Jefferson quoted in GOP response to State of the Union Address
Immediately following President Obama’s State of the Union address, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell delivered the Republican response and quoted Jefferson’s First Inaugural Address in making the party’s case that “the federal government is simply trying to do too much.” More »
Featured Topic: Church & State
I am a Christian, in the only sense in which he [Christ] wished anyone to be; sincerely attached to his doctrines, in preference to all others; ascribing to himself every human excellence; and believing he never claimed any other.
—Thomas Jefferson to Benjamin Rush, April 12, 1803 {More}
On Jefferson's theology:
A religious conscience {1}
While Jefferson remained a practicing Episcopalian, his personal faith veered towards Unitarianism. He believed Jesus was an exemplary mortal, but not a divine being; Jesus’ moral teachings, not his death on the cross, comprised “salvation.”
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 & State.
—Thomas Jefferson to Danbury Baptists, January 1, 1802 {More}
On the separation of church and state:
Wall of separation {11}
To our detriment, Jefferson’s “wall of separation” concept has often been grossly misapplied to individual speech that references religion. Nowhere is this more evident than in the public schools where the concept tends to be used as justification for censoring, silencing and discriminating against religious individuals. Read more »
What an effort, my dear Sir, of bigotry in Politics & Religion have we gone through! The barbarians really flattered themselves they should be able to bring back the times of Vandalism, when ignorance put everything into the hands of power & priestcraft.
—Thomas Jefferson to Joseph Priestley, March 21, 1801 {More}
On the corruption of priests:
Co-conspirators with kings and nobles {5}
Jefferson frequently identified priests as co-conspirators with kings and nobles in the suppression of human freedom. In general, he believed that priests, especially Roman Catholic or Calvinist ones, corrupted republican government by forcing their congregants to adopt abstruse metaphysical propositions instead of thinking for themselves. Read more »
