It has been my intention, for several years past, to publish my thoughts upon religion; I am well aware of the difficulties that attend the subject, and from that consideration, had reserved it to a more advanced period of life. I intended it to be the last offering I should make to my fellow-citizens of all nations, and that at a time when the purity of the motive that induced me to it could not admit of a question, even by those who might disapprove the work. The circumstance that has now taken place in France, of the ...
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It has been my intention, for several years past, to publish my thoughts upon religion; I am well aware of the difficulties that attend the subject, and from that consideration, had reserved it to a more advanced period of life. I intended it to be the last offering I should make to my fellow-citizens of all nations, and that at a time when the purity of the motive that induced me to it could not admit of a question, even by those who might disapprove the work. The circumstance that has now taken place in France, of the total abolition of the whole national order of priesthood, and of everything appertaining to compulsive systems of religion, and compulsive articles of faith, has not only precipitated my intention, but rendered a work of this kind exceedingly necessary, lest, in the general wreck of superstition, of false systems of government, and false theology, we lose sight of morality, of humanity, and of the theology that is true. As several of my colleagues, and others of my fellow-citizens of France, have given me the example of making their voluntary and individual profession of faith, I also will make mine; and I do this with all that sincerity and frankness with which the mind of man communicates with itself. I believe in one God, and no more; and I hope for happiness beyond this life. I believe the equality of man, and I believe that religious duties consist in doing justice, loving mercy, and endeavoring to make our fellow-creatures happy. But, lest it should be supposed that I believe many other things in addition to these, I shall, in the progress of this work, declare the things I do not believe, and my reasons for not believing them. - Taken from "The Age Of Reason" written by Thomas Paine
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In this book, his religious manifesto, Paine laid out his beliefs in a God of an infinite universe who does not dabble in the affairs of mankind and does not reward or punish but rather one who has given us an entire universe from which to draw our lessons using the intellect and reason we were given. He shows how the Judeo-Christian-Islamic god-concept only makes sense in terms of the flat-earth at the center of a small universe. He points out that revelation can be only directly between god and man, thus the infinite universe as the only real revelation and anything written in a book hundreds or thousands of years later and carefully edited and expurgated by a group of men cannot, by definition, be "The Word of God" but is vague hearsay at best and political manipulation at worst.
A very advanced thinker for the 1700s,
he concluded that it would be unreasonable for the creator of an infinite universe to not have created intelligent life elsewhere in that universe, that prayer being an attempt to sway the infinite mind is useless, being a placebo for those that cannot accept the laws of nature and random chance.
He goes through the Bible book by book showing the inconsistencies and absurdities therein, and points out that a god who delights in and aids one group of people in slaughtering another cannot be a god worth admiring.
Gibsonian
Dec 24, 2008
Intellectual Freedom
This is my second fav. book. My first is Walden, by H.D. Thoreau.
This is an important empowering book. Paine tells you that his mind is his own church, as every man has the power to think for himself and does not need to be led by myths and corrupt priests who cannibalize the true astrotheological ancient traditions.
Read this book, period. It is a miracle.
Redisnoc
Oct 4, 2007
Last of the logical thinkers
Thomas Paine is a true representation of what the human personage is supposed to be. This book would be considered heresy by Religious fanatics and/or bible thumpers. His analysis by logic simply places religion is the realm that it should be...a man made construct. Yet, he is a very spiritual man and recognizes the creator and the need for man to work together and assist each other in the time we have on earth. Very astute passages for quotations are in here. Excellent book.
