President Thomas Jefferson's letter to the Danbury Baptists

The Danbury Baptist Association, concerned about religious liberty in the new nation wrote to President Thomas Jefferson, Oct. 7, 1801:

"Sir, Among the many millions in America and Europe who rejoice in your Election to office; we embrace the first opportunity which we have enjoyed in our collective capacity, since your Inauguration, to express our great satisfaction, in your appointment to the chief Majestracy in the United States; And though our mode of expression may be less courtly and pompious than what many others clothe their addresses with, we beg you, Sir to believe, that none are more sincere.

Our Sentiments are uniformly on the side of Religious Liberty -- That Religion is at all times and places a matter between God and individuals -- That no man ought to suffer in name, person, or effects on account of his religious Opinions - That the legitimate Power of civil government extends no further than to punish the man who works ill to his neighbor: But Sir our constitution of government is not specific. Our ancient charter together with the Laws made coincident therewith, were adopted on the Basis of our government, at the time of our revolution; and such had been our Laws & usages, and such still are; that Religion is considered as the first object of Legislation; and therefore what religious privileges we enjoy (as a minor part of the State) we enjoy as favors granted, and not as inalienable rights: and these favors we receive at the expense of such degrading acknowledgments, as are inconsistent with the rights of freemen. It is not to be wondered at therefore; if those, who seek after power & gain under the pretense of government & Religion should reproach their fellow men -- should reproach their chief Magistrate, as an enemy of religion Law & good order because he will not, dare not assume the prerogatives of Jehovah and make Laws to govern the Kingdom of Christ.

Sir, we are sensible that the President of the United States, is not the national legislator, and also sensible that the national government cannot destroy the Laws of each State; but our hopes are strong that the sentiments of our beloved President, which have had such genial affect already, like the radiant beams of the Sun, will shine and prevail through all these States and all the world till Hierarchy and Tyranny be destroyed from the Earth. Sir, when we reflect on your past services, and see a glow of philanthropy and good will shining forth in a course of more than thirty years we have reason to believe that America's God has raised you up to fill the chair of State out of that good will which he bears to the Millions which you preside over. May God strengthen you for the arduous task which providence & the voice of the people have cald you to sustain and support you in your Administration against all the predetermined opposition of those who wish to rise to wealth & importance on the poverty and subjection of the people.

And may the Lord preserve you safe from every evil and bring you at last to his Heavenly Kingdom through Jesus Christ our Glorious Mediator. "

Signed in behalf of the Association.

Nehh Dodge
Ephram Robbins The Committee
Stephen S. Nelson

(Jefferson's Answer:)

"To messers. Nehemiah Dodge, Ephraim Robbins, & Stephen S. Nelson, a committee of the Danbury Baptist association in the state of Connecticut.

Gentlemen

The affectionate sentiments of esteem and approbation which you are so good as to express towards me, on behalf of the Danbury Baptist association, give me the highest satisfaction. my duties dictate a faithful and zealous pursuit of the interests of my constituents, & in proportion as they are persuaded of my fidelity to those duties, the discharge of them becomes more and more pleasing.

Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus building a wall of separation between Church & State. Adhering to this expression of the supreme will of the nation in behalf of the rights of conscience, I shall see with sincere satisfaction the progress of those sentiments which tend to restore to man all his natural rights, convinced he has no natural right in opposition to his social duties.

I reciprocate your kind prayers for the protection & blessing of the common father and creator of man, and tender you for yourselves & your religious association, assurances of my high respect & esteem."

Th Jefferson
Jan. 1. 1802

The Big Lie

This letter from Thomas Jefferson with the term Wall of Separation used in it has been satanically misinterpreted as meaning there is a wall which separates Church and State with the wall meaning that the state can have nothing to do with religion.

That is obviously not what he meant in this letter. All he was establishing is that the Congregationalists in the state of Connecticut cannot by virtue of being a majority church in that state infringe in any way upon the freedom of practice of their religion by the Baptists.

The True Issue

The issue which Jefferson is dealing with is the issue he, in particular, emphasized and all the other founding fathers agreed with: that there would be no adoption by the United States or any of the several states of a single Christian denomination as an official national or state religion.

All the Founding Fathers were aware that they were basing this nations principles on Christianity, its laws upon the Judaeo-Christian X Commandments, and freedom of religion being granted to all, including the freedom to be atheistic. But the nation's ethos, its government and culture were to be based on The God of Abraham, the true God of the Christians, Moslems and Jews. In actual fact, there was more concentration on Christianity.

Here are some quotes from Thomas Jefferson:

"I am for Freedom of Religion, and against all maneuvers to bring about a legal ascendancy of one sect over another..."

"A more beautiful or precious morsel of ethics I have never seen; it is a document in proof that I am a real Christian; that is to say, a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus."

"Of all the systems of morality, ancient or modern, which have come under my observation, none appears to me so pure as that of Jesus."

"Had the doctrines of Jesus been preached always as pure as they came from his lips, the whole civilized world would now have been Christians."

"I have always said, I always will say, that the studious perusal of the sacred volume will make better citizens, better fathers, and better husbands.

1. The doctrines of Jesus are simple and tend to the happiness of man
2. There is only one God, and He is all perfect.
3. There is a future state of rewards and punishment.
4. To love God with all the heart and thy neighbor as thyself is the sum of all. These are the great points on which to reform the religion of the Jews."

These all relate to what George Washington said in his farewell address when he proclaimed: "Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morals are indispensable supports... "Let it simply be asked, Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligations desert the oaths which are the instruments of investigation in courts of justice?" "And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion." "Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar stature, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle."

To the deceptive rulings of the judiciary we are now dealing with, Jefferson anticipated them, and many times warned against them.

On Sept. 6, 1819, he wrote, "The Constitution is a mere thing of wax in the hands of the judiciary, which they may twist and shape into any form they please."

A few years later, in 1823, he followed with this regarding the judiciary's meddling with the Constitution, "On every question of construction, carry ourselves back to the time when the Constitution was adopted, recollect the spirit manifested in the debates, and instead of trying what meaning may be squeezed out of the text, or invented against it, conform to the probable one in which it was passed."

Jefferson being quoted in favor of no prayer, no Commandments posted or practiced in Government or public places, must be spinning in his grave. What would he think about the Courts' constant emphasis on making this into One Nation Without God in the midst of an already too godless culture with dreadful effects on happiness and the unit of national integrity: the institution of the family?

Among many other things, Jefferson in establishing the University of Virginia, not only encouraged the teaching of religion, but set aside a place inside the Rotunda for Chapel services.

Like Washington and the other Founders, Jefferson recognized that the new nation being founded with such expansive liberties being afforded the citizenry, depended for survival on the people's belief in God who is the source of those liberties and the definer of their limits. On this subject, Jefferson wrote,

"God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are the Gift of God? That they are not to be violated by his wrath? Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that his justice cannot sleep forever."

A Fair Summary of Jefferson

An objective look into Jefferson's individual specific philosophy on the separation of church and state would clearly reveal his belief that the nation in order to survive and prosper had to preserve a fervent belief in God and his Commandments, particularly Jesus' emphasis on "Love God...love your neighbor as yourself." But he would not have the government interfere with a private individual's right to choose to be an atheist.

The manner of governmental influence toward this national commitment to God was to ensure that the practice of religion remain absolutely free of government interference, especially federal interference in establishing a particular Christian sect as the official national religion. In the interest of maximum freedom, the states cannot do that either. He would disallow the federal government from prescribing any particular religious exercise or from attempting to assume authority in religious discipline. He said that those initiatives must rest with the states insofar as it can rest in any human authority. (Apparently meaning any lay authority).

In a governmental body today, intimidated into caution to avoid mentioning God by judicial rulings favoring anti-god people, who want to profit financially from appealing to "selling sin" (pornography and related commercial enterprises are the leading profit-making enterprises) and who want to live in lifestyles flagrantly immoral, it is an interesting contrast with the heroic, inspired and comparatively better educated men who formed our system of government. Research into the speeches and writings of the whole list of Founding Fathers reveals that 94% of all their quotes are derived directly or indirectly from the Bible.