ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Religious views of Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson was a famous person who lived a long time ago in America. He had some ideas about religion that were different from what other people believed at that time.

Jefferson thought that people should be able to decide for themselves what they believed about God and how to worship. He didn't think the government should be able to tell people what to believe or how to practice their religion.

Jefferson also believed that Jesus was a wise teacher and a good person, but he didn't think Jesus was God. Jefferson thought that religion should focus on being a good person and following what Jesus taught, rather than on special rituals or beliefs.

To show his ideas about religion, Jefferson made his own Bible called the "Jefferson Bible". He took out parts of the Bible that he didn't agree with, like miracles and stories about Jesus being God. Instead, he kept the teachings of Jesus that he thought were important for people to live a good life.

So basically, Thomas Jefferson believed that religion should be a personal choice and that people should focus on being kind and following the good teachings of Jesus, rather than getting caught up in special rituals or beliefs.