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Thomas Paine

Thomas Paine Quotes

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Famous Thomas Paine Quotes

“Whenever we read the obscene stories, the voluptuous debaucheries, the cruel and torturous executions, the unrelenting vindictiveness, with which more than half the Bible is filled, it would be more consistent that we called it the word of a demon, than the word of God. It is a history of wickedness, that has served to corrupt and brutalize mankind; and, for my part, I sincerely detest it, as I detest everything that is cruel.”

HistoryMankindCrueltyDemonWickednessFounding FatherThomas Paine On ReligionThomas Paine On The Bible
Book:The age of reason
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“The Bible: a history of wickedness that has served to corrupt and brutalise mankind.”

ReligionAtheismMankindAtheistPositive AtheismWord Of GodWickednessChurch And StateSeparation Of Church And StateOur Founding FathersFounding Fathers ChristianUs Founding FathersObsceneFounding Fathers ReligionSeparation Between Church And StateFounding Fathers ReligiousReligion GodFounding Fathers Anti ReligionFounding Fathers Of AmericaFounding AmericaAmerican Founding FathersFounding Fathers AtheistAnti ReligiousDeismChristianity From Founding FathersChristian AtheistReligion ChristianDebaucheryAnti ChristianUnrelentingChristian RightVoluptuousAge Of ReasonFaith ReligionSubtle AtheistVindictivenessJewish Religion
Book:The Age of Reason, etc
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“Great part of that order which reigns among mankind is not the effect of government. It has its origin in the principles of society and the natural constitution of man. It existed prior to government, and would exist if the formality of government was abolished. The mutual dependence and reciprocal interest which man has upon man, and all the parts of civilised community upon each other, create that great chain of connection which holds it together.”

IfsMenGovernmentTogetherOrderInterestCommunityNaturalPrinciplesMankindEffectsConnectionsConstitutionChainsMutualReignDependenceReciprocalCivilisedFormality
Book:The Thomas Paine Collection: Common Sense, Rights of Man, Age of Reason, An Essay on Dream, Biblical Blasphemy, Examination Of The Prophecies
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“I am sensible that he who means to do mankind a real service must set down with the determination of putting up, and bearing with all their faults, follies, prejudices and mistakes until he can convince them that he is right.”

MeanRealMistakeAtheismMankindDeterminationPrejudiceFaultsPositive AtheismFollyConvinceSensible
Book:Citizen Paine: Thomas Paine's Thoughts on Man, Government, Society, and Religion
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“It is not the nature of avarice to be satisfied with anything but money. Every passion that acts upon mankind has a peculiar mode of operation. Many of them are temporary and fluctuating; they admit of cessation and variety. But avarice is a fixed, uniform passion.”

PassionMankindSatisfiedVarietyOperationsFixedTemporaryPeculiarUniformsAvarice
Book:Common Sense, The Crisis, & Other Writings from the American Revolution: (Library of America Paperback Classic)
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“Universal empire is the prerogative of a writer. His concerns are with all mankind, and though he cannot command their obedience,he can assign them their duty. The Republic of Letters is more ancient than monarchy, and of far higher character in the world than the vassal court of Britain.”

WorldCharacterMankindDutyHigherConcernLettersUniversalCourtAncientCommandObedienceBritainEmpiresRepublicMonarchyPrerogative
Book:The American Crisis
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“All national institutions of churches, whether Jewish, Christian or Turkish, appear to me no other than human inventions, set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power and profit.”

InspirationalHumansChristianPainReligionChurchAtheismMankindInstitutionsAtheistIndividualityProfitScarySeparationInventionSecularReligious FaithChurch And StateSeparation Of Church And StateOur Founding FathersReligious FreedomFounding Fathers ChristianPhilosophy Of ReligionUs Founding FathersTurkishFounding Fathers ReligionSeparation Between Church And StateFounding Fathers ReligiousChristian ChurchFounding Fathers Anti ReligionFounding Fathers Of AmericaFounding AmericaAmerican Founding FathersFounding Fathers AtheistReligious PhilosophyDeismReligion And PoliticsChristian AtheistReligion ChristianChristian FatherPhilosophy And ReligionChristian RightAge Of ReasonAgainst ReligionGreatest AtheistHuman InventionsReligion PoliticsChristian Freedom
Book:The Theological Works of Thomas Paine
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“Of all the tyrannies that affect mankind, tyranny in religion is the worst.”

ChristianReligionReligiousAtheismWorstMankindAtheistTyrannySecularOur Founding FathersFounding Fathers ChristianUs Founding FathersFounding Fathers ReligionFounding Fathers ReligiousFounding Fathers Anti ReligionFounding Fathers Of AmericaFounding AmericaAmerican Founding FathersFounding Fathers AtheistChristian AtheistAgainst ReligionAnti AtheistTyranny Founding Fathers
Author:Thomas Paine
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“In the early ages of the world, according to the scripture chronology, there were no kings; the consequence of which was there were no wars; it is the pride of kings which throws mankind into confusion.”

WorldWarAgeMankindPrideKingsConsequenceScriptureConfusionNo WarChronology
Book:The Thomas Paine Collection: Common Sense, Rights of Man, Age of Reason, An Essay on Dream, Biblical Blasphemy, Examination Of The Prophecies
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“When I contemplate the natural dignity of man; when I feel (for Nature has not been kind enough to me to blunt my feelings) for the honor and happiness of its character, I become irritated at the attempt to govern mankind by force and fraud, as if they were all knaves and fools, and can scarcely avoid disgust at those who are thus imposed upon.”

IfsMenFeelsKindEnoughCharacterFeelingsForceNaturalLibertyMankindFoolHonorDignityPositive AtheismFraudContemplatingDisgustingBluntIrritatedKnaves
Book:The Rights of Man: With a Brief Historical Preface
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“It is for the good of nations, and not for the emolument or aggrandizement of particular individuals, that government ought to be established, and that mankind are at the expense of supporting it. The defects of every government and constitution both as to principle and form, must, on a parity of reasoning, be as open to discussion as the defects of a law, and it is a duty which every man owes to society to point them out.”

MenGovernmentFormLawIndividualNationsLibertyPrinciplesMankindParticularDutyOughtConstitutionEvery ManDiscussionReasoningExpensesDefectsParity
Book:Paine: Political Writings
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“...It would be more consistent that we call [the Bible] the work of a demon than the word of God. It is a history of wickedness that has served to corrupt and brutalize mankind.”

Would BeReligionAtheismMankindAtheistDemonConsistentWord Of GodWickednessChurch And StateSeparation Of Church And StateOur Founding FathersFounding Fathers ChristianUs Founding FathersObsceneFounding Fathers ReligionSeparation Between Church And StateFounding Fathers ReligiousReligion GodFounding Fathers Anti ReligionFounding Fathers Of AmericaFounding AmericaAmerican Founding FathersFounding Fathers AtheistAnti ReligiousDeismChristianity From Founding FathersChristian AtheistReligion ChristianDebaucheryAnti ChristianUnrelentingVoluptuousAge Of ReasonFaith ReligionAnti GodVindictivenessJewish ReligionEvil God
Book:The Writings of Thomas Paine
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“Men who look upon themselves born to reign, and others to obey, soon grow insolent; selected from the rest of mankind their minds are early poisoned by importance; and the world they act in differs so materially from the world at large, that they have but little opportunity of knowing its true interests, and when they succeed to the government are frequently the most ignorant and unfit of any throughout the dominions.”

MenWorldMindLooksLittlesGovernmentOpportunityGrowsInterestBornKnowingMankindSucceedImportanceIgnorantLook UpReignDominionSelectedInsolent
Book:THOMAS PAINE Ultimate Collection: Political Works, Philosophical Writings, Speeches, Letters & Biography (Including Common Sense, The Rights of Man & The Age of Reason): The American Crisis, The Constitution of 1795, Declaration of Rights, Agrarian Justice, The Republican Proclamation, Anti-Monarchal Essay, Letters to Thomas Jefferson and George Washington…
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“But there is another and greater distinction for which no truly natural or religious reason can be assigned, and that is the distinction of men into kings and subjects. Male and female are the distinctions of nature, good and bad the distinctions of heaven; but how a race of men came into the world so exalted above the rest, and distinguished like some new species, is worth inquiring into, and whether they are the means of happiness or of misery to mankind.”

MenWorldMeanReasonHeavenNaturalReligiousRaceGreaterSubjectsMankindKingsBandFemaleMiserySpeciesMalesDistinctionDistinguishedExaltedInquiring
Author:Thomas Paine
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“O ye that love mankind! Ye that dare oppose, not only the tyranny, but the tyrant, stand forth! Every spot of the old world is overrun with oppression. Freedom hath been hunted round the globe. Asia, and Africa, have long expelled her. Europe regards her like a stranger, and England hath given her warning to depart. O! receive the fugitive, and prepare in time an asylum for mankind.”

WorldLoveLongGivenMankindEuropeEnglandRegardRoundsDareStrangerTyrannyOppressionSpotsWarningTyrantsGlobesAsiaAsylumsOld WorldHuntedFugitive
Book:Common Sense: and The American Crisis I
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“Reason and Ignorance, the opposites of each other, influence the great bulk of mankind. If either of these can be rendered sufficiently extensive in a country, the machinery of Government goes easily on. Reason obeys itself; and Ignorance submits to whatever is dictated to it.”

IfsCountryReasonGovernmentInfluenceMankindIgnoranceOppositesPositive AtheismSubmitMachinery
Book:Rights of Man: Being an Answer to Mr. Burke's Attack on the French Revolution
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“In a general view, there are few conquests that repay the charge of making them, and mankind are pretty well convinced that it can never be worth their while to go to war for profit's sake. If they are made war upon, their country invaded, or their existence at stake, it is their duty to defend and preserve themselves, but in every other light, and from every other cause, is war inglorious and detestable.”

IfsWellsMadeWarCountryLightCausesPeaceViewsExistenceMankindDutySakeProfitConvincedPreservesStakesConquest
Book:The American Crisis
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