Jefferson's Bible
With so much attention being given to presidential religion, it's appropriate to remember that not all of our presidents have been equally religious. Some -- Carter and Bush, for example -- have made much of their faith. Others tried to keep it private -- JFK -- and of course Thomas Jefferson was extremely interested in religion, but was not especially Christian. He was highly interested in Jesus and his message, finding in him a primary source of morals, but did not believe in his divinity or the miraculous.
Today's LA Times offers an article on the famous (infamous) Jefferson Bible, Jefferson's cut and paste version of the gospels that removed the miraculous, much of the birth narrative, and the resurrection.
Historian Lori Anne Ferrell asks the question: what would we think if we heard that the President of the US had taken scissors to the Bible? Of course, Jefferson's little Bible didn't get published until 1904. I suppose that if a contemporary President were to do such a thing, it would be prudent to keep it quiet!
Today's LA Times offers an article on the famous (infamous) Jefferson Bible, Jefferson's cut and paste version of the gospels that removed the miraculous, much of the birth narrative, and the resurrection.
Historian Lori Anne Ferrell asks the question: what would we think if we heard that the President of the US had taken scissors to the Bible? Of course, Jefferson's little Bible didn't get published until 1904. I suppose that if a contemporary President were to do such a thing, it would be prudent to keep it quiet!
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