David Barton - The Jefferson Lies: Exposing the Myths Youve Always Believed About Thomas Jefferson

The
JEFFERSON LIES

The
JEFFERSON LIES

Exposing the Myths Youve Always
Believed about Thomas Jefferson

DAVID BARTON

2012 by David Barton

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or otherexcept for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

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Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from THE ENGLISH STANDARD VERSION. 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Barton, David, 1954-

The Jefferson lies : exposing the myths youve always believed about Thomas Jefferson / David Barton.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-1-59555-459-8 (hardback)

ISBN: 9781595554604 (eBook)

1. Jefferson, Thomas, 1743-1826. 2. Presidents--United States--Biography. I. Title.

E332.B295 2012

973.46092--dc23

[B]

2011051543

Printed in the United States of America

12 13 14 15 16 QGF 6 5 4 3 2 1

Contents

by Glenn Beck

Introduction:
Rediscovering Thomas Jefferson

Lie # 1:
Thomas Jefferson Fathered Sally Hemings Children

Lie # 2:
Thomas Jefferson Founded a Secular University

Lie # 3:
Thomas Jefferson Wrote His Own Bible and Edited Out the Things He Didnt Agree With

Lie # 4:
Thomas Jefferson Was a Racist Who Opposed Equality for Black Americans

Lie # 5:
Thomas Jefferson Advocated a Secular Public Square through the Separation of Church and State

Lie # 6:
Thomas Jefferson Detested the Clergy

Lie # 7:
Thomas Jefferson Was an Atheist and Not a Christian

Conclusion:
Thomas Jefferson: An American Hero

vii

I recently learned that the United States government was actually trying to strip God out of a private homeless shelter for previously incarcerated women struggling in Colorado. Thats right, Marilyn Vyzourek, the woman who runs an organization called Gospel Shelters for Women, was told that she could no longer offer Bible studies at her shelter. Why did they have that ability? Because our government, which happily funds all kinds of programs championed by the secular left, decided that the shelters acceptance of two $25,000 federal grants made them subservient to their will.

Its not surprising. In fact, its just the latest in a decades-old attempt by progressive secularists to keep religion entirely separate from the government. Everyone knows thats just what Thomas Jefferson intended when he penned the words separation of church and state, right?

Well, not quite.

My friend, historian David Barton, takes on this long-held falsehood about the separation of church and state and proves once and for all that our Founding Father was no secularist. Not even close. Did you know, for instance, that when Jefferson was president in 1800 he helped start church services inside the US Capitol? Those services grew to include more than two thousand people attending each week, and it became one of the biggest churches in America at the time.

And thats just the beginning.

viii

Why does the Left continue to misquote Jefferson, accuse him of being anti-God, and attribute evil deeds to him? Because they know that if they are able to discredit and dismiss Jefferson and our other Founders, then we are that much closer to surrendering our birthright and our natural freedoms. These myths have flourished in our educational institutions in recent years and have become accepted as truth. Its a poison in our nations system that can only be flushed out by light and truth.

There are three things Ive learned from Thomas Jefferson and have tried hard to apply in my own life: (1) Question with boldness, (2) Hold to the truth, and (3) Speak without fear. In The Jefferson Lies, David Barton boldly questions the myths about Jefferson and arms you with the well-researched truth. I ask you to read it, learn from it, and then to go speak without fear.

Oh, by the way, Marilyn Vyzourek refused to back down from the governments demands. The government may have stripped her of federal money, but that would not be the end of Gospel Shelters for Women. When I heard about her story I decided to replace the money theyd lost with a personal contribution. After all, sometimes questioning with boldness involves more than just words; it requires action.

I like to think Thomas Jefferson would have smiled just a little if he were still around.

GLENN BECK

ix

M any early American historical quotes have been used in this bookquotes made at a time when grammatical usage and spelling were quite different from what is practiced today. In an effort to improve readability and flow, we have modernized all spellings and puncuations in the historical quotes used throughout this work, leaving the historical content unimpaired.

As an example of the very different colonial spelling of words, consider the opening language of the Pilgrims Mayflower Compact of 1620 (the words misspelled by todays standards are underlined):

We whose names are underwriten , the loyall subjects of our dread soveraigne Lord King James, by the grace of God, of Great Britaine , Franc , & Ireland king, defender of the faith, &c., haveing undertaken, for the glorie of God, and advancemente of the Christian faith, and honour of our king & countrie , a voyage to plant the first colonie in the Northerne parts of Virginia, doe by these presents solemnly & mutualy in the presence of God, and one of another, covenant & combine our selves togeather into a civill body politick .

The use of modern spellings will not change any meanings in the quotes. By referring to the sources in the footnotes, the reader will be able to examine the original spelling should he or she so desire.

x

Similarly distracting to todays readers is the early use of capitals and commas. For an example of the copious use of commas, refer to the previous example; to see the excessive use of capitals, notice this excerpt from a 1749 letter written by signer of the Declaration Robert Treat Paine (underlined words would not be capitalized today):

I Believe the Bible to be the written word of God & to Contain in it the whole Rule of Faith & manners; I consent to the Assemblys Shorter Chatachism as being Agreable to the Reveald Will of God & to contain in it the Doctrines that are According to Godliness. I have for some time had a desire to attend upon the Lords Supper and to Come to that divine Institution of a Dying Redeemer, And I trust Im now convinced that it is my Duty Openly to profess him least he be ashamed to own me An Other day; I humbly therefore desire that you would receive me into your Communion & Fellowship , & I beg your Prayers for me that Grace may be carried on in my soul to Perfection , & that I may live answerable to the Profession I now make which (God Assisting ) I purpose to be the main End of all my Actions .