# Jefferson on his death bed being asked to receive a spiritual advisor. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 11, 2015, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jefferson-on-his-death-bed-being-asked-to-receive-a-spiritual-advisor/730635 "2015-09-11T01:17:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2015, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jefferson-on-his-death-bed-being-asked-to-receive-a-spiritual-advisor/730635/1 "2015-09-11T01:17:44Z")
I remember hearing a story of Thomas Jefferson on his deathbed something similar to the following: A local pastor came to Monticello wishing to speak to Jefferson about the afterlife and salvation. Jefferson knew this person and knew him to be a minister of the Gospel. Let’s say that his name was John Smith. When Reverend Smith arrived, a person close to Jefferson (a slave?, his daughter?) came to Jefferson and said that Reverend Smith wished to see him. Jefferson supposedly replied something along the lines of “I would be happy to see my good friend, Mr. Smith” thereby implying that he would see John Smith ONLY in his capacity as a friend and fellow man and not in his capacity as a leader of the church. My google-fu fails me. Did I mis-remember this story? ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2015, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jefferson-on-his-death-bed-being-asked-to-receive-a-spiritual-advisor/730635/2 "2015-09-11T02:29:05Z")
I am sure this may be true, but would point out that any pastor or parson would have been referred to as ‘Mr.’ Smith at that time, and subsequently, so it seems doubtful this meaning would have been manifest by such plain speaking. Jefferson’s spirituality was actual, although not specifically christian — he did re-edit the Bible according to his preferences. Although _possibly_ a deist, I doubt if his ego could realize any being greater than himself. And being a slave and a daughter simultaneously was entirely possible in the Jefferson household. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2015, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jefferson-on-his-death-bed-being-asked-to-receive-a-spiritual-advisor/730635/3 "2015-09-11T02:49:58Z")
My Google-fu is strong today 🙂 From “Jefferson’s Religion” by Stephen Vecchio > **[Jefferson's Religion](https://books.google.com.au/books?id=eVpgCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT18&lpg=PT18&dq=thomas%2Bjefferson%2Bdeathbed&source=bl&ots=0395r4UoLo&sig=Aj0IRBSY0koPZ-4wd9RzniMYWME&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=thomas%20jefferson%20deathbed&f=false)** > > Thomas Jefferson's views have led many to conclude that he was an atheist, as recently as in the work of Christopher Hitchens. But the third President has also been labeled a deist, a Unitarian, and a Christian. Philosopher and theologian Stephen... > [@](#): > > The only account of Thomas Jefferson’s final days comes from the account of his grandson, Thomas Jefferson Randolph. Randolph tells us: > > > [@](#): > > > > Upon being suddenly aroused from sleep, by a noise in the room, he asked if he has heard the name of Mr. Hatch - the minister whose church he attended. On my replying in the negative, he observed, as he turned over, “I have no objection to see him, as a kind and good neighbor.” This sounds a lot like your incident, but the details are subtly and importantly different - the minister _wasn’t_ there, and there’s a degree of ambiguity in what Jefferson’s words actually mean. The grandson, Randolph, interpreted it as you do - that he didn’t particularly want to see the minister as a minister, but only as a friend. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2015, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jefferson-on-his-death-bed-being-asked-to-receive-a-spiritual-advisor/730635/4 "2015-09-11T15:59:55Z")
> [@Claverhouse](#): > > Jefferson’s spirituality was actual, although not specifically christian — he did re-edit the Bible according to his preferences. Although _possibly_ a deist, I doubt if his ego could realize any being greater than himself. He took out everything that involved magic and fantasy, as an attempt to restore the true history of Christ, whom he felt to be a great teacher and philosopher. He may well have been an egotist, for all I know of him, but I wouldn’t put the Jefferson Bible in the pile of evidence for arguing that case. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2015, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jefferson-on-his-death-bed-being-asked-to-receive-a-spiritual-advisor/730635/5 "2015-09-12T03:08:43Z")
> [@Claverhouse](#): > > I am sure this may be true, … Bold stance, this. 😛