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(More customer reviews)Admittedly, without having read this book, I can honestly condemn the actions of the real "editors" of this work simply for their blatant misrepresentation that this book was authored by Thomas Jefferson. It was not. Thomas Jefferson wrote his version of the Bible and titled it "The Life and Morals of Jesus". On the cover they say "What the President Left Out". If that is true, Jefferson cannot be the author because he left out the parts they re-included. By simply reprinting the whole of the Four Gospels, and then highlighting the sections Jefferson chose to keep, does not make Jefferson the author. One of these Gospels, Revelations, was entirely rejected by Jefferson because he felt, as I do, that John the Divine was likely insane. If you believe in the Gospels as divine truth, then the authors are Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, and not Thomas Jefferson. However, the editors of this Christian apology really go too far when they state "many the passages Jefferson left out are those which can impart the most power and life to our spiritual walks". In doing so, they do create a Reverse Jefferson Bible which Jefferson himself would repudiate. Thus, to claim Thomas Jefferson is the author of this book is a LIE. Once you lie on the cover, what is inside should be treated with the absolute disrespect it deserves. Amazing chutzpah, even for whack-job fundamentalists. What they forget is Jefferson wrote his version to denounce the orthodoxy of fundamentalist Christianity. Jefferson felt Jesus' central message was first corrupted by Paul and followed by a host of others; most of the corruption was political, pecuniary, tended to justify greed and excessive wealth, minimized the role of women and created a justification for misogyny, and gave believers the easy way out by incorporating the belief "once saved, always saved" no matter what one might do to another. I have read the real "Jefferson Bible" and personally I believe Jefferson was right: Christianity, even by his time, was thoroughly corrupt and Jesus' values were ignored and replaced by much more venal, political and selfish concerns. Christianity today is far worse and has drifted so far from Jesus' values I imagine the religion in his name would embarrass him. The unconscionable acts promoted by so many christian sects have become so evil it is sometimes difficult to see the handiwork of God anywhere in what they do. I do not hate Christians nor Christianity; I just wish it were practiced as Jesus taught, not as others corrupted it so we could justify every ugly thing we do unto our fellow man and claim we were righteous in doing it.
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