Q: An alleged statement from Thomas Jefferson was printed in the AJC Vent as follows: “Christianity was the greatest fraud ever perpetrated on mankind.” Can you tell me where in his papers this statement may be found?
Jim Pursley, Hartwell
A: Researchers at Monticello.org, the official website of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, said they can't find any reference to this statement in his papers. "As far as we can tell, it does not look like Jefferson ever said or wrote the quote in question. He did write occasionally about similar scruples with organized religion, but the language in this quote does not match anything we have seen so far among Jefferson's writings," Andi Gray wrote Q&A on the News in an email. Also, Jeff Looney, the editor of the Jefferson Papers project, replied with this, "I have the same reaction. It's hard to prove a negative until both branches of the Jefferson Papers complete their work, but the quote as given doesn't ring true to me. Jefferson is often quite outspoken about the harm that organized religion has done, but he is equally careful to express his own deep respect for Christ as a great moral thinker whose views had been perverted by a priestly caste. The quote as given seems to lack this nuance."
Lori Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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