THOMAS JEFFERSON

The man who either wrote or influenced almost all

of the founding documents of this nation speaking 

profoundly stated:



In "Notes on the State of Virginia", Jefferson wrote:



        "God who gave us life gave us liberty.  And can these

liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their

only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of thepeople that these

liberties are a gift of God?  That they are not to be violated but

with His wrath?  Indeed, I tremble for my Country when I reflect that

God is just; that His justice cannot sleep forever."



On many occasions Jefferson said he was indeed a Christian, and in one

of his letters he clearly explained his belief in adherence to the Law

of the Lord (Matthew 7:12, e.g., to "Love thy neighbor as thyself.")



It is also worth noting that in the original draft of the Declaration

of Independence God was mentioned 4 times.  The conciseness resulting

from the sheer literary genius of the founding fathers is most likely

the reason behind the reduction to such phrases as "...are endowed by

their Creator..." and " ... with a firm reliance on the Protection of

Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our

Fortunes and our sacred Honor."  Regardless of the reasoning, it is

hard to explain away the reference to "the Year of Our Lord" in the

Constitution.



The Faith of our Fathers was indeed great. For them to excessively

mention their faith in such documents as the Declaration would have

been redundant.  Even so, our heritage is rich with Christian doctrine

and landmarks, and references to God, from the many letters of the

Founding Fathers, the congressional debates of the era, and even

George Washington's precedent of adding "So Help Me God" to his oath

of office.



Christianity may have shaped the founding fathers, but it also was

specifically excluded from governmental power by the Bill of Rights.



That is not the case, either.  Religious exclusion from all government

is a modern day invention of the crafty.  Even this century it was not

uncommon for a President to lead the nation in prayer; and the Law of

the Lord (the Golden Rule), the 10 Commandments, and other words of

biblical wisdom were posted in most public schools even in the 1960's.



At the beginning of our nation, only the federal congress was excluded

from meddling in the affairs of religion; specifically, by the body of

the Constitution regarding religious tests for holding public office,

and by the First Amendment.



Not so for the states.  Many states had religious requirements to hold

public office, as was their right according to the Tenth Amendment.

Again, the First Amendment restricted only the Congress.  New fangled

restrictions against the states are just that -- New-Fangled

Restrictions.



"If in the opinion of the people the distribution or modification

of the constitutional powers be in any particular wrong, let it

be corrected by an amendment in the way which the Constitution

designates. But let there be no change by usurpation; for though

this in one instance may be the instrument of good, it is the

customary weapon by which free governments are destroyed."

- George Washington, Farewell Address



"One of the ordinary modes, by which tyrants accomplish

their purpose without resistance is, by disarming the

people, and making it an offense to keep arms."

-- Joseph Story, U.S. Supreme Court Justice, 1811 - 1845



"Thomas Jefferson was the chief thinker and writer

among a group of men who risked their lives, fortunes

and their honor in fighting against a tradition.  This

tradition was that people need to be protected against

themselves by the rich, the wellborn, the educated, or

the powerful"  -- Compton's Encyclopedia, 1961