Lie 3:“The Jefferson Bible”*

   Over the past several months we have been reviewing David Barton’s incredible book, ‘The Jefferson Lies’. Today we want to address what he calls “Lie 3: The Jefferson Bible”. ‘The Jefferson Bible’ is a derogatory term used by historical revisionists (aka liberal historians), to present Thomas Jefferson as a deist at best, and an atheist at worst.
   Here are three liberal comments on ‘The Jefferson Bible’:
“Thomas Jefferson sliced carefully at the pages of Holy Scripture, excising select passages and pasting them together to create a Bible more to his liking. The Jefferson Bible. What didn’t make it into the Jefferson Bible was anything that conflicted with his personal world view. Hell? It can’t be. The supernatural? Not even worth considering. God’s wrath against sin? I don’t’ think so. The very words of God regarded as leftover scraps.”  -Craig Cabaniss (Barton, pg100)
“Jefferson wrote his own Bible that excluded all references to miracles, wonders, signs, virgin birth, resurrection, the God-head, and whatever else conflicted with his own religious thought.”
-Robert S. Alley, (Barton, pg100)
“Jefferson…rejected the superstitions and mysticism of Christianity and even went so far as to edit the Gospels, removing the miracles and mysticism of Jesus. – Jim Walker (Barton, pg101)
 
   Before looking at “The Jefferson Bible”, we must first look at some of TJ’s feelings on the Bible:  
1.TJ became a lifetime member of the Virginia Bible Society. This was certainly a big deal because the sole purpose of a Bible Society was to put a Bible in the home of every American!
2.In 1798, TJ helped fund the printing of the John Thompson Bible. This was a massive 2-volume set Bible, and the largest Bible ever published to that point. “Some 1269 fellow Americans joined Jefferson in subscribing to this work, which included Declaration of Independence signers, John Hancock, and Samuel Chase; Constitution signers Gunning Bedford, George Read, James Wilson, John Dickinson, Jared Ingersoll, Thomas Mifflin, Alexander  Hamilton; Constitution delegate John Lansing; Chief Justice John Jay; and Revolutionary General and Secretary of State Timothy Pickering. This list of subscribers helps show how important the Bible was to many Americans—including political leaders---in this era.” (Barton,pg310)
3.TJ offered to subscribe the Charles Thomson Bible, but it was too late. Subsequently, Thomson sent TJ a copy after it was published. TJ responded to Thomson’s gift: “I shall use it with great satisfaction on my return home. I propose there, among my first employments, to give to the Septuagint an attentive perusal, and shall feel the aid you have now given me” (Barton pg102).
4.TJ owned and studied many Bibles:
-the Eliot Bible, which was printed in 1661 in the Algonquin Indian language by John
Eliot, the apostle to the Indians (the first Bible printed in America in any language).
-The Bible in the Nattick Indian language (1666)**
-the earliest Latin Bible printed in England (1580)
-the earliest French Geneva Bible printed in England (1687) 
-And many others (Barton, pg102)
5.TJ once told Daniel Webster, “I have always said, and will always say, that the studious perusal of the Sacred Volume [Bible] will make better citizens, better fathers, and better husbands.” (Barton, pg103)
 
   Here is the truth about “The Jefferson Bible”. First, there has never been a “Jefferson Bible”. The term was invented by liberals to create a ‘certain’ negative image of TJ. However, the term ‘Jefferson Bible’ actually refers to ‘two’*** works by Jefferson; one in 1804, and the other in 1820. He titled each work specifically to identify its purpose. In other words, he would have totally rejected the idea of “The Jefferson Bible” as defined by contemporary liberalism!
   For example, the 1804 edition was entitled:
‘The Philosophy of Jesus of Nazareth; Extracted from the Account of His life and
Doctrines Given by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John; Being an Abridgement of the New
Testament for the Use of the Indians, Un-embarrassed [uncomplicated] with Matters of
Fact or Faith beyond the Level of their Comprehensions.’
 
Notice three points that literally leap from this title:
1.The purpose of TJ’s work is irrefutably stated--in his own words--in the very title: “…For the Use of the Indians…”!!! In other words, TJ’s 1804 version of the supposed “Jefferson Bible” was intended for Indian evangelism!
   You need more evidence? In 1802, while serving as president, TJ signed a law renewing the authorization for the “The Society of United Brethren for Propagating the Gospel among the Heathen”.  This legislation allowed for the Christian denomination of the ‘United Brethren’ to “…continue their ministry and missionary work on federal tribal land trusts in the Northwest Territory” (Barton, pg104)!!!!
  More evidence? How about the TJ’s approval—while serving as president--of a treaty(1803) with the Kaskaskia Indians which committed the federal government to pay for erecting a church and paying the priest!!! US Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist wrote:
“Jefferson’s treaty with the Kaskaskia Indians…provided annual cash support for the Tribe’s Roman Catholic priest and church…The treaty stated in part: “And whereas the greater part of said Tribe have been baptized and received into the Catholic church, to which they are much attached, the United States will give annually for seven years one hundred dollars toward the support of a priest of that religion…and…three hundred dollars to assist the said Tribe in the erection of a church””(Barton, pg105).
   Still not convinced? How about one more for the road! Edward Dowse, a long-time friend of TJ sent him a sermon written by Rev. William Bennet of Scotland which explained the importance of teaching morality and holiness to the Indians. TJ responded with: “I concur with the author in considering the moral precepts of Jesus as more pure, correct, and sublime than those of ancient philosophers” (Barton, pg105). Interestingly, on this exchange of letters, one author wrote, “Mr. Dowse apparently understood Jefferson’s interest in Christian missions to the Native Americans in a way that many modern scholars have dismissed as irrelevant. This dismissal has led to the misunderstanding of Jefferson’s motives for his compilation of Christ’s teachings. Jefferson had a deep, genuine commitment to missionary efforts among the Indians. His account books show that he consistently donated his own money to missionaries and to societies that distributed Bibles to both Americans and Indians” (Barton, pg 105). 
 ​
WOW!!! So much for the liberal re-interpretation of the separation of church and state!!
 
Sorry, but I will have to finish the next two points in the next tidbit!
 
*Facts in this tidbit taken from historian David Barton’s incredible book “The Jefferson Lies”. It is a must read!!
**Incredibly, TJ studied these Bibles in their original Indian languages!!
***That’s right! There were actually two works, not one! Of course, liberals often omit this small bit of truth for their benefit!
 
 
QuoteBit
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beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow.
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