Most of the founding fathers understood that the "New Testament" Christian Bible had been compromised and "corrupted," whether by the original authors between three and nine decades after the death of Jesus, or by later translators and interpreters, or by much later copiers, editors and revisionists in fourth century when Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire.
In 1820 Thomas Jefferson wrote: "Among the sayings and discourses imputed to Jesus by his biographers, I find many passages of fine imagination, correct morality, and of the most lovely benevolence; and others again of so much ignorance, so much absurdity, so much untruth, charlatanism, and imposture, as to pronounce it impossible that such contradictions should have proceeded from the same being."
John Adams felt much the same way. In 1816 he wrote: "As I understand the Christian religion, it was, and is, a revelation. But how has it happened that millions of fables, tales, legends, have been blended with both Jewish and Christian revelation that have made them the most bloody religion that ever existed?"
That shows how understanding, honest and realistic the founding fathers were, and they said such things because they had the best interests of the people at heart. They, and especially Jefferson, also understood why they had to stand up to the religious bigots and against their "tyranny," as I do now.
That's why Abraham Lincoln later said: "The principles of Jefferson are the axioms of a free society." And, by the way, later Lincoln also wrote: "My earlier views of the unsoundness of the Christian scheme of salvation and the human origin of the scriptures, have become clearer and stronger with advancing years..."
Most of the founding fathers felt the same way about religion. Unfortunately, in that respect they were not influential for very long. Their political influence was great, but their feelings about religion were forgotten or ignored after a short time, because certain Christian leaders and their sects were driven by the desire to rule, just as some are today.
The above are excerpts quoted from an article-page titled Little Known American History, at:
http://reformationcomingsoon.bravehost.com
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
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