Posted on 03/27/2011 9:39:50 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Last November, in response to protest, the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery removed a video installation depicting ants crawling over a small crucifix. This coming November, the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History will exhibit a cut-and-paste Bible of a mere 86 pages. Were it the work of David Wojnarowicz (the artist behind the crucifix video) or Andres Serrano (of "Piss Christ" fame), this Bible would doubtless stir up a hornet's nest. But in fact, it was created by Thomas Jefferson.
During the election of 1800, Jefferson was denounced as a "howling atheist" and "a confirmed infidel" known for "vilifying the divine word, and preaching insurrection against God." But the Virginian also revered Jesus as "the first of human Sages" and was, according to one biographer, "the most self-consciously theological of all American presidents."
The book that the Smithsonian is preparing to put on display is actually one of two Jefferson Bibles. Jefferson produced the first over the course of a few days in 1804. Not long after completing the Louisiana Purchase, he sat down in the White House with two Bibles and one razor, intent on dividing the true words of Jesus from those put into his mouth by "the corruptions of schismatising followers."
The result was "The Philosophy of Jesus of Nazareth": a severely abridged text (now lost) that, like the apocryphal Gospel of Thomas, consisted entirely of Jesus' sayings. In this "precious morsel of ethics," as Jefferson put it, Jesus prayed to God and affirmed the afterlife, but he was not born in a manger and did not die to atone for anyone's sins.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
As I understand it but, have not seen it, Jefferson’s version was only the words spoken by Jesus and he eliminated everything else.
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Thomas Jefferson was a wonderful man. He supported a Presbyterian church near his home that he attended when he was here.
While he called himself a Christian, forcefully, he was not a supporter of all Christian ideas. He believed in what he thought were the words of Christ. He did really think Christ was sent by God but did not personally believe in a resurrection of Christ or of any of us. He thought Christ was the example of the way to live.
Christ was the example of the way to live, no doubt, but He was much, much more. Christ was the Son of God, He did die on the Cross so that all of us could have eternal life with Him. Christ was resurrected on the third day and for forty days thereafter taught the twelve to take His teachings to all the world. He did return to His Father in Heaven, Stephen saw Him there. Paul spoke with Him on the road to Damascus and countless others have felt His presence but they may all have a different description of what He is.
I believe that Mr. Jefferson, my personal founding father hero, will be, (probably already has been) rather surprised when he learns the truth of His Savior, when he meets Him.
I know that many people here have contempt for some of my ideas of those who don’t tow the prescribed religion to the tee. Certainly Mr. Jefferson is a good example. After his life of devotion to his fellow man, his devotion to the words of Christ, right or wrong; if he does not make it to Heaven, Heaven is not a place I want to be.
I’m sure there are many that will tell me that I will be with Mr. Jefferson My hero, but not to worry it won’t be in Heaven. Think again. I have had the personal witness again and again that only Christ through His Holy Spirit can give. I look forward to standing before The Savior and apologizing for my sins that He will have already forgotten, bathing his pierced feet with the tears of my sorrow of my guilt and the sweet joy of His acceptance and love. Knowing this I’m not sure what else matters, except that I try now to do His will and be like Him as best I can.
I think that we will all have to stand before The Savior one day. I don’t think there will be any of us that will be proud of what they did with the life that was given them. There will be a lot of tears to go along with mine.
I wish there was a way to make everyone in the world to understand the importance of this God that came to earth and became a man. Once you understand who He is your life is changed forever, I don’t mean the rest of your years on earth but, FOREVER.
I have read the so called scripture that was produced by this blasphemous man Jefferson. He removed every single miracle and all evidence of the divinity of the Christ as well as the resurrection of Christ.
What conclusion can be reached except that Thomas Jefferson, one of the founders, was in the spirit of the antichrist ?
One could simply come to the conclusion that Jefferson didn't believe in the supernatural.
Yes. He's enjoying his newfound celebrity. There are a lot of cut and paste works -- maybe Gospels + Psalms qualify, and "Words of Jesus" volumes have been around for a long time -- that are in no way similar to what Wojnarowicz and Serrano did.
No, all Jefferson needed to do for salvation was to have just a smidgeon more faith than no faith whatsoever in the saving work of Christ on the Cross, and God provided him salvation.
If he never turned back to God and confessed his sin after he sinned,..after salvation, then he simply remained out of fellowship, leaving many a reward on the table to never be so rewarded in the future at the bema seat.
If he never had faith in Christ, then he simply remained condemned and will be condemned at the Great White Throne Judgment.
River: "Bible's broken. Contradictions, false logistics - doesn't make sense. ..."
Good Reply, I agree, I do not think any of us will have any pride before the Lord when our time comes, I pray all the time for forgiveness and strength to sin no more, knowing no matter what I will fail but wist to do much better than I have in the past.
God Bless
Thomas Jefferson was a brilliant but very odd man. He dressed oddly. He had an odd appearance, somewhat gawky with a shock of red hair. He held opinions that were outlandish for the time and place. He would have been shunned if not for being a descendant of the Randolphs through his mother.
That said, it’s apparent to me that he believed in the God of the Bible, but had doubts about the Bible itself. He was something of a religious autodidact, along the same lines that Isaac Newton was something of a religious autodidact, with peculiar beliefs as a result.
Did this endanger his salvation? I don’t know. But, he was neither an atheist nor a Deist, as has been widely and wildly claimed.
I’m not clear as to your meanings.
Saving faith is consistent with repentance and believing and confession. Repenting involves turning back to God, facing Him and not any other, and in volition facing Him.
Repentance is not feeling sorry for our sin. If we need something to show us we are mistaken or not in line with His Plan, that is also provided by the Law. We aren’t saved by the law, but through faith, by grace. On this I suspect we agree.
First time for everything.
Jefferson in league with the anti-Christ.
But really the concern for you must be that the Declaration of Independence is the work of someone in league with the anti-Christ, who is always trying to fool us.
Does that mean “we hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal” are the words of the anti-Christ?
That the notion of inalienable rights is the work of the anti-Christ?
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