Was Thomas Jefferson correct with his analysis of Christianity in 1782?

Question

"Millions of innocent men, women and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burnt, tortured, fined and imprisoned; yet we have not advanced one inch towards uniformity."
- Thomas Jefferson, Notes on Virginia, 1782


I'll chuck in an extra quote as well...

"Priests...dread the advance of science as witches do the approach of daylight and scowl on the fatal harbinger announcing the subversions of the duperies on which they live."
- Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Correa de Serra, April 11, 1820

Answer 1

Quite obvious that he wasn't a Christian. Also it's pointless asking if he was correct, because he was simply stating facts that anybody can verify with some simple observation.



Christianity has not been all bad as an influence on the world, but in the fifteen hundred years up to 1900 it had certainly killed more people in Europe than any other cause but the plague. It has been, on the whole, a force for hatred, division, reaction, and many other ills.



This is mainly because the behaviour, teaching and impact of the "Christian" churches as organisations has never really had anything to do with the teachings of Jesus, which they have ignored studiously - with the exception of Sunday sermons.

Answer 2

Here's a link to an article about Thomas Jefferson. He wrote his own version of the Bible, keeping what he believed to be good moral teachings of Jesus. Let's not "throw out the baby with the bathwater"!



http://www.nobeliefs.com/jefferson.htm

Answer 3

But but but I thought that Jefferson was a God fearing Teabagger like me? You mean to say that I may have been mislead by right wing Christian fundamentalists who have tried to rebrand the Founding Fathers as sharing their own ideology? Impossible! You are obviously a god-hating socialist spreading liberal propaganda!

Answer 4

Yes

Answer 5

Tell you what, you believe that, and I'll believe that Obama is really from Mars. Okay?

Answer 6

Anyone can say their a Christian. That doesn't automatically mean they are one.