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Rememberme's avatar

Is this Thomas Jefferson quote accurate?

Asked by Rememberme (661points) April 19th, 2010

“The reason that Christianity is the best friend of Government is because Christianity is the only religion that changes the heart.” ~Thomas Jefferson

I’ve heard that this quote is widely misquoted. Is this just a rumor? I would prefer some cited information to back up any claims. Thank you in advance!

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3 Answers

Cruiser's avatar

There is doubt surrounding the existence of these words, as according to the Jefferson Encyclopedia there is no evidence of these words in any of Mr. Jefferson’s writings.

http://wiki.monticello.org/mediawiki/index.php/Christianity_is_the_best_friend_of_government

LostInParadise's avatar

I don’t know about the quote, but I know that Jefferson was not a Christian, but rather a deist. Jefferson’s religious beliefs My own opinion is that the difference between deism and atheism is the theory of evolution.

ubersiren's avatar

Extremists just love to attach TJ’s name to their made up words. He ought to be flattered, but slightly annoyed.

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