Deists believe that God does not interfere with everyday life. God is the creator of the world, but does not intervene with it and break natural laws. God gave people options and the ability to reason. Therefore, Desist reject the idea of miracles and supernatural powers. Deists also reject people and texts that claim to have the word of God. They are very rational and rely on natural law to explain everything.
Using these principals, Thomas Jefferson created his own interpretation of the Bible. In it, Jefferson rejects the virgin birth of Jesus basically because it goes without reason. He and other deists took the approach that people cannot be born from virgins now, so they couldn’t in Jesus’ time either. The rules don’t change for Jesus. As for the baptism of Jesus, Jefferson says that John the Baptist did baptize people around Jerusalem. He also baptized Jesus in the Jordan, but dismisses all verses of the gospels that contain the idea of baptizing with water of repentance, the Holy Spirit and fire. Jefferson also does not include God’s voice saying “This is my son” when Jesus is baptized. This goes back to the principals of deism. God created the world, but does not intervene it, come down from heaven, or talk to people. He simply lets things happen.
Lastly, Jefferson excludes all accounts of a resurrected Jesus. Jefferson instead depicts the events after his death concluding with Jesus being placed in a sepulcher with a great stone rolled in front of it. Jefferson’s Bible ends there. Mary Magdalene and others don’t come back to find the tomb empty, and Jesus doesn’t go around talking to his disciples and the public. Again back to deism principals, people do not come back to life. Once you are dead, you are dead. Jesus is not excluded from the laws of nature.
Using these principals, Thomas Jefferson created his own interpretation of the Bible. In it, Jefferson rejects the virgin birth of Jesus basically because it goes without reason. He and other deists took the approach that people cannot be born from virgins now, so they couldn’t in Jesus’ time either. The rules don’t change for Jesus. As for the baptism of Jesus, Jefferson says that John the Baptist did baptize people around Jerusalem. He also baptized Jesus in the Jordan, but dismisses all verses of the gospels that contain the idea of baptizing with water of repentance, the Holy Spirit and fire. Jefferson also does not include God’s voice saying “This is my son” when Jesus is baptized. This goes back to the principals of deism. God created the world, but does not intervene it, come down from heaven, or talk to people. He simply lets things happen.
Lastly, Jefferson excludes all accounts of a resurrected Jesus. Jefferson instead depicts the events after his death concluding with Jesus being placed in a sepulcher with a great stone rolled in front of it. Jefferson’s Bible ends there. Mary Magdalene and others don’t come back to find the tomb empty, and Jesus doesn’t go around talking to his disciples and the public. Again back to deism principals, people do not come back to life. Once you are dead, you are dead. Jesus is not excluded from the laws of nature.
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