I wouldn’t trust anything Throckmorton has to say, and I certainly wouldn’t trust him as a historian, which he isn’t, or to present the full context of Jefferson’s actions in this area.
The reality is that even the "greatest Christian" (if there is such a thing) is a mixed bag of contradictions, enigmas, good and bad desires, and mistaken beliefs. (A few minutes with the 7th chapter of Romans should disabuse anyone of holding any other position.)
I visited Monticello last week while on vacation and was struck by the contradictions. Jefferson was a theist. That much we know as he explicitly calls himself by that name. But though the authors of the Gospels were dupes. He also was a racist but the elegance of his writing on liberty, freedom and equality are nearly unmatched in human history.
So do we throw out the brilliance of Jefferson because he was inconsistent in his beliefs and positions? I think not.
For more of his "contradictory thought" try this: Jefferson on ID?
I stopped reading RIGHT THERE.
David Barton has FORGOTTEN more about colonial Virginia law than this guy will EVER KNOW. David Barton has the largest private collection of the Founders' letters in America, and maybe the world. I think I trust Barton's books more than this guy.
Each American now personally funds abortion and the 4th of July.
The American Enigma.