destroyed. “Why, madam,” Lincoln replied, “do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?”
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On the night of President Lincoln’s re-election in 1864, Assistant Secretary of the Navy Fox commented: “There are two fellows that have been especially malignant to us, and retribution has come upon them both, Hale and Winter Davis.” Fox had reason to be bitter, because Hale had vented much of his spleen against him, calling him a “scoundrel and a copperhead.” President Lincoln responded: “You have more of that feeling of personal resentment than I. Perhaps I may have too little of it, but I never thought it paid. A man has not time to spend half his life in quarrels. If any man ceases to attack me, I never remember the past.”
–Inside Lincoln’s White House: The Complete Civil War Diary of John Hay (Nov. 8, 1864).
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After receiving an apology by a friend who had inadvertently leaked a private message from Lincoln to the press, Lincoln replied: “Give yourself no uneasiness on the subject… I certainly did not expect to see my note in print; yet I have not been much shocked by the comments upon it. They are a fair specimen of what has occurred to me through life. I have endured a great deal of ridicule… I am used to it.”
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“If I were to try to read, much less answer, all the attacks made on me, this shop might as well be closed for any other business. I do the very best I know how; the very best I can; and I mean to keep doing so until the end. If the end brings me out all right, what’s said against me won’t amount to anything. If the end brings me out wrong, ten angels swearing I was right would make no difference.”
–Lincoln to artist Francis Carpenter in 1864 while Carpenter was staying at the White House to paint The First Reading of the Emancipation Proclamation (pictured above).
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I Peter 3:9 — Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
Galatians 5:14-15 — For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
Colossians 3:13 — Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
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Lord Jesus, you know me altogether. You know that I have steadily refused to forgive _____ who has wronged me, yet I have often had the audacity to seek your forgiveness for my own many wrongdoings.
The acids of bitterness and a vengeful spirit have threatened to eat away my peace of mind. Yet I have stubbornly rationalized every bad motive. I have said, “I am clearly in the right. It is only human to dislike a few people. This one deserves no forgiveness.” And so forth. How well I know that neither have I ever deserved the forgiveness which you have always freely granted me.
So, Lord Jesus, I ask you to give me the grace to forgive _____. Even now, as I pray, I am divided about it, only partially willing to let go of my resentment. But you can manage my reluctance. Heal my divided will, and help me to obey your will. Remove the bitterness that is glued to my heart, and cleanse me of every hateful thought.
For these great mercies I give thanks and praise to you, who gave the supreme example of forgiveness by forgiving even those who crucified you. Amen.
—The Prayers of Peter Marshall, p. 45.
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