Thomas Jefferson & Belief?

Question

Since its a well known fact that Jefferson himself was not christian and that despite many opinon's most of the founding fathers were not christian in the modern sense.

The question is, why do people assume because founders were religious, that they were christian, despite the reality that there is plenty of letters & information that proves otherwise.

Jefferson, Franklin,Lincoln were not christian but were in their own way among the most religious.
And in all 3 cases better men than most christians anyway.

Is it ignorance or plain & simple denial of reality.

But then many people actually believe Washington chopped down a cherry tree when it fact it was a myth created by Washington shortly after his death to demostrte Washington's honesty. (Which btw though he was a honest man, he didnt always tell the truth).

The facts of Jefferson come from Jefferson himself from his own letters to others.

Its a fact born by his own words and even up to the day of his death.

The facts of Jefferson come from Jefferson himself from his own letters to others.

Its a fact born by his own words and even up to the day of his death.

The facts of Jefferson come from Jefferson himself from his own letters to others.

Its a fact born by his own words and even up to the day of his death.

those who truley believe that jefferson was christian or that washington really chopped down a tree (the honesty fable).. are not basing their view on reality or on the facts out there.

Jeffersons own words tell his .
Washingtons biographer tells his.

Sorry, above washing myth was by his bigorapher.

Obviously some cant read.
And this is not rant, but question about why people continue some myths.

Though I admit yahoo answers doesnt make it easy to edit the question.
MY only to respond is to add detail.

Question was near the top.... though admitedly left off the ???.

Answer 1

Some of my favorite quotes from the founding fathers;

Christianity neither is, nor ever was, a part of the common law.
-- Thomas Jefferson, letter to Dr. Thomas Cooper, February 10, 1814, responding to the claim that Chritianity was part of the Common Law of England, as the United States Constitution defaults to the Common Law regarding matters that it does not address. This argument is still used today by "Christian Nation" revisionists who do not admit to having read Thomas Jefferson's thorough research of this matter.

I have diligently perused every line that Washington ever gave to the public, and I do not find one expression in which he pledges, himself as a believer in Christianity. I think anyone who will candidly do as I have done, will come to the conclusion that he was a Deist and nothing more."
-- The Reverend Bird Wilson, an Episcopal minister in Albany, New York, in an interview with Mr. Robert Dale Owen written on November 13, 1831, which was publlshed in New York two weeks later, quoted from Franklin Steiner, The Religious Beliefs of Our Presidents, pp. 27

Lighthouses are more helpful than churches.
-- Benjamin Franklin (attributed: source unknown)



Chew on those christians. The founding fathers of the USA were NOT christians. And the country was NOT founded on christians "morals". And thank goodness for that!

Answer 2

Oddly enough, the Washington story was probably fabricated because a new secular country needed new heroes - new prophets if you will. It was probably foreseen that Jesus would be seen as someone who foreigners believe in, and a new national mythos was needed...

It's said that the mania for 'Christianising' American history really comes from the McCarthy era, where Christianity was seen as a useful tool in stamping out communism. If that's true, then the misinformation we're fed about the Founding Fathers is probably a legacy of that. The Cold War is finished, but now there's the so-called 'clash of civilisations' with Islam.

So the propaganda and slander continue...

Answer 3

His (and human beings's) non secular ideals, as he grew to become into favourite for asserting, are a remember for the believer/non-believer and not a remember of state. based on the provision of writings and the obtrusive stance Jefferson had, it is often huge-unfold that he grew to become right into a deist. And he grew to become into extra enlightened on the subject of church and state 2 hundred+ years in the past than maximum folk are immediately.

Answer 4

Thank you~ I thought everyone had forgotten.
"Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blind-folded fear." Thomas Jefferson.
Good advice, right?
Blessed Be.

Answer 5

Religion and their adherents have always made use of the noble lie for the sake of their beliefs.

I'm just not sure who they think they're fooling other than themselves.

Answer 6

it most certainly is not a fact that jefferson was not a christian, it is a fact that he was. he was a devout christian. where are you getting your facts from? he just believed that all religeons should be free to exist, without any pressure to become any one faith, and our country should not rule by any one faith. he believed in freedom of religeon.

Answer 7

And the question buried in this verbose rant would be....?

Answer 8

Christ. I didn't know any of that. Thanks.