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I think it is safe to say that very few people take it upon themselves to put together their own edition of the Bible, and yet this is exactly what Thomas Jefferson did with The Jefferson Bible. By editing the four gospels of the Hebrew New Testament into one book, Jefferson sought to create the world's ultimate code of ethics. At the same time, by editing out all references to Jesus Christ's deity and all references to the supernatural, Jefferson attempted to establish a moral standard free from any religious dogma or as he put it, free from any "myth".
In putting together his Bible, Jefferson cut out verses from scripture and then pasted them into his volume, organizing them chronologically or topically. Jefferson in fact, used four different translations in the process. Greek, Latin, French and English (King James Version) were all placed side by side, so that Jefferson, who was fluent in all four languages, could better determine the most accurate reading. Based upon existing biblical tradition, Jefferson's Bible was grouped into chapters and verses.
As a Christian myself, I certainly agree with Jefferson's praise of Jesus' teaching. He calls it the purest in all of history. At the same time, it becomes quite obvious that by claiming to be a Christian himself, Jefferson is very much mistaken. To deny that Jesus is God, as Jefferson has no qualms in doing, is to deny the very foundation of Christian doctrine. Even though Jefferson doesn't explicitly change the biblical text, by pulling it out of context (rearranging it and cutting huge chunks out), he certainly distorts the message. Christ reveals Himself to be God throughout the gospels and so it is really impossible to deny his deity and still maintain He is a good moral teacher. Anyone who falsely claims to be God is anything but a good moral teacher. Jesus is either God or a lunatic. His teachings allow for no other conclusion.
Thomas Jefferson was a man of religious ambiguity. He is celebrated by the atheists and yet was a man of prayer. He believed strongly in the being of God, and yet he believed equally in the splendor and nobility of man. He holds Christ's teaching in high regard and yet he denies the church. As such, it is very difficult to pin down exactly what his religious convictions were and to this day, there remains much confusion about where he stood and what exactly he believed. Ultimately, Jefferson's religious legacy may be just as significant as his political one, as countless Americans have followed suit in an attempt to carve out a spiritual middle ground. The mistake Jefferson makes is the same one we make today. Holding up that portion of Christ's teachings which are generally agreeable (love your neighbor, show compassion) while ignoring the ones which are more problematic (take up your cross, lose your life, drink of my blood) is to blanketly reject Him. There is no middle ground. We will either embrace Christ holistically and live, or will reject His deity and die.
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