Deists were very motivated by the concept of “reason over revelation” meaning that they believed strongly in logic and empirical evidence. They were very influenced by the works of Bacon, Newton, and Locke, whose research and work “were full of optimism that human beings through their own reason and observation could unlock the laws of nature” and then have some sort of control over it (162). Previously, natural phenomena and disasters were considered punishment by God for wrongdoing (167-168). These concepts, along with others, influenced many of the Founding Fathers and helped lead to the First Amendment.
Jefferson’s Deist principles weighed heavily on his approach to understanding the gospels. With the concept of “New Learning” instilled in his beliefs, Jefferson questioned the doctrine of Christianity. He believed there were major flaws in Christian tradition that needed to be addressed and that the Bible was “far from containing divine truth” but was a guideline for moral instruction and filled with superstition and deviation from truth (174). Jefferson believed that anything that could not be explained with reason and logic must be thrown out as it had no legitimacy. With this thought, he completely ousted the Old Testament due to the fact that “the god it revealed was an angry, spiteful, vengeful deity” and also removed all of the miracles and unrealistic stories from the New Testament (174). Jefferson’s Deist thoughts are clearly evident when it comes to the birth, baptism, and resurrection. Most notable is the fact that the resurrection is omitted in its entirety. In the birth and baptism of Jesus, there is no mention of God’s intervention or presence in the scene as it is described in the gospels. The Deist thought processes of Jefferson include the fact that, in their eyes, Jesus was not divine but just a morally upstanding teacher. Jefferson, considered a great philosopher even today, portrayed a Jesus in his own image with his edition of the Bible.
Jefferson’s Deist principles weighed heavily on his approach to understanding the gospels. With the concept of “New Learning” instilled in his beliefs, Jefferson questioned the doctrine of Christianity. He believed there were major flaws in Christian tradition that needed to be addressed and that the Bible was “far from containing divine truth” but was a guideline for moral instruction and filled with superstition and deviation from truth (174). Jefferson believed that anything that could not be explained with reason and logic must be thrown out as it had no legitimacy. With this thought, he completely ousted the Old Testament due to the fact that “the god it revealed was an angry, spiteful, vengeful deity” and also removed all of the miracles and unrealistic stories from the New Testament (174). Jefferson’s Deist thoughts are clearly evident when it comes to the birth, baptism, and resurrection. Most notable is the fact that the resurrection is omitted in its entirety. In the birth and baptism of Jesus, there is no mention of God’s intervention or presence in the scene as it is described in the gospels. The Deist thought processes of Jefferson include the fact that, in their eyes, Jesus was not divine but just a morally upstanding teacher. Jefferson, considered a great philosopher even today, portrayed a Jesus in his own image with his edition of the Bible.
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