X. I'm sure that you'll like this Jefferson quote....
".. If we did a good act merely from the love of God and a belief that it is pleasing to Him, whence arises the morality of the Atheist? It is idle to say, as some do, that no such thing exists. We have the same evidence of the fact as of most of those we act on, to wit: their own affirmations, and their reasonings in support of them. I have observed, indeed, generally, that while in Protestant countries the defections from the Platonic Christianity of the priests is to Deism, in Catholic countries they are to Atheism. Diderot, D'Alembert, D'Holbach, Condorcet, are known to have been among the most virtuous of men. Their virtue, then, must have had some other foundation than love of God." (Thomas Jefferson, letter to Thomas Law, June 13, 1814. From Adrienne Koch, ed., The American Enlightenment: The Shaping of the American Experiment and a Free Society, New York: George Braziller, 1965, p. 358.)
Man. I wish I had his way with words. If you want to read more Jefferson views about religion, here is a good site. he is one of the few men that I admire. Madison is another. I sure wish that we had men like them around today. All we have is bullshitters trying to win a popularity contest. Not one of today's politicians can hold a candle to Jefferson. infidels.org
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