Wasn’t Rhode Island a Catholic colony?
No—not remotely close. Founded by dissenters from Mass. Heavy immigration last century caused the Catholic surge..
It was founded by Roger Williams, a born again Christian & Baptist, to escape from the oppressive
Wasn’t Rhode Island a Catholic colony?
No—not remotely close. Founded by dissenters from Mass. Heavy immigration last century caused the Catholic surge..
It was founded by Roger Williams, a born again Christian & Baptist, to escape from the oppressive state church (Puritans) in Massachusetts, who themselves had fled from England to escape the oppression of the Church of England. Roger Williams and other early Baptists in the America colonies are primarily why our nation had religious freedom, from either a state church or oppressive government, at least up to now.
Providence was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He named the area in honor of "God's merciful Providence" which he believed was responsible for revealing such a haven for him and his followers to settle.
Regarding our heritage of religious freedom, primarily because of Baptists in early America....
Thomas Jefferson reassured the Danbury Baptists that he agreed with views on religious freedom & liberty.....
The Danbury Baptist Association of Danbury, Connecticut sent a letter, dated October 7, 1801, to the newly elected President Thomas Jefferson, expressing concern over the lack in their state constitution of explicit protection of religious liberty, and against a government establishment of religion.
In their letter to the President, the Danbury Baptists affirmed that "Our Sentiments are uniformly on the side of Religious Liberty That Religion is at all times and places a matter between God and individuals That no man ought to suffer in name, person, or effects on account of his religious Opinions That the legitimate Power of civil government extends no further than to punish the man who works ill to his neighbor..."
As a religious minority in Connecticut, the Danbury Baptists were concerned that a religious majority might "reproach their chief Magistrate... because he will not, dare not assume the prerogatives of Jehovah and make Laws to govern the Kingdom of Christ," thus establishing a state religion at the cost of the liberties of religious minorities.
The wall of separation, Thomas Jefferson's response, dated January 1, 1802, concurs with the Danbury Baptists' views on religious liberty, and the accompanying separation of civil government from concerns of religious doctrine and practice. Jefferson writes: "...I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should'make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,' thus building a wall of separation between Church & State
No. Roger Williams formed the colony of Providence Plantation, where any religion was welcome, because he'd seen what happened with the Puritans in MA.
Maryland was the colony that was formed for Catholics to be safe, but 