> I found this quote from Thomas Jefferson(supposedly). "God is a being of
> terrific character...cruel,vindictive,capricious, and unjust." Have you
> ever heard this quote and do you know when it was said if it was? Also
> was Thomas Jefferson a religious man? Seems like from his quotes he
> might be agnostic. Thanks in advance for your reply.


The passage you quote sounds vaguely familiar, but I think Jefferson was
describing, not his belief in God, but rather the God of John Calvin, or
perhaps of the Old Testament.  I cannot find the specific passage you cite,
but Jefferson did write the following to John Adams on April 11, 1823:

"I can never join Calvin in addressing *his God.*  He was indeed an atheist,
which I can never be, or rather his religion was demonism.  If ever a man
worshipped a false God, he did.  The Being described in his five points, is
not the God whom you and I acknowledge and adore, the Creator and benevolent
Governor of the world; but a demon of malignant spirit.  It would be more
pardonable to believe in no God at all, than to blaspheme Him by the
atrocious attributes of Calvin."

Thomas Jefferson definitely was a "religious man," though such a conclusion
might depend on how one defines religious man.  He definitely believed in
God, in an afterlife, and he believed that Jesus was the greatest moral
philosopher that ever lived, although he did not believe that Jesus was a
god.  As you may be aware, he made his own version of the life and moral
teachings of Jesus, now known as the Jefferson Bible, which is available
online at:


http://www.angelfire.com/co/JeffersonBible/