Was Thomas Jefferson a Christian forefather?

Question

The Bushians, Bush Christians, try to justify combining church and state today in 2 ways:
1. Claim there is no such separation.
2. Claim cuz the forefathers were Christian that they wanted it this way.

So, let's examine what the forefathers were thinkin in their own words so u can stop falsely speaking 4 them:

Thomas Jefferson, one of our Christian forefathers stated on this topic: "...I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, thus building a wall of separation between Church and State."
http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/churchstate.html

Emphasis on the last sentence in his quote, "thus building a wall of separation between Church and State."

I know you Bushians wont agree with bold truth and fact cuz you lack that ability and only want to believe what you want to be true.

But there it is in your face!

Answer 1

Hi, Beach!

I am a Christian, I voted for Bush, but I'm pretty sure I don't qualify as a "Bush Christian", whatever that is.

In any event, I think it's very clear that most of the founding fathers were Deists (that's well documented), only some of them were Christians, however.

Be that as it may, I think your two points are really straw men, because I've never heard them in Christian circles, and I like to think of myself as well informed.. I have heard something similar though, so I'd like to (respectfully) augment what you're saying a bit.

Point 1:
What I have heard claimed is that there is no phraseology in the Constituion that refers to seperation of church and state, that it did indeed enter into the realm of law with that particular court decision referred to in your linked article.
What many conservatives complain about when they speak of activist judges is that they are supposed to be forming their opinions strictly upon the basis of interpreting the Constitution. I guess some judges get bored with that, because now we've got judges citing international law in their decisions! Egad!
In any event, what I think a Christian informed in this area would say is to claim that there was no such clause in the Constitution. However, your implication is that Christians are trying to merge the two, and that's just ludicrious. What we want is for the ACLU and activist judges to do is stop trying to hamper our freedom of worship by trying to effectively "shut us up" by removing any public mention or display of Christianity in America. You choose to emphasize the "wall of seperation" part of Jefferson's quote, but what really needs to be emphasized is the "prohibiting the free exercise thereof"....which is most definately taking place, every day, all over this nation, in regards to Christianity.

Point 2:
Again, some of our forefathers were Christian; but they regarded a nation that affords "liberty and justice for all" as highly important. They did not want to establish a national religion, that was precisely what they had been faced with back in the British Isles, and saw the harm it could do. That's why they wanted to assure that all would be able to worship and believe as they chose, and would not live in fear of the state stripping that right away. Even the Constitution talks about rights being given to us not by man but "endowed by our Creator". It does not call the Creator Jehovah, Allah, or Vishnu. And that's on purpose.
In any event, I don't think you're taking the Jefferson quote at its full meaning; regardless, it is what he personally expressed, it is not in the Constitution anywhere. And the judiciary's role is not to interpret the will of the founding fathers, but the document they carefully constructed to afford all Americans their "inalienable rights".

Beach, you can choose to believe this is not "agreeing with the bold truth"; I'd say, if your 2 points were indeed true, you may be onto something. I hope I have helped to clarify that the positions whereof you speak are not part of mainstream (or even fundamentalist) Christian thought in America.

Answer 2

Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin were both Deist. Freedom of religion in the United States is based a document written by James Madison, a Baptist minister, rejecting the establishment of a state sanctioned religion in Virginia - a state which was mostly Anglican. Madison was also the principle author of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Answer 3

First off Try reading the constitution and the bill of rights
Lets look at it:
Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Now do you see any word that says separation. (can you read?)
It means congress will not make a religion (thank you lord)
Nor will it prevent me from worship including posting the 10 commandments!

So when are you moving to France? They like people like you!

Answer 4

Fact is that Jefferson (in his own letters to others) was not a christian and did hold deist views (his own words too).
My family happens to own 'legitmate original copies' of many of these letters.

However, all religions in USA could say he is our religious forfather though other founding fathers who also were not chrisitian but were religious could also have some of the credit.

BTw I am a bush supporter but also consider seperation to be both preferred and will also consider it factual even if it isnt.

Answer 5

Anyone who is even the least bit familiar with Jefferson's numerous biographies knows he was a Deist, not a Christian. He even wrote his own version of the Gospels that included only the wisdom teachings and not the nonsense miracles and crap.

Answer 6

Thomas Jefferson was a christian... however, most Christians today would say he wasn't. Jefferson wasn't a Pauline christian, in fact he wrote his own bible in which he removed all references to mysticism and the supernatural.

He was absolutely right about separating church from state.

Answer 7

The founding fathers were mostly Deists which is really code for "atheist."

T. Jefferson even wrote his own bible that removed all the "miracles" and claims that Jesus was God or divine.

Answer 8

Jefferson was not a Christian... he was a Deist. He despised Christianity, in general; he preachers, in particular.

Answer 9

So what exactly is your question? You seem just to want an argument.