T H E   R E T R O B O R O
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                             RETRO EVOLUTION
       
  TEXT                     A Gospel for Thomas               
       
       
       "The Philosophy of Jesus of Nazareth: Being Extracted from the 
       Account of His Life & Doctrines Given by Matthew, Mark, Luke & John;
       Being an Abridgment of the New Testament for the Use of the Indians,
       Unembarrassed [Uncomplicated] with Matters of Fact or Faith Beyond 
       the Level of Their Comprehensions" was the official title of Thomas 
       Jefferson's 'Gospel', a work of his while serving as the third 
       President of the United States. He finished this 'Gospel' in 1804
       and conferred with friends on the expediency of having it published
       in the disparate Indian dialects as a 'Collection for the Indians'.
       Rather than a complete gospel, it is his attempt to rationalise the 
       canonical Gospels with much of their content literally cut & pasted
       into an order that he thought best. The most interesting aspect of 
       his 'Gospel' is that it contradicts his description of himself as a
       materialist in contradistinction to Jahshua's spiritualism. While
       excluding allusions to His divinity & resurrection, it nonetheless 
       includes many of the canonical Gospels' references to supernatural 
       things, such as angels, devils, heaven, hell, and an eternal 
       afterlife after a final judgment by the Father in heaven.
       
       Jefferson believed that accounts of Jahshua's background & miracles 
       might distract from His philosophical & moral teachings. Therefore,
       he took it upon himself to "uncomplicate" them by collating what 
       seemed to be authentic sayings. In this way his 'Gospel' ironically
       resembles The Gospel of Thomas--attributed to the very Apostle best
       known for doubting the Resurrection of the Messiah. What follows is
       a translation of that Thomas' Gospel (based on that of Messrs Brill
       of Leiden). Given that he also is known as the Apostle to India, it
       so uses Indian English as to duly be a Collection for the Indians.
       
  TEXT gopher________________Gospel of Thomas:
              v forward     |{Greek manuscript variations from the Coptic}
              --> down      |          <translations implied in originals>
              up <--        |                   [missing words guessed at]
              back ^        |                        (remarks & numbering)