What do you think of this quote by our founding father?

[Soma-Sight]

As Thomas Jefferson wrote: question with boldness even the existence of God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blind-folded fear.

 

[D46]

I'd like to see the rest of that as I've ever saw that one before. I have see this however...

"I am a Christian, that is to say a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus. I have little doubt that our whole country will soon be rallied to the unity of our Creator and, I hope, to the pure doctrine of Jesus also."

Another Founding Father said this....

"It is impossible to govern the world without God and the Bible. Of all the dispositions and habits that lead to political prosperity, our religion and morality are the indispensable supporters. Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that our national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle."-George Washington

 

[ThinkerMan]

I'd like to see the rest of that as I've ever saw that one before. I have see this however...

"I am a Christian, that is to say a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus. I have little doubt that our whole country will soon be rallied to the unity of our Creator and, I hope, to the pure doctrine of Jesus also."

What Jefferson meant by that was, much like Gandhi, he admired the doctrines of Jesus, meaning his peaceful ideals.

Given the whole of Jefferson's writings and thoughts on the matter, no one could come to the conclusion that he was a Christian who believed in the divinity of Jesus or the Christian religion, nor that he thought well of it.

Another Founding Father said this....

"It is impossible to govern the world without God and the Bible. Of all the dispositions and habits that lead to political prosperity, our religion and morality are the indispensable supporters. Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that our national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle."-George Washington

I find it odd that we revere our founding fathers with such awe as to their personal characters and opinions. They had human failings like anyone else, and erred in their opinions as much as anyone else. Washington, Jefferson and Madison, very liberal in their ideals of freedom, all had slaves, for example. They all changes their opinions on matters political and religious matters and with respect to freedoms over the course of their lives and presidencies during very tumultious times. Quite mining does very little to shed the light of their thoughts on our times of today.

Suffice to say if you sat down to dinner with the three above, I think it very unlikely that you would come to the conclusion that they are Christians (though admittedly, Washington was probably the closest of the three).

And, as this report states, it appears that Washington was wrong.

http://moses.creighton.edu/JRS/2005/2005-11.html

My thanks to Justice for posting about this study.

http://www.christianforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=18154

 

[Abe_Glitzky]

Agreed

I am a Christian. Jefferson was a Deist.

When he spoke of a Creator - and what our founding documents mean by Creator - he spoke of God as having created everything and then let it run on its own.

Deism exalts reason above either revelation (Scripture) and tradition.

In the Wesleyan Quadrilateral, Wesley identified 4 components to derived authority: Reason, Experience, Scripture and Tradition.

Different denominations - and sub-denominations - place more or less importance on these.

As a Charismatic Evangelical, I tend to place Scripture and Reason over Experience and Tradition, but there are others in my stream who would place Scripture and Experience over Reason and Tradition.

I think it is interesting to find in a lot of anti-intellectual Christianity the tendency to place Reason on the bottom. I think that is a shame, but it is understandable when seen in the light of the uneducated nature of the anti-intellectual.

 

[Scott]

A man in a high leadership position, but before God just a man like myself. His words ultimately carry no more weight than my own. They are but only a reflection of the heart, good or bad.