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How A Church Argument Over President William Howard Taft’s Religion Left 2 Dead
A deadly encounter after a church service was all because two men were convinced they knew a politican’s spiritual preferences
Politics seem to inherently breed arguments and conflict. Right alongside that as a negative catalyst of strife is religion. When the two mix, fireworks can truly fly. Nothing personifies this better than a fight that took place in Georgia in 1909 over the religion of President William Howard Taft. Unfortunately, it devolved into violence, leaving one participant dead and the other mortally wounded.
To be clear, Taft, the 27th American President (1909–1913), was probably one of the least spiritual holders of the highest office in the country. Identifying as Unitarian, the former chief executive once described the crux of his religious beliefs:
“I am a Unitarian. I believe in God. I do not believe in the divinity of Christ, and there are many other of the postulates of the orthodox creed to which I cannot subscribe. I am not, however, a scoffer at religion but on the contrary recognize, in the fullest manner, the elevating influence that it has had and always will have in the history of mankind.”
