This 1893 text marshals 120 witnesses on the question in the title. The count, according to the author, is 100 against and 20 for, so the question is decided overwhelmingly in the negative. Lincoln, according to Remsburg, was at most a Deist, denying many of the central doctrines of Christianity like Washington, Adams, and Jefferson who occupied the White House before him.

The argument, though convincing, quickly became repetitive, as I suppose is the nature of polemical texts like this one. Nevertheless, a few key quotes stood out to me:

“Now, the shrewd American politician with an elastic conscience joins some church, and is always seen on Sunday in the front pews. But the shrewd politician who has not an elastic conscience—and this was Lincoln’s case—simply keeps mum on his religious views, or, when he must touch on the subject, deals only in platitudes” (286). I am 49 years old and I remember nearly every President taking a picture with religious leaders, suggesting that he (sadly, so far only he) agrees with them on all the important points. Earlier Remsburg buries the whole political class in a single grave when he says, with god-level sarcasm, "Washington politicians are noted for their piety, you know” (164).

One final quote: “It is a curious fact that when any man by his genius, good fortune, or otherwise rises to public notice and to fame, it does not make much difference what life he has led, that the whole Christian world claims him as a Christian, to be forever held up to view as a hero and a saint during all the coming ages, just as if religion would die out of the soul of man unless the great dead be canonized as a model Christian. This is a species of hero or saint worship. Lincoln they are determined to enthrone among the saints, to be forever worshiped as such” (104–105). This sounds so familiar, especially, um, recently...

Now, I am a Christian clergy, so I have a decided interest in maintaining that the rumors of Christianity's death, so-long desired by its "cultured despisers" (Schleiermacher), are greatly exaggerated. Even the Religious Right will not be enough to kill the faith. It may be (read: already has been) knocked off its pride-of-place pedestal in American society, and it may (read: already does) look very different than that which was familiar even in my youth, but even if it the popular notion that all American Presidents have been Christian (dropped for a certain one a few years back) is finally ruled out of polite discourse like geocentrism, I and many others, Christian or not, would respond, "So, what?" and go on with our lives. ( )