When will we see a movie about Jesus based on the Jefferson Bible?

[Quixote1818]

If a movie like that was made it sure would create a lot of controversy and have a huge audience but more importantly it would educate the general public on the beliefs of our founders and how they valued reason, science, free debate and the search for truth over Revealed Religions. Not that it mattered if Jefferson was right or wrong on his assumptions of the Jesus story but that it would create a real debate in our country over what we were founded upon. It would also bring to light a more human Jesus who dedicated his life to the poor and to many very liberal causes.

Anyone want to help me promote this idea so that perhaps a producer might get on board? Anyone know any producers who would be interested in such a project? Perhaps we could produce it ourselves by starting a website? I have no doubt such a controversial film would be a huge hit at the box office.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/...

[kweerwolf]

1. Here's a little something from the PBS website

on the "Jefferson Bible" that bears repeating:

Who was the Jesus that Jefferson found? He was not the familiar figure of the New Testament. In Jefferson's Bible, there is no account of the beginning and the end of the Gospel story. There is no story of the annunciation, the virgin birth or the appearance of the angels to the shepherds. The resurrection is not even mentioned.

Jefferson discovered a Jesus who was a great Teacher of Common Sense. His message was the morality of absolute love and service. Its authenticity was not dependent upon the dogma of the Trinity or even the claim that Jesus was uniquely inspired by God. Jefferson saw Jesus as:

a man, of illegitimate birth, of a benevolent heart, (and an) enthusiastic mind, who set out without pretensions of divinity, ended in believing them, and was punished capitally for sedition by being gibbeted according to the Roman law.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/jesus/jefferson.html

[oscar111]

2. Did Jefferson do a bible? also, not matter what founders thought

this approach,

"Let the Founders put a box around your head"

is no good. Why let folks dead two hundred years limit your thoughts about how people should live?

Should germans let past leaders set limits for their thinking on how the germans should live today? Of course not.

every idea must be accepted or not, on the basis of "does it reduce human suffering", and the wider the reduction, the better.

[Quixote1818]

3. That is not the point at all

Jefferson's view of Jesus is just one view but one that gets very little attention. Obviously you didn't read my whole post because I said his view may or may not be true but the main thing such a movie would do is educate the public about how the founders thought and what they valued when they put our Constitution and government together. Reason over blind faith, debate and science over religious dogma and freedom of thought over revealed religions. Such a movie could only help raise a duologue about how our government works and what part belief takes in policy decisions.

Jefferson hoped that people would find their own very personal spiritual path and individual spirituality was celebrated regardless of belief or lack their of.

Based on the idea of "does it reduce human suffering" well Jefferson's idea to separate Church from State most certainly has helped in this regard. Celebration of different religious beliefs and tolerance of all beliefs. This is something many want to get away from which would only lead to more bad policy decisions, fewer personal freedoms and more human suffering. Jefferson saw knowledge as light and ignorance as darkness. Such a movie would only bring more "light" to the public on how good policy is made and how important it is to seperate church from state.

[Quixote1818]

4. Here is a link to the Jefferson Bible

http://www.angelfire.com/co/JeffersonBible/