(February 18, 2019 at 4:43 pm)tackattack Wrote: [ca. April 1770]
"Under the law of nature, all men are born free, every one comes into the world with a right to his own person, which includes the liberty of moving and using it at his own will. This is what is called personal liberty, and is given him by the author of nature, because necessary for his own sustenance. " - Jefferson
Extract from Thomas Jefferson’s Argument in the Case of Howell vs. Netherland
Seems like Jefferson did believe in free will and a creator...
I don't mind you quoting Jefferson one bit. But it may interest you to know that the late Christopher Hitchens a staunch atheist wrote a book about Thomas Jefferson called "Jefferson, Author Of America". Hitchens was a huge fan of Jefferson.
Jefferson was not an atheist. But he wasn't a Falwell fundie either. Jefferson was a deist. Jefferson railed against pulpit politics more than any other founder of his time.
He also said this about the ability of an atheist to have morality, QUOTE THOMAS JEFFERSON, "Whence arises the morality of the atheist? It is idle to say, as some do, that no such thing exists."
He also said, "Question with boldness the existence of a God, for if there be one, surely he would pay more homage to reason, than to that of blindfolded fear."
Then there is his famous letter to the Baptists regarding his "wall" between church and state.
There is no way today's republican party would nominate him with all he said about being anti theocracy back then.
