Thomas Jefferson Quotes
Whilst we devoutly return thanks to the beneficent Being who has been pleased to breathe into them the spirit of conciliation and forgiveness, we are bound with peculiar gratitude to be thankful to Him that our own peace has been preserved through so perilous a season…
This quotation has no substantive merit per se. However, it is sometimes cited to illustrate that Jefferson commonly acknowledged the influence of God on man’s state of affairs. The views of Jefferson and other founding fathers on the place of religion and separation of church and state are often difficult to fathom because the oratory of politicians, then and now, often made reference to God both out of sincere belief and out of oratorical style or even hypocrisy of tailoring a presentation to a particular audience. In this quotation Jefferson appears to be a deist who acknowledges the influence of God on political affairs of man. However see as an example, {605115} which shows that Jefferson personally was not a devout Christian believer and probably even an atheist.
Thomas Jefferson, 1743-1826, 3rd President of the United States (Democratic Republican, VA), First State of Nation Address, December 8, 1801
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
Francis of Assisi
- Born: April 13, 1743
- Died: July 4, 1826
- Nationality: American
- Profession: President
Thomas Jefferson was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He had previously served as the second vice president of the United States under John Adams between 1797 and 1801. The principal author of the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson was a proponent of democracy, republicanism, and individual rights, motivating American colonists to break from the Kingdom of Great Britain and form a new nation; he produced formative documents and decisions at both the state and national levels.
