Pondering Thomas Jefferson’s advocacy of “civil religion” on the 4th of July
THE NEW YORK TIMES
By Annette Gordon-Reed and Peter S. Onuf
It was an article of Thomas Jefferson’s faith that no government should interfere in anyone’s private religious beliefs. A passionate student of history, Jefferson knew that religious struggles through the ages had caused “rivers of blood” to flow all over the world. It’s worth pausing, this Fourth of July, to ponder this facet of Jefferson’s deep wisdom, and how well we’ve lived up to it. Fulfilling Jefferson’s enlightened vision has not been easy. Throughout history, we Americans have waged religious battles of our own, mainly through legislation that regulated citizens’ behavior on the basis of moral values that were religious ones in disguise. [More]
By Annette Gordon-Reed and Peter S. Onuf
It was an article of Thomas Jefferson’s faith that no government should interfere in anyone’s private religious beliefs. A passionate student of history, Jefferson knew that religious struggles through the ages had caused “rivers of blood” to flow all over the world. It’s worth pausing, this Fourth of July, to ponder this facet of Jefferson’s deep wisdom, and how well we’ve lived up to it. Fulfilling Jefferson’s enlightened vision has not been easy. Throughout history, we Americans have waged religious battles of our own, mainly through legislation that regulated citizens’ behavior on the basis of moral values that were religious ones in disguise. [More]
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| "One National Under God" by Jon Mcnaughton. 10 X 15 OE - Litho print available through the artist's website. |
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| "The Angel of Liberty - A Patriotic Vision of George Washington" by Jon Mcnaughton |
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| "The Demise of America" by Jon Mcnaughton |
