Jefferson embraced Christianity

President Thomas Jefferson would be very surprised to read Abram Conrad’s March 21 letter (“Freedom from religion”) about his being no fan of the Christian faith. As president, Jefferson attended Sunday church services in the U.S. Capitol, sitting in the first row.

Not liking the music, he ordered the Marine Band to play the hymns, and he paid them out of the federal treasury. As president, he supported the requirement of biblical instruction in the public schools, legislative and military chaplains and federal funding of Christian books for public libraries.

Jefferson said the ethics and teachings of Christ are incomparable, and therefore, as chief magistrate of the United States, he would lend all the power of his example to supporting that system.

He wrote a small book simply taking out of the gospels the teachings of Christ about ethics and morals to be used to evangelize and educate the Indians. As president, he supported federal funding of construction of churches and the salaries of clergymen in Indian churches.

Having a much better understanding than many of us today that the First Amendment had nothing to do with freedom from Christianity, Jefferson concluded presidential documents by writing “In the Year of our Lord Christ.”

Ruth Ryan

Spokane