Comments on: Was the Jefferson Bible an evangelism tool?

By: oft

oft — Wed, 30 May 2018 17:30:12 +0000

As I understand it, Jefferson did indeed favor Christian teaching for Native Americans.>>>>
There goes Separation of Church and State. So he wasnt’ an evangelical; big deal.

By: oft

oft — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 19:58:03 +0000

As I understand it, Jefferson did indeed favor Christian teaching for Native Americans.>>>>
There goes Separation of Church and State. So he wasnt’ an evangelical; big deal.

By: Zoe Brain

Zoe Brain — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 13:18:06 +0000

I have come to realise that my belief in Good is really a matter of Faith. I told myself that Games Theory, Kantian reasoning etc justified it empirically – which they do. But I eventually realised that even if they hadn’t, even if they contradicted it, I’d still believe it.
God I see as superfluous. The concept of Jesus as “Moral Over-Achiever” sounds in tune with my belief, which is basically that of Jefferson minus the deity.
I’m no Christian. I do try to live by Matthew 22:39-40 (Or Hillel’s version in Shabbat 34a IIRC) and 1 Corinthians 13.

By: Zoe Brain

Zoe Brain — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 09:18:06 +0000

By: Throbert McGee

Throbert McGee — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 05:17:54 +0000

Thanks for acknowledging this Throbert; too many people in the world who think they are educated about Western religion are so ignorant of this.

I should say thanks, also, Emily — not so much to you personally, but to Jewish tradition generally, as it played a role in “saving” me from degenerating (as an ex-Catholic) into a crabby, fault-finding atheist in the manner of Christopher Hitchens or Richard Dawkins.

By: Throbert McGee

Throbert McGee — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 01:17:54 +0000

Thanks for acknowledging this Throbert; too many people in the world who think they are educated about Western religion are so ignorant of this.

By: Emily K

Emily K — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 12:35:58 +0000

Regarding Jefferson’s claim that within his edited version of the Gospels “will be found remaining the most sublime and benevolent code of morals which has ever been offered to man,” it’s possible that TJ was here revealing his own ignorance of the work that had already been done by Pharisaic Judaism prior to Jesus — in other words, that the “Oral Torah” had made the “Written Torah” significantly more “sublime and benevolent” even before the time of Jesus.

Thanks for acknowledging this Throbert; too many people in the world who think they are educated about Western religion are so ignorant of this.

By: Lynn David

Lynn David — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 10:35:47 +0000

Throbert McGee…… Perhaps Jefferson could be called a “Jesusite” rather than a “Christian” — since he admired the moral precepts of Jesus of Nazareth, but clearly did not regard Jesus as the Anointed One, the promised Messiah of the Jews, etc

I’d think that gnostic would be suitable for Jefferson.

By: Emily K

Emily K — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 08:35:58 +0000

Regarding Jefferson’s claim that within his edited version of the Gospels “will be found remaining the most sublime and benevolent code of morals which has ever been offered to man,” it’s possible that TJ was here revealing his own ignorance of the work that had already been done by Pharisaic Judaism prior to Jesus — in other words, that the “Oral Torah” had made the “Written Torah” significantly more “sublime and benevolent” even before the time of Jesus.

Thanks for acknowledging this Throbert; too many people in the world who think they are educated about Western religion are so ignorant of this.

By: Lynn David

Lynn David — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 06:35:47 +0000

Throbert McGee…… Perhaps Jefferson could be called a “Jesusite” rather than a “Christian” — since he admired the moral precepts of Jesus of Nazareth, but clearly did not regard Jesus as the Anointed One, the promised Messiah of the Jews, etc

I’d think that gnostic would be suitable for Jefferson.