General Discussion

eomer

(3,845 posts)

45. That's why I said it the way I did.

Mon Apr 16, 2012, 05:30 AM

Apr 2012

I said "Jefferson was not a Christian in the usual meaning of the word."

Yes, at times he called himself a Christian, but he added a clarification that makes him, if a Christian at all, not a Christian in the usual meaning of the word.

The most important way in which he wasn't a usual Christian is that he thought that Jesus was just a man, not God. And Jesus being God is what would make him Jesus Christ. If he's just a man then his name is just Jesus, no need to add "Christ" to it.

So Jefferson was a person who agreed with the teachings of Jesus but did not believe any of Paul's claims that one has to accept Jesus as being God (Christ) in order to be saved. To me the best way to express that is to say that Jefferson was not a Christian, like Jesus wasn't (Jesus apparently didn't make those claims that Paul later did) but rather a follower of (most of) the teachings of Jesus.

During his life Jefferson was under pressure because of his beliefs (or lack of beliefs) just like a politician would be today, so he mostly kept his views to himself. I think this pressure may have also caused him to say that he was a Christian even as he was essentially explaining that he wasn't.

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Our founding fathers were not Christians. [View all] RKP5637 Apr 2012 OP

You can beat fundies over the head with this,.... lastlib Apr 2012 #1

Yep, all logic and truth fails with fundies ... best to just write them off as prehistoric. n/t RKP5637 Apr 2012 #2

This is a zero sum game for many on both sides. Kaleva Apr 2012 #3

Yes, BOTH sides are equally impervious to evidence MNBrewer Apr 2012 #12

Yep Kaleva Apr 2012 #15

that's the impression i get from this thread. HiPointDem Apr 2012 #37

oh frickin' please. cali Apr 2012 #4

1797 Treaty of Tripoli hobbit709 Apr 2012 #9

Did you actually read the writings of Madison and John Adams JDPriestly Apr 2012 #17

Fundamentalism hadn't been invented when the forefathers signed the Constistuition. kwassa Apr 2012 #20

I have read Jefferson's correspondence with Adams on this issue JDPriestly Apr 2012 #35

Priestly invented soda water. kwassa Apr 2012 #63

From your link Major Nikon Apr 2012 #24

Actually, George Washington was quite religious and certainly Christian.... Moonwalk Apr 2012 #26

George Washington never identified himself as a Christian Major Nikon Apr 2012 #28

You are trying to define yourself to victory, and that... Moonwalk Apr 2012 #30

You keep ignoring what I wrote and instead wish to debate what I didn't write Major Nikon Apr 2012 #31

the Creator vs. the Christians freefaller62 Apr 2012 #33

Many of the founding fathers were either deists or were very sympathetic to deism Major Nikon Apr 2012 #39

Ethan Allen for example flamingdem Apr 2012 #66

and yet hamilton insisted his wife should believe in God. HiPointDem Apr 2012 #38

Belief in god does not make one a Christian Major Nikon Apr 2012 #40

do you think the god he wanted her to believe in was something other than the christian god? HiPointDem Apr 2012 #41

Hamilton was married in 1780 Major Nikon Apr 2012 #43

all your "guesses" are predictated on your own faith, and must be taken on faith. HiPointDem Apr 2012 #44

Excuse me Major Nikon Apr 2012 #48

I think that's an overreaction. Maybe I was trying to be too clever in phrasing, but all I meant HiPointDem Apr 2012 #50

They were Deists underpants Apr 2012 #56

Jefferson was not a Christian in the usual meaning of the word. eomer Apr 2012 #25

in private letters Jefferson refers to himself as "Christian" (1803),[2] "a sect by myself" (1819), HiPointDem Apr 2012 #42

That's why I said it the way I did. eomer Apr 2012 #45

what's the usual meaning of the word? in my world, "christian" refers to anyone from the fundie HiPointDem Apr 2012 #46

It's not a "stupid" distinction to those who push the meme. eomer Apr 2012 #47

But the faith of the fathers is irrelevant. What's relevant is their faith in separation of church HiPointDem Apr 2012 #49

It's not irrelevant - it is one of the lies they use in their campaign to establish a religion. eomer Apr 2012 #52

It's not worth debunking when it's an unwinnable pissing match that distracts from publicizing HiPointDem Apr 2012 #61

I think it is worthwhile to point this out to people who claim that Jefferson was a Christian... eomer Apr 2012 #68

You are defining a Christian as a follower of Christ. In that sense, many deists would be JDPriestly Apr 2012 #64

Jefferson, Washington, Franklin, Thomas Paine, Monroe, Madison, Adams, Hamilton.... any questions? underpants Apr 2012 #57

Five founders who were skeptical of organized Christianity and couldn't be elected today! yortsed snacilbuper Apr 2012 #5

How does one break the faith argument? longship Apr 2012 #6

This comes to mind, "The God Spot," but I certainly doubt it will bring RKP5637 Apr 2012 #10

Not sure of the neurology on that longship Apr 2012 #11

actually, there is, it's called the God Nodule and it's a specific cerebral locus. nebenaube Apr 2012 #59

Okay. longship Apr 2012 #60

Please Define "Fundamentalist" freefaller62 Apr 2012 #34

Now you are making a strictly rhetorical argument longship Apr 2012 #51

Religion vs. Governmental Philosophy freefaller62 Apr 2012 #53

That is the crux of the problem longship Apr 2012 #62

The prohibition against murder and theft is not unique to the Christian and Jewish religions. JDPriestly Apr 2012 #65

Well the Bill of Rights/parts of constitution were borrowed from Iroquois confederacy - not Kashkakat v.2.0 Apr 2012 #7

No, they weren't Spider Jerusalem Apr 2012 #8

It's both from common law but influenced by the Iroquois form of government as JDPriestly Apr 2012 #18

No, it wasn't Spider Jerusalem Apr 2012 #19

That's a feel-good popular myth with no factual basis. Odin2005 Apr 2012 #13

No use trying to reason with religious people. Odin2005 Apr 2012 #14

Yep, it's just a lost cause. Also, "if" they had divine knowledge with a capital T, many of RKP5637 Apr 2012 #16

Most forms of organized religion require one to abandon reason Major Nikon Apr 2012 #29

Thank You For Posting This. Left Coast2020 Apr 2012 #21

Thank you! I'm pleased you're finding it helpful! RKP5637 Apr 2012 #22

Why does it sadden you? Daniel537 Apr 2012 #54

And even if they were they were not in favor of having an official national church. They were for jwirr Apr 2012 #23

Yes, they were Christians, but the problem with this argument from Fundies is.... Moonwalk Apr 2012 #27

No, they weren't Christians Major Nikon Apr 2012 #32

+1 HiPointDem Apr 2012 #36

Jefferson and Adams did not believe in the divinity of Christ. Read their correspondence. JDPriestly Apr 2012 #67

Well, Jefferson owned hundreds of slaves and enjoyed raping the female ones. Nye Bevan Apr 2012 #55

Many were christians TNLib Apr 2012 #58