Jefferson was a Christian

Max H. Parkin (Readers' Forum, April 23) stated that Thomas Jefferson was less a Christian than a deist — which, in fact, is one of the greatest and unfortunate misconceptions of our time.

Jefferson said plainly: "I am a real Christian. That is to say a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus Christ."

Jefferson believed with all his heart in Jesus Christ and in an active Christian God. Although he was somewhat unorthodox in his style of belief (like writing a "Jefferson Bible," which removed the miracles of Christ so the common uneducated man could easier understand Christ's doctrines), Jefferson was far from a deist. If you want to find Jefferson's true religious beliefs, go to his writings, not mainstream, biased historians.

Calvan Johnson

Eagle Mountain