ONCE IN A WHILE, THE MYTH
THAT THOMAS JEFFERSON
EDITED DOWN THE BIBLE
IN ORDER TO REMOVE THE
MIRACULOUS, RESURFACES.
HE SUPPOSEDLY DID THIS
BECAUSE HE WAS ESSENTIALLY
AN UNBELIEVER WHO THOUGHT
THAT RELIGION HAD NO PLACE
IN THE PUBLIC SQUARE.
JEFFERSON DID HARBOR SOME
PRIVATE DOUBTS LATER IN
LIFE ABOUT CORE
CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES.
HOWEVER, HE WAS NOT A
LIFELONG SKEPTIC, AS
DOCUMENTED IN A BOOK I
CO-WROTE WITH DR. MARK
BELILES, DOUBTING THOMAS.
ONE NIGHT IN 1804,
PRESIDENT JEFFERSON
EXTRACTED SOME OF THE
SAYINGS OF JESUS FOUND IN
THE 4 GOSPELS.
WHY DID HE DO THIS?
THE TITLE HE HIMSELF PUT
ON THIS UNPUBLISHED WORK
GIVES US A CLUE: THE
PHILOSOPHY OF JESUS OF
NAZARETH EXTRACTED FROM
THE ACCOUNT OF HIS LIFE
AND DOCTRINES AS GIVEN
BY MATTHEW, MARK, LUKE &
JOHN: BEING AN ABRIDGEMENT
OF THE NEW TESTAMENT FOR
THE USE OF THE INDIANS
UNEMBARRASSED WITH MATTERS
OF FACT OR FAITH BEYOND
THE LEVEL OF THEIR
COMPREHENSIONS.
AS OUR 3RD PRESIDENT,
JEFFERSON HAD MADE THE
LARGEST LAND ADDITION IN
AMERICAN HISTORY WITH THE
LOUISIANA PURCHASE.
SUDDENLY, HUNDREDS
OF THOUSANDS OF
NATIVE-AMERICANS, MANY OF
WHOM HAD NEVER HEARD ABOUT
JESUS, WERE ADDED TO
AMERICAN TERRITORY.
JEFFERSON WANTED THEM TO
BENEFIT FROM THE MORAL
TEACHINGS OF JESUS CHRIST,
LIKE DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU
WOULD HAVE THEM
DO UNTO YOU.
HERE ARE SOME MIRACLES
THAT REMAIN IN THE
SO-CALLED "JEFFERSON
BIBLE": JESUS SENT HIS
DISCIPLES TO "HEAL THE
SICK," "CLEANSE THE
LEPERS," "RAISE THE DEAD,"
AND CAST OUT DEMONS.
HE HEALED A MAN ON THE
SABBATH: JESUS HEALED TWO
BLIND MEN.
AND SO ON.
JEFFERSON'S APPROACH TO
THE BIBLE, TO STRIP AWAY
SOME OF ITS RICH DOCTRINE
IN CHRISTOLOGY OR IN THE
BEAUTY OF THE GODHEAD, IS
NOT COMMENDABLE OR WORTHY
OF IMITATION.
BUT CONTRARY TO WHAT
SOME ATHEISTS SAY TODAY,
JEFFERSON WAS NOT ON
A CRUSADE TO EDIT THE
MIRACLES OUT OF THE BIBLE.
FOR D. JAMES KENNEDY
MINISTRIES, I'M JERRY
NEWCOMBE.
