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Friday, September 11, 2009

U.S. History Blog Question #4

Thomas Jefferson was known to cut passages from the Bible out and ignore parts of the Bible he didnt agree with. He also once said, "Christianity neither is, nor ever was a part of the common law." But in the Declaration of Independence, which he wrote, there are several references to God and the Creator.

How is this apparent contradiction possible?

Is the Declaration of Independence a "Christian" document since it mentions God?
Posted by at

31 comments:

  1. AnonymousSeptember 12, 2009 at 3:10 PM

    i think Thomas jefferson said that becouse the declaration is not a law. Its just a bunch of guidlines for the country. And no i don't think it is a christian document.

    William Bell

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  2. Kathryn BracherSeptember 14, 2009 at 4:45 PM

    I think that the ideas that Thomas Jefferson mentioned about Christianity in the Declaration of Independence were only the things in the bible that he believed. Following part of the bible isn't enough. To truly be a Christian we must believe everything that is said in the bible. I don't think that the Declaration of Independence was a Christian document, but it was encouraged a lot by Christianity.

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  3. AnonymousSeptember 14, 2009 at 5:37 PM

    I think it means that because the declaration was not yet something you had to follow. it is what you should do, but back then they hadnt enforced it. and I dont think its christian

    Peter Keith

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  4. AnonymousSeptember 14, 2009 at 7:56 PM

    It's possible because people have different train of thought one day they could be saying one thing the next day another.Here Thomas Jefferson was just ignoring it for the time being but I think he planned to use it ahead of time

    Nile

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  5. Quinn LarimerSeptember 15, 2009 at 4:20 PM

    Thomas Jefferson may not be a christian but that doesn't mean other people are not. Thomas wasn't the only one writting the Declaration of Independence, there were other people there to that could have influensed him. Also he wasn't writting the Declaration of Independence as Thomas Jefferson, he was writting it as a Founding Father who wanted the best for the, soon to be, new country.

    The Declaration of Independece could be considered a "christian" document because it mentions God. Althought that doesn't mean that it was written by a christian. Many famous documents mention God but that doesn't mean it was written for God, that just means it was written including God. The same goes for the Declaration of Independence.

    Quinn Larimer
    9/15/09 prd. 1

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  6. samfishbeckSeptember 15, 2009 at 5:46 PM

    I think it is related to being a christian type of paper because he is explaining how God did all these things and that he is all powerful

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  7. AnonymousSeptember 15, 2009 at 9:10 PM

    ithink the declaration of independance refered to God because there were other people involved in the writing and he could not take out their opinions. and i do not think it is chistian.

    ryan wesley

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  8. Margaret ReedSeptember 16, 2009 at 7:18 PM

    I would say that other people were there so some poeple might of influenced him to involve God in the Delclaration. I dont think that it is Christian it just might invole God but it doesnt mean that it is christian if it involves him it it.

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  9. Grace LangellaSeptember 16, 2009 at 7:25 PM

    The declaration is not exactly a law, but i belive that it inspired the constitution. Also, a lot of other people contributed to the declaration and some of them were probably Christian. To some it may be a Christian document and others it may not.

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  10. AnonymousSeptember 16, 2009 at 8:16 PM

    The Declaration in my opinion is not a law but more of guidelines or virtues for the country to follow. Thomas Jefferson (as you said) twisted the Bible's true meanings, in a way he is doing that in the quote you gave us. In the Declaration it contained many motions or explanations of God and the Creator. He never included Jesus or God's Son. And if you were to look at the true defintion of a Christian it is someone who believes not only in God but also that Jesus is real and died on the cross. So technically, the Declaration of Independence is not a Christian document, its just country guidelines that mention God SOMEIMES! Over all, the opinion will be different for all believers, non-believers and all other types of Christians.

    Kelsey Butler 7th grade
    Civics period 2
    (C)

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  11. ian NashSeptember 17, 2009 at 7:04 AM

    Well I think that since he was writting to the king ,who called himself christian, he wanted to sound a little bit more christian. Maybe he wanted to make the declaration sound more human then what they had in the colonies with taxes and whatnot.

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  12. AnonymousSeptember 17, 2009 at 7:36 AM

    I think Thomas Jefferson only mentioned the parts of the Bible that he agreed with in the Declaration, and twisted the truth so he would not have to focus on the main points of the Bible. Therefore, i do not think that the Declaration is a Christian document.
    Sarah Zschunke

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  13. Madeline terrySeptember 17, 2009 at 6:13 PM

    I believe that this country is based originally
    Christian beliefs, but over time the coutry fell apart. In the bengining America was simply almost all Engish, which was a strong cathlic area. I think when he would remove some things out of the bible he just wanted to prove his point and he probebly didn't ever actually care about the bible.
    Madeline Terry 2 period

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  14. AnonymousSeptember 17, 2009 at 6:24 PM

    He said up there that "Christianity neither is,nor apart of a common law" and the declaration of independence isnt a law its full of rules/guidelines that we should follow and i dont think that it is a christian document!

    Rayna Mock

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  15. Jack BradleySeptember 17, 2009 at 7:47 PM

    This self-contradiction is possible because I think deep down he knew what was right to put down in the law of the new country. Deep down he knew that all those verses he diagreed with were right. I do think that the Decleration of Independence is a Christian document, since it does reference God several times and it ensures naturally rights.

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  16. asdfSeptember 17, 2009 at 8:18 PM

    I believe this was possible because some might think,"oh he is a christian he knows what he is doing with our country." Jefferson did this to seam like a christian and was hoping people wouldn't look closely enough to see that his statements were only in his favor. I also do not think the Declaration was a christian document because many people believe in God the Father but nowhere in the document does it talk about the Son and Holy Spirit. So although it does make references to the Bible it mostly just talks him creating the world so even if it does mention God it is only talking about creation and many believe in Him making the world.

    kate

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  17. Bailey CombsSeptember 17, 2009 at 8:42 PM

    I think that the Declaration is a Christian document because it was written by several men and the majority were Christians and they were representing a Christian Country. Thomas Jefferson was like a lot of people that want to look like a Christian but they don't neccessarily behave or believe like a Christian. It is hypocritical.

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  18. Bradley DavidsonSeptember 17, 2009 at 8:46 PM

    I think that the declaration is a Christian document. I think that Thomas wrote the declaration with a group of men representing Christians. Thomas Jefferson is not a Christian if he takes out parts of the Bible that he doesnt agree with.

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  19. Matt OlsonSeptember 17, 2009 at 8:55 PM

    I think Thomas Jefferson did this to make the Christian's think he knew what he was doing and to make the Christian's more strongly believe the Declaration of Independence. In my opinion, the Delaration of Independence is not a Chriatian document because of the reason I think the Bible was mentioned in it. If I thought Jefferson put parts of the Bible in the document for a better reason than just to make people believe in it then i might consider the Declaration of Independence a Christian document. If Jefferson only put parts of the Bible in the document to make more people believe then he put themm in for the wrong reason. He should have only put parts of the Bible in the document if he believe it was the truth without thinking if it will make the document more believeable.

    -Matt Olson
    Per. 2

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  20. Jordan SmithSeptember 17, 2009 at 9:00 PM

    In the Articles of Confederation Thomas Jefferson mentions natural rights.The question is who could of given us those natural rights. Man coulden't, but God could.Thomas Jefferson acknoldges God in the Articles of Confederation as the creator of man. I don't think neccesarly the Articles of Confederation is a Christian document but, I think that Thomas Jefferson was trying to point out that God is the creator of all things.

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  21. AnonymousSeptember 17, 2009 at 9:21 PM

    i think jefferson is putting the parts he likes in the constitution like it said it the paragraph. But i still think it is a christian based document.

    David Ballew

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  22. AnonymousSeptember 17, 2009 at 9:31 PM

    Well, I think that part of this random contradicton was to look good. I think most of the population in the colonies were christians, and his mentioning of the bible in the Declaration would certainly not go unnoticed or unrewarded. I also think he could have agreed that God gives natural rights(life,liberty,and pursuit of happiness) to everyone, and that the country should not hinder these. In answer to the second question, i think the Declaration is not a christian document. It mentions God, but it's laws are not entirely God's. I think if you want a Christian document, it has to be all or nothing.
    -John K. :D

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  23. MarcusSeptember 17, 2009 at 10:30 PM

    I don't think it is possible even though we follow it. I think Thomas Jefferson was just trying to get more people to accept the declaration of independence. He used God to lure the people in and trick them. This is not a Christian document because it is ignoring some of God and not listening to him fullly

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  24. UnknownSeptember 17, 2009 at 10:40 PM

    i think that what thomas was thinking was that, when he was reading the Bible , he understood and remembered the part that he knew and was easy. He left out and or forgot the hard parts that were confusing to him .

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  25. Ryann FarmerSeptember 17, 2009 at 11:23 PM

    I think there are some statements about God in the Declaration of Independence, but it is not a law, it is a document stating our country's freedom. The Declaration of Independence has some things about Christianity , but there is still no Christianity in the law today.I think the Declaration of Independence is a Christian document.

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  26. AnonymousSeptember 18, 2009 at 9:32 AM

    I dont think that the declaration of independence is a christian document. Though it may talk about God it does not say that this country is a Christian country. I does not state that he believes in God or that Jesus died on the cross. It just refers to the Bible.

    Sydney

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  27. AnonymousSeptember 18, 2009 at 9:34 AM

    Malon Linder

    The Declaration I think isn't a guide line as much as it is a declaration of our independence.I think it can be considered a christian document because it states the way a Godly country should be run.

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  28. Jordon Smith (Boy)September 18, 2009 at 9:40 AM

    I think that it is not a christian document. Just because it has bible verses in it it doesent mean that it is a christian document. Also i think it is not ok for tomas jefferson cut parts of the bible he doesent like it is the bible and i think it is important to recoize every verse for the wisdom God put in it. I think that Chirstain themes have powerful impacts. I think it wasent ment to be a christian document but some people might think it is this shows how even if your not a christian verses still have im pacts on peoples lives.

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  29. Gabrielle BoswellSeptember 18, 2009 at 1:06 PM

    i think that thomas jefferson was a chritian and coped the things he understood and left out the things he didnt know.

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  30. AnonymousOctober 13, 2009 at 7:53 AM

    No i donot think it is a christian act because it only mentions god it does not talk about god.

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  31. AnonymousOctober 13, 2009 at 7:54 AM

    UP there by LIAM VIRRILL

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