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We Have Seen Thee, President of Cheese
Mar. 17th, 2006 11:20 amThis engaging article lays out the forgotten history of the evangelical movement's long support of the separation of church and state. Steven Waldman opens with this scenario:
Thomas Jefferson stood, dressed in a black suit, in a doorway of the White House on Jan. 1, 1802, watching a bizarre spectacle. Two horses were pulling a dray carrying a 1,235-pound cheese—just for him. Measuring 4 feet in diameter and 17 inches in height, this cheese was the work of 900 cows.
More impressive than the size of the cheese was its eloquence. Painted on the red crust was the inscription: “Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God.” The cheese was a gift from religious leaders in western Massachusetts.
The article goes on to explain why Jefferson's opposition to government involvement in religion made him, in the eyes of 19th century Baptists, "cheeseworthy."
Thomas Jefferson stood, dressed in a black suit, in a doorway of the White House on Jan. 1, 1802, watching a bizarre spectacle. Two horses were pulling a dray carrying a 1,235-pound cheese—just for him. Measuring 4 feet in diameter and 17 inches in height, this cheese was the work of 900 cows.
More impressive than the size of the cheese was its eloquence. Painted on the red crust was the inscription: “Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God.” The cheese was a gift from religious leaders in western Massachusetts.
The article goes on to explain why Jefferson's opposition to government involvement in religion made him, in the eyes of 19th century Baptists, "cheeseworthy."
