I may say Christianity itself divided into it's thousands also, who are disputing, anathematizing and where the laws permit burning and torturing one another for abstractions which no one of them understand, and which are indeed beyond the comprehension of the human mind[.]
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Jefferson criticizes internal Christian divisions where people fight and harm each other over abstract beliefs they do not understand.
- In plain terms
- Christians fight violently over beliefs that are too complex for anyone to understand.
- What can you take from it?
- Violence over misunderstood beliefs is pointless and harmful.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Should people fight over things they cannot understand?
- How can religion reduce internal conflict?
Another view
It overlooks cases where believers understand their abstractions well.
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