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'Lincoln's Battle With God'

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    A look at president's religious journey

  • Duration 3:25
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And for 204 years ago today our sixteenth president was born we're talking about president Abraham Lincoln.

And -- much has been made about Lincoln's ability to take on the big issues like abolishing slavery.

Not much has been made about his belief in god and how we relied on faith and tell his last breath.

For us right now to discuss this is the author of Lincoln's battle with god Stephen Mansfield -- -- it's the -- a lot of people don't realize when when link to his young man.

He was able to recite sermons as if he were reading a teleprompter yes he -- -- could mimic the preachers antics he couldn't catch the inflections he would -- -- on the stump and reenact the -- Sunday sermon.

But then he went through.

He went through a long period and it's time where he was an atheist it's a question he was abilities his for a lot of years part of it was his father was heavily religious absorbers and his father.

The part of what's he would -- Thomas -- a lot of the skeptics of the agent just rejected at all its interest in in in your book you talk a little bit about how.

Issue as you look at his spiritual journey.

Compare if you would -- and he -- first inaugural address -- his second.

And I asked by the time it comes into the presidency -- that -- a god.

But he really believes that the issues of the civil war -- human hands he -- to the south in your hands and not in mind is this issue of civil war.

Well for years later he's seen too much too much suffering too much that's not -- human control and so his view is this war is a judgment from god on the nation for slavery.

And hit that we have to deal with him and it's it's a for profound progression from the one -- to the other what do you think was going on.

You know he had made a slow painful journey back to face from those atheist days and a lot of it had to do with the deaths he had suffered.

He said he was haunted by the reporter rain falling on graves all his life was sort of depressive and dark -- -- to fight back the -- and by the time we got the presidency.

I think he believed in god but I don't think I still think he thought he was in control.

That that Lincoln himself to control events -- four years of war proved that he just couldn't and I think the second and August the great American political speech.

Come Oscar time very shortly yes the link -- movie is up for a number of awards.

And it has really bright a spotlight to mister Lincoln into it -- interest -- Steven Spielberg did get.

The religious component at the end of his life right didn't it.

He did he did there's no question that at the end of his presidency was planning not to go back to Springfield but to go abroad perhaps visit Jerusalem.

He was talking about faith.

And in fact in the version on his final words that Mary Lincoln gave us.

You he's saying I want to -- -- I wanna visit Jerusalem and I'd like to walk in the footsteps of the savior which is not the way we've traditionally heard it and in fact go -- -- that for their own thank you assuming I can see it okay.

Here we go.

But we will go abroad among strangers where I can rest we will visit the holy land and to see those places -- -- By the hell does does what sense of the savior.

So that and that's the last thing he said.

But you know its interest in all while we've heard -- the textbooks is that they were talking you know they were being very flirty and mrs.

Lincoln says what will this young couple think tour with me it with us we're flirting.

He's the ocean they will think nothing of it at all.

But mrs.

Lincoln simply -- know we were talking about going to Jerusalem and his final words were I want nothing more than to walk in the footsteps of the same here.

Just differ from what we've heard no hidden it.

Songbook Lincoln's battle with god Stephen Mansfield thank you -- great to -- with you thank you for to have you as well.

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