Thomas Jefferson Quotes
I am a Christian in the only sense in which Jesus wished any one to be; sincerely attached to his doctrines in preference to all others.
This was Jefferson’s definition of Christianity. However, for orthodox Christians, this was insufficient as Jefferson did not believe in the Trinity or in the divinity of Jesus. Nor did he believe in the Biblical narrative of most historical events. He was a Christian in the sense that he thought the ethics and philosophy of Jesus was as good as he had seen. See {629222}. In this sense, a number of the Founding Fathers were “Deists” including Jefferson’s conservative rival, John Adams.
Thomas Jefferson, 1743-1826, 3rd President of the United States (Democratic Republican, VA), Quoted in James Parton, “The Presidential Election of 1800”, The Atlantic Monthly, July 1873
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
Jefferson was a great admirer of the philosophy of Jesus (the diamonds), but was very negative about the organized Christian churches (the dunghills).
- Born: April 13, 1743
- Died: July 4, 1826
- Nationality: American
- Profession: President
Thomas Jefferson was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He had previously served as the second vice president of the United States under John Adams between 1797 and 1801. The principal author of the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson was a proponent of democracy, republicanism, and individual rights, motivating American colonists to break from the Kingdom of Great Britain and form a new nation; he produced formative documents and decisions at both the state and national levels.
