Mark A. Beliles – författare

Thomas Jefferson and the founding fathers intended a strict separation of church and state, right? He would have been very upset to find out about a child praying in a public school or a government building used for religious purposes, correct? Actually, the history on this has been very distorted. While Jefferson may seem to be the Patron Saint of the ACLU, his words and actions showed that he would totally disagree with the idea of driving God out of the public square. Doubting Thomas documents that. . .* Jefferson said that our rights come from God. God-given rights are non-negotiables.* At the time that he wrote the Declaration of Independence and the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom---major contributions to human and religious rights—Jefferson served diligently as a vestryman (like an elder and a deacon rolled into one) for the Episcopal Church. * In 1777, he wrote up the charter for the Calvinistical Reformed Church in his town with an evangelical preacher, the Rev. Charles Clay--with whom he had a lifelong friendship. Jefferson was the biggest single contributor to this fledgling congregation.* Jefferson had nothing but the highest praise for Jesus’ teaching, which he studied religiously (even in the original Greek), in order to pattern his life after that which he called “the most sublime and benevolent code of morals which has ever been offered to man.” * As president, he attended church on a regular basis at the US Capitol building, even sometimes recommending preachers to fill that pulpit.* He had many positive relationships with orthodox clergymen and active lay Christians.* He actively supported Christian causes, financially, in ways that would put the average Christian to shame.* He set out to create a non-denominational college that accommodated Christian groups of different stripes.And on it goes.Historical revisionism has distorted the religious views of Thomas Jefferson, making him far more skeptical than he was. But there is no doubt that by the end of his life, he seemed to privately embrace Unitarian views of the Christian faith, while outwardly supporting and attending his local Trinitarian church.Thus, a legacy of Jefferson’s has been taken out of context and used to squelch religious freedom in America. Ironically, religious freedom was one of Jefferson’s core beliefs and contributions. But this is being turned on its head.Chiseled in stone at the Jefferson Memorial are his famous words: “The God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are of the Gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath?” Regardless of Jefferson’s private religious views, he stood solidly against the state making theological decisions for its people. Therefore, he would stand solidly against the anti-Christian crusade being carried out in his name today. It’s time to set the record straight.

A religious historian argues that historical revisionism has distorted the religious views of Thomas Jefferson, making him appear far more skeptical than he was. Thomas Jefferson and the founding fathers intended a strict separation of church and state, right? He would have been very upset to find out about a child praying in a public school or a government building used for religious purposes, correct? Actually, the history on this has been very distorted. The standard accepted story on the faith of Thomas Jefferson (or the lack thereof) is not accurate. While he did harbor some doubts about orthodox Christianity by the end of his life, he was actually quite active in supporting the church in America. Meanwhile, in his name today, because of a misunderstanding about "the separation of church and state" (a phrase that comes from an obscure letter he wrote), religious expression is being curtailed all over the place in modern America. And he would absolutely object to that, as seen in his own actions and writings. While Jefferson may seem to be the patron saint of the ACLU, his words and actions showed that he would totally disagree with the idea of driving God out of the public square. Doubting Thomas documents that. In short, it''s time to set the record straight.

Thomas Jefferson and the founding fathers intended a strict separation of church and state, right? He would have been very upset to find out about a child praying in a public school or a government building used for religious purposes, correct? Actually, the history on this has been very distorted. While Jefferson may seem to be the Patron Saint of the ACLU, his words and actions showed that he would totally disagree with the idea of driving God out of the public square. Doubting Thomas documents that. . .* Jefferson said that our rights come from God. God-given rights are non-negotiables.* At the time that he wrote the Declaration of Independence and the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom---major contributions to human and religious rights—Jefferson served diligently as a vestryman (like an elder and a deacon rolled into one) for the Episcopal Church. * In 1777, he wrote up the charter for the Calvinistical Reformed Church in his town with an evangelical preacher, the Rev. Charles Clay--with whom he had a lifelong friendship. Jefferson was the biggest single contributor to this fledgling congregation.* Jefferson had nothing but the highest praise for Jesus’ teaching, which he studied religiously (even in the original Greek), in order to pattern his life after that which he called “the most sublime and benevolent code of morals which has ever been offered to man.” * As president, he attended church on a regular basis at the US Capitol building, even sometimes recommending preachers to fill that pulpit.* He had many positive relationships with orthodox clergymen and active lay Christians.* He actively supported Christian causes, financially, in ways that would put the average Christian to shame.* He set out to create a non-denominational college that accommodated Christian groups of different stripes.And on it goes.Historical revisionism has distorted the religious views of Thomas Jefferson, making him far more skeptical than he was. But there is no doubt that by the end of his life, he seemed to privately embrace Unitarian views of the Christian faith, while outwardly supporting and attending his local Trinitarian church.Thus, a legacy of Jefferson’s has been taken out of context and used to squelch religious freedom in America. Ironically, religious freedom was one of Jefferson’s core beliefs and contributions. But this is being turned on its head.Chiseled in stone at the Jefferson Memorial are his famous words: “The God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are of the Gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath?” Regardless of Jefferson’s private religious views, he stood solidly against the state making theological decisions for its people. Therefore, he would stand solidly against the anti-Christian crusade being carried out in his name today. It’s time to set the record straight.

During the 250th anniversary of American independence, questions have resurfaced about the original principles of the nation’s Founding Fathers alongside modern worries regarding “Christian Nationalism.”Thomas Jefferson and The God Who Gave Us Liberty goes to the core of these questions with evidence never seen before. Drawing from their larger work, Doubting Thomas?, the authors present a powerful but cogent study of Thomas Jefferson, the author of America’s birth certificate—the Declaration of Independence.Through a chronological record of Jefferson’s writings and actions on religion—including newly uncovered letters—this insightful resource reveals a man privately questioning some beliefs yet boldly affirming himself as a Christian, as well as being an advocate of nondenominational state support of religion.The authors then trace Jefferson’s enduring religious legacy, from his role in securing religious freedom to founding the University of Virginia. Here the modern view of a strict separation of church and state is overwhelmingly proven to be contrary to the thinking and intentions of Jefferson and America’s founders.Every American patriot should get reacquainted with America’s founding principles and especially with the iconic figure of Thomas Jefferson. This volume is an essential reference for a new generation of patriots, scholars, and especially American Christians seeking to recover from historical amnesia and reconnect with the foundations of the greatest nation on earth.