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=> Thomas Paine Speaks to Assyrians

Thomas Paine Speaks to Assyrians

Posted by pancho (Guest) - Wednesday, January 16 2008, 21:51:17 (CET)
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How is it I never read him till now? I read about him…but never anything he wrote himself. All I knew was that he was a friend to the American Revolution, wrote some good stuff and went back to partake in the French Revolution. The man couldn’t get enough.

In a thin volume titled, “The Age of Reason” Paine critiques religion…all three of them but Christianity mostly. He starts by saying he believes in one God and hopes to be happy after death…and that’s all. And he means it. Then he proceeds to undress Christianity, while adoring the person of Jesus, like it’s never been stripped naked before to reveal what a rotten thing it is. He also takes off after the bible…which he refers to as “the book called the bible”…so you don’t forget that it’s just a book…and a very bad one at that. He uses wit and reason to flay the lot of them alive but in such an engaging and calm manner that you really wonder at the collective hysteria this religion has managed to afflict us with.

Reason and science are god-given too and yet these religions have made them the work of the Devil.

I especially liked a story he told of being fog bound and almost coming to be wrecked on a rocky island. The good Christians on board were fervently praying to god promising that if he brought them through the night safely they would build a shrine to his glory.

Paine’s observation was that if he were to promise anything it would be to build a lighthouse on that island.

That says it all.

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