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Actually, his notes do not mention a specific religion/faith at all.
Where the preamble declares, that coercion is a departure from the plan of the holy author of our religion, an amendment was proposed by inserting "Jesus Christ," so that it would read "A departure from the plan of Jesus Christ, the holy author of our religion;" the insertion was rejected by the great majority, in proof that they meant to comprehend, within the mantle of its protection, the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian and Mohammedan, the Hindoo and Infidel of every denomination.
-Thomas Jefferson, Autobiography, in reference to the Virginia Act for Religious Freedom
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Oh, and I googled Hindu in relation to Thomas Jefferson and only came up with blog entries and news stories relating to the current story. Nothing relating to what Thomas Jefferson wrote over 200 years ago himself about Hinduism. Which, btw, was a NEW faith to him even if he even knew about it given the distance India was from the New World. Liz
Hinduism is older than Christianity. As an educated man Jefferson would have known about Hindus since his a youth. He did in fact study it along with Christianity and many other belief systems and found them all equally valid, if equally mythical and superstitious.
America was not the "New world" in the 18th century. Not as new as it was. Trade with India was pretty common.
America was not the "New world" in the 18th century. Not as new as it was. Trade with India was pretty common.
Yes, trade was but not exchange of faiths. We didn't do that with the American Indians either during that time frame...we tried to exterminate them instead.
Since India was a dominated country much like the American Indians were, during the 18th century, I doubt the Hindu faith was much studied at that point. I may be wrong but given the "White man" mentality of that era, I doubt it.
And since Jefferson lived from 1743-1826 he was dead center of that type of mentality.
Yes, trade was but not exchange of faiths. We didn't do that with the American Indians either during that time frame...we tried to exterminate them instead.
"We" is a broad term. There were intelligent people back then who opposed subjugation and some who embraced American Indian beliefs and culture.
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Since India was a dominated country much like the American Indians were, during the 18th century, I doubt the Hindu faith was much studied at that point. I may be wrong but given the "White man" mentality of that era, I doubt it.
And since Jefferson lived from 1743-1826 he was dead center of that type of mentality.
Ah, but Jefferson and the other Founding Fathers were students of The Enlightenment (Age of Enlightenment - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). They were rational, open minded and eager to study anything and everything. Jefferson did indeed have Hindu texts in his personal collection.
I do not find in orthodox Christianity one redeeming feature.--Thomas Jefferson
The day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the Supreme Being as his Father, in the womb of a virgin will be classified with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of Jupiter. But we may hope that the dawn of reason and freedom of thought in these United States will do away with this artificial scaffolding and restore to us the primitive and genuine doctrines of this most venerated Reformer of human errors.--Thomas Jefferson
I should add that TJ, like myself, was a universalist. Note in the latter quote he refers to Jesus as "this most venerated Reformer of human errors."
Jefferson did indeed have Hindu texts in his personal collection.
I have one of Darwin's books in my collection yet I have problems with some of Darwin's beliefs.
I have Che Guevara's Biography, yet I am no fan of his either.
I have books by Jehovah's Witnesses, yet I am not Jehovah's Witness.
I at one time even had a book for Sociologist, but have never been one of those either.
His having a book or two about any given subject doesn't mean he believed in a particular philosophy. It just means he was honest and wanted to know about both sides of the issues.
Last edited by jeffncandace; 07-25-2007 at 11:57 AM..
I have one of Darwin's books in my collection yet I have problems with some of Darwin's beliefs.
His having a book or two about any given subject doesn't mean he believed in a particular philosophy. It just means he was honest and wanted to know about both sides of the issues.
Exactly. That is the point I am making. I never said he believed in Hinduism, merely that he studied it along with other myths. He also had a Bible. Doesn't mean he believed in it or was a Christian.
Jefferson was a deist. His religious views were not orthodox Christian. But he did believe in one God and saw Christianity as the ultimate in organized religion.
Exactly. That is the point I am making. I never said he believed in Hinduism, merely that he studied it along with other myths. He also had a Bible. Doesn't mean he believed in it or was a Christian.
But statements that he made durring his first First Inaugural Address March 4, 1801
" And may that Infinite Power which rules the destinies of the universe lead our councils to what is best, and give them a favorable issue for your peace and prosperity." The Avalon Project : Jefferson's First Inaugural Address
Proves that he believed in one God not thousands, and that one God rules over our destinities, he was no Hindu, and he was no diest.
But he did believe in one God and saw Christianity as the ultimate in organized religion.
EXACTLY!
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I never said he believed in Hinduism, merely that he studied it along with other myths.
And he probably did believe in Hinduism, not as a myth but as a faith. Just not his faith but as the faith of others.
Studying a faith we don't believe in does not make it less real. Liz
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