The founding fathers put in a good word for Christianity, knowing it is a civilizing force. Even so, they usually preferred Unitarianism and deism (and secular living) to Christian fervor and traditionalism. Did Jefferson and Adams believe in the Incarnation? No. It paved the way for all kinds of heretical and secular thought. Small wonder that Republican Party thinkers of the late 1800s warmed to Darwinism and German philosophy. Christianity, however, was hardly ignored. Think of Dwight Moody. . .