Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson (April 13 [O.S. April 2] 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American Founding Father, the principal author of the Declaration of Independence (1776) and the third President of the United States (1801–1809).– from Wikipedia

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He died July 4, 1829, exactly fiftieth years after he wrote the Declaration of independence. While the assertion has frequently been made that Jefferson was a Freemason there is no evidence to show he was a member of The Craft.

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The Jefferson Bible, or The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth, was a book by Thomas Jefferson. It was notable for its exclusion of all miracles by Jesus and most mentions of the supernatural, including the Resurrection and passages indicating Jesus was divine.

“… There will be found remaining the most sublime and benevolent code of morals which has ever been offered to man. I have performed this operation for my own use, by cutting verse by verse out of the printed book, and arranging the matter which is evidently his, and which is as easily distinguishable as diamonds in a dunghill. The result is an octavo of forty-six pages, of pure and unsophisticated doctrines….” - Thomas Jefferson a letter to John Adams dated October 13, 1813

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Flat Hat Club 

 “… the F. H. C. society, confined to the number of six students only, of which I was a member, but it had no useful object...”- Thomas Jefferson  Letter  to ThomasMcAuley, 14 June 1819

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Separation between church and State 

Jefferson wrote a letter to the Danbury Baptists – January 1, 1802 to reply to their concerns of a state religion. This letter has been often taken out of context to mean no praying on school and things of a similar nature when read in full (click here to see) it easy to see it was about not have a state religion. It was never meant to remove religion from the state.

"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 and State."