MaBe – Do you have evidence that Cappon did not reproduce the entire original letters? The Cappon book is a standard reference work in the field which David Barton also uses. If you think something is amiss, please provide some documentation.

Joshua – Please check your reference on the Sabbath law. It did not require mandatory Sunday observance. The law read:

If any person on Sunday shall himself be found labouring at his own or any other trade or calling, or shall employ his apprentices, servants or slaves in labour, or other business, except it be in the ordinary household offices of daily necessity, or other work of necessity or charity, he shall forfeit a sum of ten shillings for every such offense.

Note the exception. That is a very broad loophole. The effect of the law is prevent disturbances on the Sabbath, rather than to prevent all activity formerly associated with Sabbath keeping in VA. Jefferson’s revision of the Sabbath law was a liberalization of what was before.

http://guides.lib.virginia.edu/TJ

since he doesn’t appear to trust Warren.

Hey John – I would ask a related question. Is there some important reason that David Barton’s distortions and half-truths should remain hidden? The fact is Jefferson was not a Christian in the orthodox sense of the word and for him to be portrayed this way misleads people. Christians have a skewed view of the world anyway often and Barton just creates more fiction.

http://americanhistory.si.edu/JeffersonBible/the-book/?view=scan&page=1#dl

Oh, and I did read it, by the way. Not ONE mention of Jesus performing a miracle, including healing or raising the dead, or even forgiving sins. The closest account to Jesus forgiving a sin is this verse regarding the adulteress who was about to be stoned: “And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” There are so many omissions, but some are particularly interesting:

These 3 verses are included:

“And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.

And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?

Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.”

But unlike the original Bible, which continues with the account of Jesus healing the blind man’s eyes with clay, there is NO mention of a healing, or even what the “works of God” might be. The entire healing is COMPLETELY ignored.

Both of these verses are omitted in the account of Jesus’ riding a donkey into Jerusalem:

Matthew 21:9 “And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.”

Matthew 21:11 “And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.”

According to the Jefferson Bible, Jesus simply rode a donkey into Jerusalem and the people laid palm branches on the path before Him.

These verses were omitted from the account of the Last Supper:

“27 And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly.”

“31 Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him.”

“32 If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him.”

“33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you.”

These verses were omitted from the account of the crucifixion:

“42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.

43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.”

Again, there’s so much that has been edited out, but I just found these particular omissions very interesting. Also, no mention of the angel Gabriel, the virgin birth, even the traditional Nativity scene with the shepherds, no mention of the wise men and their gifts, the fleeing to Egypt, and the resurrection.

If you want citations of what he wrote to others about his beliefs and why he created the “Jefferson Bible,” consider these:

Letter to Dr. Joseph Priestley Washington, Apr. 9, 1803

To John Adams Monticello, Oct. 12, 1813