I have received, holy sisters, the letter you have written me wherein you express anxiety for the property vested in your institution by the former governments of Louisiana.
The principles of the constitution and government of the United States are a sure guarantee to you that it will be preserved to you, sacred and inviolate, and that your institution will be permitted to govern itself according to its own voluntary rules, without interference from the civil authority.
Whatever the diversity of shade may appear in the religious opinions of our fellow citizens, the charitable objects of your institution cannot be indifferent to any; and its furtherance of the wholesome purposes of society, by training up its younger members in the way they should go, cannot fail to ensure it the patronage of the government it is under.
Be assured it will meet all the protection which my office can give it.
I salute you, holy sisters, with friendship and respect.
Thomas Jefferson
Dang. Hope that quote gets into the bigoted screeder’s hands.
A serious blemish in an otherwise decent piece.
Jefferson's Democratic-Republicans were the closest thing the country has really had to a libertarian Party (but not Libertarian Party.) They surely aren't the forerunners of the modern Democrat Party. Indeed, I would even argue that Jackson's populist version of the Democratic Party -- which is closer -- still had little in common with modern Democrats.
The statement is wrong [and worse from an editor's point of view, it is gratuitously wrong, since it has no real bearing on the piece. If the author is trying to evoke sympathy from present Democrats by pointing out their kinship to Jefferson, he is wasting his time.]
Democrats are at war with Christians... that's what it boils down too... they don't care about facts or truth - just winning at all costs.
http://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/9806/danpre.html:
Jefferson's Letter to the Danbury Baptists
The Final Letter, as Sent To messers. Nehemiah Dodge, Ephraim Robbins, & Stephen S. Nelson, a committee of the Danbury Baptist association in the state of Connecticut.
Gentlemen
The affectionate sentiments of esteem and approbation which you are so good as to express towards me, on behalf of the Danbury Baptist association, give me the highest satisfaction. my duties dictate a faithful and zealous pursuit of the interests of my constituents, & in proportion as they are persuaded of my fidelity to those duties, the discharge of them becomes more and more pleasing.
Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus building a wall of separation between Church & State. Adhering to this expression of the supreme will of the nation in behalf of the rights of conscience, I shall see with sincere satisfaction the progress of those sentiments which tend to restore to man all his natural rights, convinced he has no natural right in opposition to his social duties.
I reciprocate your kind prayers for the protection & blessing of the common father and creator of man, and tender you for yourselves & your religious association, assurances of my high respect & esteem.
Th Jefferson
Jan. 1. 1802.
Cool post!
It is not at all difficult for me to see how she could be so ignorant. Leftists have made a fine art of being ignorant when defending their "holy sacrament" of abortion on demand.
They are willing to distort the words of Jesus Christ to fit their distorted agenda. Distorting Jefferson is just child's play to them.