Thomas Jefferson on UR

[shibboleth]

 "[My views on Christianity] are the result of a life of inquiry & reflection, and very different from that anti-Christian system imputed to me by those who know nothing of my opinions. To the corruptions of Christianity I am indeed opposed; but not to the genuine precepts of Jesus himself. I am a Christian, in the only sense he wished any one to be; sincerely attached to his doctrines, in preference to all others; ascribing to himself every human excellence; & believing he never claimed any other."
-- Thomas Jefferson
(1743-1826), US Founding Father, drafted the Declaration of Independence, 3rd US President
Source: letter to Dr. Benjamin Rush, Apr. 21, 1803
http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/Thomas.Jefferson.Quote.2F9A


"Nothing can be more exactly and seriously true than what is there [the very words only of Jesus] stated; that but a short time elapsed after the death of the great reformer of the Jewish religion, before his principles were departed from by those who professed to be his special servants, and perverted into an engine for enslaving mankind, and aggrandising their oppressors in Church and State; that the purest system of morals ever before preached to man, has been adulterated and sophisticated by artificial constructions, into a mere contrivance to filch wealth and power to themselves; that rational men not being able to swallow their impious heresies, in order to force them down their throats, they raise the hue and cry of infidelity, while themselves are the greatest obstacles to the advancement of the real doctrines of Jesus, and do in fact constitute the real Anti-Christ."
-- Thomas Jefferson
(1743-1826), US Founding Father, drafted the Declaration of Independence, 3rd US President
Source: letter to Samuel Kerchreview, January 19, 1810
http://books.google.com/books?id=8QXWohr6T3kC&pg=PA345&lpg=PA345
http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/Thomas.Jefferson.Quote.9A7B


"The truth is that the greatest enemies to the doctrines of Jesus are those calling themselves the expositors of them, who have perverted them for the structure of a system of fancy absolutely incomprehensible, and without any foundation in his genuine words. And the day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the supreme being as his father in the womb of a virgin will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of Jupiter. But we may hope that the dawn of reason and freedom of thought in these United States will do away with all this artificial scaffolding, and restore to us the primitive and genuine doctrines of this the most venerated reformer of human errors."
-- Thomas Jefferson
(1743-1826), US Founding Father, drafted the Declaration of Independence, 3rd US President
Source: letter to John Adams, from Monticello, April 11, 1823
http://www.stephenjaygould.org/ctrl/jefferson_adams.html
http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/Thomas.Jefferson.Quote.1539

Everyday I receive quotes from famous, and not so famous, men and women. They can be political, spiritual or religious. I thought these express so well what we in UR believe. I don't agree with him about the virgin birth, although I know Christians who don't believe in it....other than that, I think he's pretty right on.

[fire walker]

Yes Shibboleth, I hear much more truth revealed in Thomas Jeffersons words here
than what we hear from our modern day religionists and politicians today which is advertised, promoted, preached and sold to the public today as was in past generations that fell by the way through manipulation, deception and propaganda promoted by the religious/political system that is devised by the hands of men who would have us then as well as now trust in the things OF this world only.

Peace,
Fire Walker   

[shibboleth]

Yes, Firewalker, I couldn't have said it better myself. When I was in the ET churches, I was told Carl Barth, Thomas Jefferson and many others were pagans. I have since learned that they were called heathen because they didn't believe in hellfire or other so called major doctrines of churchianity.

Now that I can "see" the truth, I can "see" the true heart of T.J. and understand what courage it took to stand up against the religious crowd. I thank God for all the T.J's. of the world who were willing to fight the good fight of faith.

[Molly]

"Had the doctrines of Jesus been preached always as pure as they came from his lips, the whole civilized world would now have been Christians."--Thomas Jefferson

:bgdance:

[Molly]

"The clergy converted the simple teachings of Jesus into an engine for enslaving mankind and adulterated by artificial constructions into a contrivance to filch wealth and power to themselves...these clergy, in fact, constitute the real Anti-Christ."--Thomas Jefferson



13"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.

15"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are. --Jesus

[Gizmo]

I don't totally agree with Mr. Jefferson.  I am not as concerned about the teachings of Jesus and the person.  Paul said he wanted to know nothing but Christ and Him crucified and that He lives by the faith OF the son of God.  When I get bogged down in the teachings of Jesus, without understanding their context, well...suffice it to say, I enjoy my eyes and my genitals....Christ preached the true and radically condemning nature of the law and self righteousness.  The purpose of much of His teaching was never intended by Him to be followed but to condemn...

I'm rambling, but I hope you get my point...

Peace out

Giz