Christopher Hitchens' biography of Thomas Jefferson

[Questioninggeller]

I went to the bookstore to buy Christopher Hitchens' book "Thomas Jefferson: Author of America" (2005), and after locating it and flipping through it I decided not to buy it, leaving disappointed.

It's less than 200 pages, no footnotes, no bibliography, and it was poorly bound. All for a $22.00 book. Has anyone had the same issues with it? To write a historical piece and not include sources is very unusual. Are his other books without references too?

[ceo_esq]

IIRC, Hitchens' book about Mother Teresa also gave no references.

Now, why is this in R&P?

[hgc]

Did the book smell of gin? That might give you a clue.

[DOC]

I went to the bookstore to buy Christopher Hitchens' book "Thomas Jefferson: Author of America" (2005), and after locating it and flipping through it I decided not to buy it, leaving disappointed.

It's less than 200 pages, no footnotes, no bibliography, and it was poorly bound. All for a $22.00 book. Has anyone had the same issues with it? To write a historical piece and not include sources is very unusual. Are his other books without references too?

Jefferson, the father of religious freedom, was not without faults but he's not on Mount Rushmore by accident. Go to Dr. James Kennedy's website or Wallbuilders Website. There is much info about Jefferson, Washington and Lincoln that I believe has been censored for whatever purposes. Both sites get information from historian David Barton who spends a lot of time in the bowels of the Library of Congress. Their will be people come in here and try to dissuade you from doing this but I don't think you'll be disappointed if you do. You'll see a whole other side of history that others don't want you to see.

[Questioninggeller]

IIRC, Hitchens' book about Mother Teresa also gave no references.

Now, why is this in R&P?

Because it argues Jefferson was an atheist.

Go to Dr. James Kennedy's website or Wallbuilders Website.

No credible primary sources then I'm not interested in the argument.


There is much info about Jefferson, Washington and Lincoln that I believe has been censored for whatever purposes.

Prove it.


Their will be people come in here and try to dissuade you from doing this but I don't think you'll be disappointed if you do. You'll see a whole other side of history that others don't want you to see.

I'm quite familiar with historical research and how its done. I'm interested in primary sources and citations.

[Cleon]

Jefferson, the father of religious freedom, was not without faults but he's not on Mount Rushmore by accident. Go to Dr. James Kennedy's

We've already established that Kennedy's knowledge of Jefferson is extremely lacking. Please don't insult our intelligence by continuing to refer to him.


You'll see a whole other side of history that others don't want you to see.Yes--the side of myth and distortion. How horrible we are for wanting people to learn about real history.

[hgc]

There is much info about Jefferson, Washington and Lincoln that I believe has been censored for whatever purposes.
Yes, please. Just one piece of censored information. That's all I ask. Just one morsel.

[DOC]

Well If anyone wants to see the other side of history, as mentioned in the above posts, you can go to the Thomas Jefferson's admiration and financial support... forum in the religion section and read posts #61 and #145. Then you can do your own research, and come to your own conclusions. Its all very simple.

[hgc]

Well If anyone wants to see the other side of history, as mentioned in the above posts, you can go to the Thomas Jefferson's admiration and financial support... forum in the religion section and read posts #61 and #145. Then you can do your own research, and come to your own conclusions. Its all very simple.
Yes, I read that thread. Very interesting, though I don't come to quite the same conclusion you did. Was that censored information?

[Ducky]

Well If anyone wants to see the other side of history, as mentioned in the above posts, you can go to the Thomas Jefferson's admiration and financial support... forum in the religion section and read posts #61 and #145. Then you can do your own research, and come to your own conclusions. Its all very simple.

You mean the one where a mountain of evidence is given to refute Kennedy's statements in the speech you have of his, and where you consistently ignore it?

[DOC]

Yes, I read that thread. Very interesting, though I don't come to quite the same conclusion you did. Was that censored information?

Well if something is a very important part of our history and you never heard about it in school that's a form of censorship even it you can somehow fly to Washington and dig it up in the Library of Congress. Of course now we have the internet, but not everyone has a computer. I never had a computer until two years ago. Some of my friends who are over 35 don't have computers. So if they didn't hear about America's Christian heritage in school they're not going to hear about it (especially now a days). Unless guys like Dr. James Kennedy brings it to their attention.

[Cleon]

Unless guys like Dr. James Kennedy brings it to their attention.

By lying? We've demonstrated numerous factual errors with Kennedy's claims (as presented by you) that he would easily have discovered if he had done any research, so I can only assume he is intentionally lying. Or you are misrepresenting his statements--I suppose that's possible as well. Either way, it's very telling that you consistently ignore the refutations of your claims.

I guess lying for Jesus is somehow "heroic."

[drkitten]

Well if something is a very important part of our history and you never heard about it in school that's a form of censorship even it you can somehow fly to Washington and dig it up in the Library of Congress.

Of course, if something is not true, and you never heard about it in school, that's not censorship, but a well-run school system.

Unless guys like Dr. James Kennedy brings it to their attention.

Yup. "Dr" Kennedy appears to be great at bringing to people's attention things that are simply and demonstrably untrue.

[hgc]

Well if something is a very important part of our history and you never heard about it in school that's a form of censorship even it you can somehow fly to Washington and dig it up in the Library of Congress. Of course now we have the internet, but not everyone has a computer. I never had a computer until two years ago. Some of my friends who are over 35 don't have computers. So if they didn't hear about America's Christian heritage in school they're not going to hear about it (especially now a days). Unless guys like Dr. James Kennedy brings it to their attention.
Sorry, that doesn't cut it. Setting aside the obvious credibility problems regarding Dr. James Kennedy (proven liar), "very important" is a judgement call. There are thousands of facts about Jefferson that aren't taught in school. That probably has something to do with the fact that there's no such thing as "We teach Thomas Jefferson morning, noon and night" school. If by censorship, you mean, hey! they didn't teach my pet theory, then you have nothing more to prove to me. You've already shown that you have the strange malady known as Christian Persecution Complex, wherein even though evangelical Christians occupy all the corridors of power, and have no compunction about injecting their religion into my government, many of you still think you're being put-upon.

[Malachi151]

Jefferson was neither an atheist nor a traditional Christian. To my knowledge he always called himself a Christian, though, he also called himself a materialist, denied the miracles of Jesus, and supported the rights of non-Christians to freely express their views, including atheists.

Jefferson could reasonably be called one of the first "minimalist" Christian scholars, who believed that the Bible contains real history and that Jesus was a real person, but that most of it was so overrun with myth that getting to the real history was near impossible.

He, of course, strongly denied the influence of the Ten Commandments on Anglo-Saxon and American law as well.

[Tony]

Both sites get information from historian David Barton who spends a lot of time in the bowels of the Library of Congress.

David Barton is a proven liar and anti-american historical revisionist. You're better off using a Superman comic book as a source for american history.

[ceo_esq]

[Jefferson], of course, strongly denied the influence of the Ten Commandments on Anglo-Saxon and American law as well.

I think it might be more accurate to say that he strongly denied that the Ten Commandments and Christianity were part of the common law. I don't recall that Jefferson specifically denied that the Ten Commandments had influenced English (and, by extension, American) law. Indeed, I would be surprised if he denied that, given that he had the grand trio of common-law commentators - Blackstone, Bracton and Coke - sitting on the shelves of his personal library telling him otherwise.

Just as an interesting historical aside, Jefferson had a famous dispute over this very subject with the great jurist and Supreme Court justice Joseph Story (of Amistad fame).

[Malachi151]

I think it might be more accurate to say that he strongly denied that the Ten Commandments and Christianity were part of the common law. I don't recall that Jefferson specifically denied that the Ten Commandments had influenced English (and, by extension, American) law. Indeed, I would be surprised if he denied that, given that he had the grand trio of common-law commentators - Blackstone, Bracton and Coke - sitting on the shelves of his personal library telling him otherwise.

Just as an interesting historical aside, Jefferson had a famous dispute over this very subject with the great jurist and Supreme Court justice Joseph Story (of Amistad fame).

True, your clarification is correct.

[Questioninggeller]

Well if something is a very important part of our history and you never heard about it in school that's a form of censorship even it you can somehow fly to Washington and dig it up in the Library of Congress.

Oh please. So much is left of American history for high school, but that's because of you cannot teach everything that has ever happened in a high school classroom. Do high schoolers know that Washington wasn't the first head of state of the United States? Rather important that is was Samuel Huntington, but that isn't a matter of censorship.

But please give us proof of your conspiracy...

[fuelair]

Jefferson, the father of religious freedom, was not without faults but he's not on Mount Rushmore by accident. Go to Dr. James Kennedy's website or Wallbuilders Website. There is much info about Jefferson, Washington and Lincoln that I believe has been censored for whatever purposes. Both sites get information from historian David Barton who spends a lot of time in the bowels of the Library of Congress. Their will be people come in here and try to dissuade you from doing this but I don't think you'll be disappointed if you do. You'll see a whole other side of history that others don't want you to see.

BEWARE: DOC is a christianist. He is handing out a load of (as in "Don't go in the restroom tight now, I left a real load in there!") stuff about Jefferson to push some kind of religious agenda. The reference to the "bowels of the Library of Congress": sounds about right.

[bignickel]

Well if something is a very important part of our history and you never heard about it in school that's a form of censorship even it you can somehow fly to Washington and dig it up in the Library of Congress.
In school I never read about how Adolph Hitler had laser feet and the power to melt steel just by looking at it. Was that censored too... or just stupid?

[UnrepentantSinner]

Why not go to the original source (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=thomas+jefferson+autobiography)? There are a number of free on-line editions of Jefferson's autobiography availible.