I’m in the midst of reading a cool little quote book of the Founding Fathers; which is simply titled The Founding Fathers: Quotes, Quips, and Speeches. This collection, put together and edited by Gordon Leidner, is like a time capsule taking you back to the birth of the nation. It is provocative and full of meat to analysis and process.
I’ll be pulling some quotes to highlight from this book, and the first I’m writing on is a quote I read last night from Thomas Jefferson. So it is the freshest one in my head. His quote in the book reads:
“My views.. are the result of a life of inquiry & reflection, and very different from that anti-Christian system imputed to me by those who know nothing of my opinions. 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.”
My take away from this is Jefferson saw a difference in religion (and probably even the Church) and Jesus.
So my thought is merely introspective. If I have faith and follow Jesus, am I reflecting him or simply following the culture of religion. I’m a truly following him or what a culture? That is why daily prayer and reading of the scriptures are of highest importance. Because if we don’t know him, then we can be easily fooled when we hear things about him.
You can question how much Jefferson actually knew or was devoted to Jesus since he owned slaves, but I’m not going to get into that debt here as my focus is on the introspective.
But what are your thoughts? Do you have the same take away from Jefferson, or a different one? Sound off in the comments below friends.
J.E.Rowland 