Jefferson's Religion and thoughts on slavery

Jefferson’s “Religion” Often portrayed as anti-religious, Jefferson didn’t like organized religions but admired Christ a lot. The American “mainline” religion we will be studying later – was like Jefferson’s in many ways. Jefferson and the “mainliners” generally believe in science so do not like the rigidity of Biblical literalists or Fundamentalists. They (quote below) did not approve of public “inquisition” into the details of belief. European history provided Jefferson with many examples of problems with established churches and fights over details of doctrine.

Among recent figures who were relatively “mainline” are Bush41 and Dwight Eisenhower. The “mainline” believes in science like Jefferson. They keep details of their beliefs private. Ike said he preferred leaders who were religious but didn’t care which religion. Bush41 was a Planned Parenthood supporter uncomfortable with public religious posturing. The religious right was never convinced of his ardor for their causes

The “mainline” contrasts strongly with “Fundamentalists” who generally give absolute literal credence to the whole Bible including the Old Testament, and evangelicals who strongly approve of public proclamations of belief and attempts to convert others.

The Old Testament spirit seemed to Jefferson very different from what Christ said as the quotes below suggest.

“…their (Jews) idea of him (God) and his attributes were degrading and injurious” … “To the corruptions of Christianity I am, indeed, opposed; but not to the genuine precepts of Jesus himself. I am a Christian in the only sense he wished any one to be; sincerely attached to his doctrines, in preference to all others; ascribing to himself every human excellence; and believing he claimed no other. ……. I am moreover averse to the communication of my religious tenets to the public; because it would countenance the presumption of those who have endeavored to draw them before that tribunal, and to seduce public opinion to erect itself into that inquisition over the rights of conscience, which the laws have so justly proscribed. ……. His moral doctrines, relating to kindred and friends, were more pure and perfect than those of the most correct of the philosophers, and greatly more so than those of the Jews; and they went far beyond both in inculcating universal philanthropy, not only to kindred and friends, to neighbors and countrymen, but to all mankind, gathering all into one family under the bonds of love, peace common wants and common aids. A development of this head will evince the particular superiority of the system of Jesus over all others” “He taught, emphatically, the doctrines of a future state, which was either doubted or disbelieved by the Jews; and wielded it with efficacy, as an important incentive, supplementary to the other motives to moral conduct . (letter to Benjamin Rush April 21, 1803)

(Jefferson was very concerned that the poor would be oppressed by the rich who grabbed government power. Scriptures have 3000 references to poverty)

(the government) “…. shall all become wolves. It seems to be the law of our general nature, in spite of individual exceptions; and experience declares that man is the only animal which devours his own kind; for I can apply no milder term to the governments of Europe, and to the general prey of the rich on the poor …..” Letter to Colonel Carrington January 16, 1787

Jesus’ 6 commandments (below) – don’t include rules Jefferson thought of as superstitious. He emphasized concern for the poor and the problem of rich people who were not charitable. Jesus and Jefferson could strongly embrace Jewish concern for the poor and disadvantaged however. The family should not suffer for the sins of the father. The Jews had jubilee year when the poor got (in theory) their land back from the rich who had foreclosed on them. Jefferson wants revolt and blood if the rich take over and oppress the poor too much - “liberty fertilized by the blood of patriots and tyrants.”

Quotes from Christ suggest why Jefferson would admire him.

Matthew 19 (New King James Version)

¹ Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these sayings, that He departed from Galilee and came to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. ²And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them there. ³The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?" ⁴And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made^[a] them at the beginning "made them male and female,'^{[b] 5}and said, "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'?^{[c] 6}So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate." ⁷They said to Him, "Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?" ⁸He said to them, "Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. ⁹And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality,^[d] and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery." ¹⁰His disciples said to Him, "If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry." ¹¹But He said to them, "All cannot accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been given: ¹²For there are eunuchs who were born thus from their mother's womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He who is able to accept it, let him accept it."

Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. ¹⁴But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven." ¹⁵And He laid His hands on them and departed from there.

¹⁶Now behold, one came and said to Him, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?" ¹⁷So He said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.^[g] But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments." ¹⁸He said to Him, "Which ones?" Jesus said, ""You shall not murder,' "You shall not commit adultery,' "You shall not steal,' "You shall not bear false witness,' ¹⁹"Honor your father and your mother,'^[h] and, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."'^{[i] 20}The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept from my youth.^[j] What do I still lack?"

²¹Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." ²²But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. ^{(D) 23}Then Jesus said to His disciples, "Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. ²⁴And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." ²⁵When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?" ²⁶But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." ²⁷Then Peter answered and said to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?" ²⁸So Jesus said to them, "Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. ²⁹And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. ³⁰But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

Mark 9:33-37 And when they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, "What were you discussing on the way?" But they were silent; for on the way they had discussed with one another who was the greatest. And he sat down and called the twelve; and he said to them, "If any one would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all." And he took a child and put him in the midst of them; and taking him in his arms, he said to them, "Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me."

You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone... Faith without deeds is dead. - James 2:14-26 And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee? And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me. - Matt 25:31-40

In this spirit of concern for the poor, one of the worst sins for Jews and Christians (until recently) was “reaping what you did not sew” - collecting interest on debts – USURY. This was the PRIME example of the rich taking advantage of the poor who had to borrow. Jews couldn’t do it to other Jews – Christians were not supposed to do it to anyone. Christians (especially Kings who needed loans) made the Jews do the dirty work. This became a foundation for anti-semitism. Rulers needed bankers which made the Rothchilds rich. Shylock in Shakespeare is an example of the “money hungry” Jew. Jews were usually forbidden to own land so had to be merchants or lenders

OLD TESTAMENT TRIVIA: EXAMPLES OF VIEWS JEFFERSON WOULD CALL “SUPERSTITIOUS” or much worse.

Jefferson thought slavery was a depraved and degrading institution (below). The Old Testament clearly endorsed it. This alone would be enough for him to consider Biblical literalism horribly immoral and disgusting.

Leviticus 25:44 states that we may possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. 15: 19. forbids any contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanness. eating shellfish is an abomination (Lev. 11:10), Lev. 19:27. no haircuts Lev. 11 – food laws – no shellfish - 6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean. Lev.19:19 forbids planting two different crops in the same field, wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread. Lev.21:16-20 – handicapped – including defects in sight – may not approach the altar of God. Exodus 21 gives detailed instructions for slavery – including selling daughters into slavery (21:7) 35:2 states those working on the Sabbath should be put to death.

JEFFERSON ON SLAVERY

Jefferson’s hypocracy – owning slaves and “all men are created equal” has a few ameliorating features. Jefferson saw sympathy as the most important human faculty, and thought that blacks might be more than equal in “sympathy” or empathy for other humans. He seems to see himself as a horribly weak sinner – unable to give up his fine wines and books or playing with Monticello - to live more frugally and live up to his principles.

Like most Americans in Revolutionary times he thought slavery might fade away. He saw it as horribly corrupting:

““There must doubtless be an unhappy influence on the manners of our people produced by the existence of slavery among us. The whole commerce between master and slave is a perpetual exercise of the most boisterous passions, the most unremitting despotism on the one part, and degrading submissions on the other. Our children see this, and learn to imitate it. …….. The parent storms, the child looks on, catches the lineaments of wrath, puts on the same airs in the circle of smaller slaves, gives a loose to the worst of passions, and thus nursed, educated, and daily exercised in tyranny, cannot but be stamped by it with odious peculiarities. The man must be a prodigy who can retain his manners and morals undepraved by such circumstances.”(Notes on Virginia Query XVIII – The particular customs and manners that may happen to be received in that state?”