Virginia Senate Shows Some Sense

Once again, Virginia's Senate has overcome the simpletons in our House of Delegates. 1st, it was the bill to ban baggy pants. Now, after the House approved language to amend Article I, Section 16, which would have inserted a paragraph amid wording on religious liberty composed by founding fathers Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and George Mason and unchanged since 1786. Um, how arrogant do you have to be to think you know more than Jefferson, Madison and Mason? Del. Charles W. Carrico Sr. (R-Grayson), who authored the proposed amendment, said "Our country was built upon the Christian principles of the Bible". Um, maybe he should go back to school. Jefferson, if anything, was a Deist, not a Christian.

Although Jefferson believed in a Creator, his concept of it resembled that of the god of deism (the term "Nature's God" used by deists of the time). With his scientific bent, Jefferson sought to organize his thoughts on religion. He rejected the superstitions and mysticism of Christianity and even went so far as to edit the gospels, removing the miracles and mysticism of Jesus (see The Jefferson Bible) leaving only what he deemed the correct moral philosophy of Jesus. Here are a few quotes from TJ on the subject of religion:

But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.
-Thomas Jefferson, Notes on Virginia, 1782

Question with boldness even the existence of a god; because if there be one he must approve of the homage of reason more than that of blindfolded fear.
-Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Peter Carr, August 10, 1787

And this, which refutes what Carrico says about Jefferson wanting this to be a Christian nation:

Where the preamble declares, that coercion is a departure from the plan of the holy author of our religion, an amendment was proposed by inserting "Jesus Christ," so that it would read "A departure from the plan of Jesus Christ, the holy author of our religion;" the insertion was rejected by the great majority, in proof that they meant to comprehend, within the mantle of its protection, the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian and Mohammedan, the Hindoo and Infidel of every denomination.
-Thomas Jefferson, Autobiography, in reference to the Virginia Act for Religious Freedom

See, even while still alive, some folks wanted to change his wording and he said back off!!