Thomas Jefferson

Introduction

Thomas Jefferson, the main author of the Declaration of Independence and the third president of the United States, never officially announced which religion he believed and practiced. Many people have tried to figure out what religion he practiced by studying his letters and piecing together his ideas on various religions. One of the most famous to do this was Peter S. Onuf.

Discussion

Throughout the article, The Mind of Thomas Jefferson, by Peter Onuf, Thomas Jefferson's beliefs were questioned and analyzed. In the first paragraph Onuf describes how Jefferson believed in moral philosophers and reason. He states that Jefferson said that science rejected the virgin birth, he doesn't believe in miracles, and that questioning is good. Onuf then goes on to say that Jefferson believes that one must have mature reasoning abilities before one decides on what they are going to believe in. Jefferson is made out to seem that he only takes the Bible as a source of history, and that he has the opinion that people were made to think of Jesus as divine because of just how benevolent he was.

In the beginning of the exert I read, Onuf explains that Jefferson believed in reason and that “moral philosophers ancient and modern remained the best guides to the good life”. By good life he means that people should act morally right and live life to help and support others rather than trying to persuade them to be a certain religion that was based on a divine revelation. Jefferson felt religions based on divine revelations could not be supported by science and reason. Thomas Jefferson also stated “shake off all the fears and servile prejudices under which weak minds are servilely crouched” and “question with boldness even the existence of a god” in his letters to his nephew, which Onuf explains meant Jefferson believed in reason over faith taht contradicts most religions like Christianity for example because of the birth of Jesus from a virgin. He felt people should question religions that could not be supported by facts.

In this book, Onuf says that Jefferson was content with the separation of government and religion, and that it was not right for a government to make a decision, such as religion, for their people, and vice-versa. While talking to John Adams, Thomas Jefferson claims that faith should be determined by ones self, and that he could never just completely follow a priest. Thomas Jefferson says “Ignorance is preferable to error” in his notes. Thomas Jefferson also claimed that Jesus was not God sent, but that he was only a reformer, like the founding fathers were. “Jefferson's identification with Jesus, as a reformer who dared to challenge priestly power” Onuf claimed that this is what Jefferson believed Jesus to be.

Onuf also stated that Jefferson believed that people should keep their religious views private, which was why Jefferson never actually came out fully on what religion he was. Onuf said “he believed a progressively enlightened public opinion would loosen the “shackles” of priestly influence and ...