Sunday Sermonette: thanks for coming, Thomas

[NB: We have acquired many new regular readers in recent weeks, so we either alert them or warn them that every Sunday we devote time to freethinker words or thoughts, our Sunday Sermonettes. We have been doing this for a long time. Some readers love it. Some hate it. We just do it. It won't get you anywhere to complain. Encouragement, however, is always welcome.]

Sunday. We welcome back Thomas Jefferson. We are especially grateful, because we know how terribly uncomfortable he must feel in George Bush's America.

"Shake off all the fears of servile prejudices, under which weak minds are servilely crouched. Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call on her tribunal for every fact, every opinion. Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason than that of blindfolded fear."

Thomas Jefferson (Letter to Peter Carr, Aug. 10, 1787)