Jefferson

Posted on December 9, 2024 by DRenegade

I think Thomas Jefferson was our greatest President and he has been falsely attacked since he became Adams’ Vice-President. While I admired his achievements and wisdom, I did not like the above quote.

The recent events on this site over questioning the nature of God made me change my mind about this quote. While the “discussion” did not change my personal beliefs, it allowed me to edify them. I now believe Jefferson meant to question the existence of God in order to be closer to Him. While many would disagree, this gives me great comfort.

David DeGerolamo

    
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George
George
1 month ago

Amen. Well said.

Joanna Martin
Joanna Martin
1 month ago

Yep! That’s right! We should question everything! If what we question is True, we’ll be the better for it. If what we question is false, we’ll be the better for it.
People believe a whole host of things which are FALSE. Their minds are shut to examining what they believe. They should fearlessly ask themselves, “Why do I believe this?” But most people seem to be too weak or cowardly to do this.

JeffM
JeffM
1 month ago

Jefferson’s bible, which he created by removing Scripture that testifies of the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit, proves he did not know God. He relied on the principle of rational thought absent of God’s Holy Spirit. Therefore although he knew God he did not not glorify Him as God, nor was thankful, but became futile in his thoughts, and his foolish heart was darkened.

DRenegade
Author
DRenegade
1 month ago
Reply to  JeffM

Jefferson’s Bible, officially titled “The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth,” is a work compiled by Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States. This book was created by Jefferson in the latter years of his life, around 1820, by literally cutting and pasting selected verses from the New Testament. His aim was to distill a version of the Gospels that focused on the moral teachings of Jesus, stripping away what he considered to be supernatural elements, including Jesus’ miracles and the Resurrection.

Key points about Jefferson’s Bible include:

  • Content: Jefferson excluded all miracles, including the Resurrection, and any passages suggesting Jesus’ divinity. Instead, he concentrated on Jesus’ moral and ethical teachings, organizing them into a narrative that ran from Jesus’ birth to his burial.
  • Method: Jefferson used a razor and glue to physically cut out passages from various Bibles (in English, French, Latin, and Greek) and pasted them into a blank book, creating a chronological sequence of Jesus’ life and teachings.
  • Purpose: Influenced by Enlightenment thought and his own deistic beliefs, Jefferson sought to present Jesus as a great moral teacher whose philosophy could be understood rationally, without the need for faith in divine intervention or supernatural events.
  • Publication: Jefferson did not publish this work during his lifetime. It was known only to a few friends. After his death, it was inherited by his grandson and eventually acquired by the Smithsonian Institution, where it is now preserved. An act of Congress in 1904 led to its publication, and for a time, copies were given to new members of Congress.
  • Reception: The Jefferson Bible has been both celebrated for its attempt to highlight Jesus’ ethical teachings and criticized for its omission of fundamental Christian doctrines. It has sparked debate over Jefferson’s religious beliefs and his interpretation of Christianity.

Jefferson’s approach to the Bible reflects his broader philosophical and religious stance, which was influenced by deism and the rationalism of the Enlightenment era, emphasizing reason over dogma.

Roth Harbard
Roth Harbard
1 month ago

I agree with David. Greatest President, ever. As a born and bred Virginian, I have always held Jefferson and Lee as the men I hold in highest regard; Lee for his character and Jefferson for his intelligence, inquisitiveness, and critical thinking. I have attempted to live my life with them as my mentors and examples. For those who want a real look at Jefferson’s spirituality, I recommend Sworn on the Altar of God by Edwin S. Gaustad. It’s Jefferson’s spiritual biography. I find myself in almost absolute agreement with him.
Sworn on the Altar of God

Gene Weston
Gene Weston
1 month ago

David, I agree with you wholeheartedly! David Barton authored a book called The Jefferson Lies that exposes the many ways Jefferson has been either taken out of context or simply lied about in the past. Their case appears to confirm that Jefferson believed in God, in Jesus. I recommend this book for explanations of this and other myths surrounding Jefferson.

Joanna Martin
Joanna Martin
1 month ago
Reply to  Gene Weston

I’d read Jefferson’s Bible to see for myself what he put in and left out. I’d never trust anyone else to do this. For that reason, I never read biographies -- Why would one want to see a historical figure thru the eyes of another person? If you read their actual writings, then you can see who they were.

DRenegade
Author
DRenegade
1 month ago
Reply to  Gene Weston

I bought the first edition when it came out.

Fido
Fido
1 month ago

questions for men of faith:
Is it possible that there is no creator?
Is it possible that there is a creator?
how would/could you go about trying to answer those questions objectively?

I serve the Truth. OBJECTIVE truth: reality.
I have thus far been able to find only a single objective measure of truth: Truth does not contradict itself.

There may be better measures, or more conclusive evidence that has thus far escaped my notice, but as things stand:
If there is a creator, it has given me the means and motive to pursue and approach the truth, and I deduce it intends that I do so. If there is no creator, I still have those means and motives, and still choose to do so.

War with reality is suicidal.