of the quotes I have of his opinions towards the role of religion in
government and society.
larry
On Mon, 26 Jul 2004 16:02:14 -0400, Monique Boea
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Interesting.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Larry C. Lyons [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Sent: Monday, July 26, 2004 3:43 PM
> To: CF-Community
> Subject: Thomas Jefferson and Religion
>
> Recently we got into a discussion on the separation of church and
> state. I found a few relevant Thomas Jefferson quotes that illustrate
> why the founding fathers did not make this a Christian country:
>
> -------
> I am for freedom of religion and against all maneuvers to bring about a
> legal
> ascendancy of one sect over another. [Thomas Jefferson, letter to Elbridge
> Gerry, January 26, 1799.]
>
> -------
> 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.
> [Thomas Jefferson, letter to Danbury Baptist Association]
>
> -------
> They [the clergy] believe that any portion of power confided to me, will be
> exerted in opposition to their schemes. And they believe rightly: for I have
>
> sworn upon the altar of God, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny
>
> over the mind of man.
> [Thomas Jefferson to Dr. Benjamin Rush, 1800]
>
> -------
> We discover [in the gospels] a groundwork of vulgar ignorance, of things
> impossible, of superstition, fanaticism and fabrication.
> [Thomas Jefferson, _Jefferson Bible_]
>
> -------
> Christianity is the most perverted system that ever shone on man.
> [Thomas Jefferson, in _Toward the Mystery_]
>
> -------
> If the obstacles of bigotry and priestcraft can be surmounted, we may hope
> that
> common sense will suffice to do everything else.
> [Thomas Jefferson]
>
> -------
> I have recently been examining all the known superstitions of the world, and
> do
> not find in our particular superstition (Christianity) one redeeming
> feature.
> They are all alike founded on fables and mythology.
> [Thomas Jefferson, letter to Dr. Woods]
>
> -------
> They [preachers] dread the advance of science as witches do the approach of
> daylight and scowl on the fatal harbinger announcing the subversions of the
> duperies on which they live.
> [Thomas Jefferson]
>
> -------
> Christianity neither is, nor ever was a part of the common law.
> [Thomas Jefferson, February 10, 1814]
>
> -------
> The hocus-pocus phantasy of a God, like another Cerberus, with one body and
> three heads, had its birth and growth in the blood of thousands and
> thousands of
> martyrs.
> [Thomas Jefferson, Jefferson s Works, Vol. IV, 360, Randolph's ed.]
> -------
> _____
>
>
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