Thomas Jefferson's Opinion of Christianity

The following quote from Thomas Jefferson is often used to demonstrate that Jefferson thought Christianity was evil and bad:

"Millions of innocent men, women and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burnt, tortured, fined and imprisoned; yet we have not advanced one inch towards uniformity." -Thomas Jefferson, Notes on Virginia, 1782

The problem is that this quote is taken completely out of its context.

In the context of this quote Jefferson is talking about America openly welcoming all types of relgious groups. That America be open to all religions was important to our founding fathers, and it is a fundamental principle of Christianity (Christianity does not repress other religions). Our founding fathers did not want to follow the example of England, and the state church they had - The Church of England. Jefferson was saying that he had such faith in the strength of Christianity that he knew coercion was not necessary for Christianity to ultimately win. Here's more of what Jefferson said so we can see this context:

"Truth can stand by itself... Why subject [opinion] to coercion. To produce uniformity... Is uniformity attainable? Millions of innocent men, women, and children since the introduction of Christianity have been burnt, tortured, fined and imprisoned; yet we have not advanced one inch towards unifority. What has been the effect of coercion? To make one half the world fools, and the other half hypocrites. [I]f there be but one right [religion] and [Christianity] that one, we should wish to see the nine-hundred and ninety wandering sects gathered into the fold of truth. But against such a majority we cannot effect this by force. Reason and persuasion are the only practical instruments. To make way for these, free inquiry must be indulged; and how can we wish others to indulge it while we refuse it ourselves?"

Jefferson is saying that in America we should have the right to express our religious beliefs. It's interesting to note that what we have today is the force of government restricting Christianity--and thus going against what Jefferson is saying in this quote. We no longer have "free inquiry" when it comes to Christianity.

Separation of Church and State

The phrase "separation of church and state" is not in the U.S. Constitution. It is in a letter Thomas Jefferson wrote to a Baptist church in Danbury Ct. Here's the complte letter:

"Gentlemen,

The affectionate sentiments of esteem and approbation which you are so good as to express towards me on behalf of the Danbury Baptist Association give me the highest satisfaction. . . . Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God; that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship; that the legislative powers of government reach actions only and not opinions, 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. Adhering to this expression of the supreme will of the nation in behalf of the rights of conscience, I shall see with sincere satisfaction the progress of those sentiments which tend to restore to man all his natural rights, convinced he has no natural right in opposition to his social duties. I reciprocate your kind prayers for the protection and blessing of the common Father and Creator of man, and tender you for yourselves and your religious association assurances of my high respect and esteem." -Thomas Jefferson, letter to Danbury Baptist Association, CT., Jan. 1, 1802

The Danbury Baptist's had written to Jefferson because they were concerned about centralized federal power restricting people's right to worship as they pleased. In their letter they wrote:

"Our sentiments are uniformly on the side of religious liberty: that religion is at all times and places a matter between God and individuals, that no man ought to suffer in name, person, or effects on account of his religious opinions, [and] that the legitimate power of civil government extends no further than to punish the man who works ill to his neighbor. But sir, our constitution of government is not specific. . . . [T]herefore what religious privileges we enjoy (as a minor part of the State) we enjoy as favors granted, and not as inalienable rights."

The Danbury Baptists were concerned that because the protection of the "free exercise of religion" was in the constitution, that suggested that this right came from government rather than from God. If this was true the government could take away the right of "free exercise of religion" any time in the future.

Jefferson was writing to the Danbury Baptists to assure them that the constitution did not give the government to right to interfere, dictate or control religious expression. Jefferson was telling them that the first Amendment was only to prevent the establishment of a national denomination by the federal government.

We see Jefferson saying the same thing in a letter to Dr. Benjamin Rush:

"[T]he clause of the Constitution which, while it secured the freedom of the press, covered also the freedom of religion, had given to the clergy a very favorite hope of obtaining an establishment of a particular form of Christianity through the United States; and as every sect believes its own form the true one, every one perhaps hoped for his own, but especially the Episcopalians and Congregationalists. The returning good sense of our country threatens abortion to their hopes and they believe that any portion of power confided to me will be exerted in opposition to their schemes. And they believe rightly."

The "wall of separation" in the letter to the Danbury Baptists was not to limit religious activities in public, but to prevent the government from interfering with the public expression of religion--exactly the opposite of what we now have.

Defeating Evil

It's inaguration day and I happened to be searching Google Groups for information about Kaizen. I was looking through various technical groups and noticed that many include anti-Bush spam. The spammer apparently look for inactive groups and then spam them. Most ofthe spam was related to Iraq.

I started thinking -- are we doing good or evil in Iraq?

My first thought was that I remember hearing that under Saddam something like 1,000 Iraq's a month were killed. Yes, the homicide bombers are killing people, including Americans, but it seems on the balance there is a whole lot less killing and thus a lot more good in Iraq than there used to be.

Saddam supported homicide bombers who attacked Israel by paying a $25,000 reward to their families. Paying for murder, that sounds like evil to me. It has stopped, that's good.

Saddam was apparently paying off U.N., French, German and Russians with lucrative oil deals, so they would support him, giving him the false sense of feeling he was untouchable. Bribery is not a good way to run things, it falls in the evil category. Those who accepted the bribes are being brought to light, that is good.

Sometimes somebody has to stand up to evil and say, "Enough!" Thank you George Bush for standing up to evil!

Morality and America

How does immoral behavior affect culture and our country?

A new page about abortion in America answers this question.

A negative change in moral values does not so much harm us now as it does harm future generations.

Why Christians Should Be Involved In Government

Why should Christians be involved in government? Why is Christian participation in elections important.

John Francis Mercer was a Representative in the Continental Congress (1782-1784), a delegate to the Constitutional Convention, a U.S. Representative (1791-1794) and Governor of Maryland (1801-1803). This is what he said during the Constitutional Convention in Philedelphia:

"It is a great mistake to suppose that the paper we are to propose will govern the United States. It is the men whom it will bring into the government and interest [they have] in maintaining it that are to govern them. The paper will only mark out the mode and the form. Men are the substance and must do the business."

The Bible says: "When the righteous increase, the people rejoice. But when a wicked man rules, people groan." - Proverbs 29:2

A King Ruling In America?

Those who fought the Revolutionary War did not like King George III very much. In fact, they had a general inclination against America being ruled by any king or monarch. However, there was one king whom they welcomed as their Lord and ruler. There was one king under whom they willingly served. This king is identified in the motto of the American Revolution.

Yes, the American Revolution had a motto. That motto was:

No King But King Jesus.