Thomas Paine a Deist?

[beeswax]

Deism has just been discussed here and Thomas Paine was the consummate Deist along with I believe, Thomas Jefferson and Abrahamic Lincoln but our USA friends on here will confirm. I think EJ thinks TP didn't believe in heaven or hell but have just found a quote of his to the contrary. Hope you don't mind EJ? I also thought it worth quoting another famous passage of his from his Age of Reason Book...

This is what he said..

I believe in one God, and no more; and I hope for happiness beyond this life.

I believe in 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.

I do not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish church, by the Roman church, by the Greek church, by the Turkish church, by the Protestant church, nor by any church that I know of. My own mind is my own church.

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.

I do not mean by this declaration to condemn those who believe otherwise. They have the same right to their belief as I have to mine. But it is necessary to the happiness of man that he be mentally faithful to himself. Infidelity does not consist in believing or in disbelieving; it consists in professing to believe what he does not believe.

So TP did believe in an afterlife as I do and so does that equate strictly to a definition of Deism? More like Deism + to me...

[Willum]

Hmmm.

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.
-- Thomas Paine, (1737-1809), The Age of Reason, pt. 1

[dianaiad]

Hmmm.

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.
-- Thomas Paine, (1737-1809), The Age of Reason, pt. 1

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[Willum]

Hmmm. Of course Thomas Paine explains very well his position, it is not like he is hiding is atheism, which is reviled through the ages by many.

You call all religions you recognize as corrupt institutions, you are an atheist, right?

Is the any other foundation to speak of? He certainly isn't, as many do, inventing his own set of beliefs about god, raising the standard as that being the true religion. Nor is he ratting out other people for pointing out beliefs other than his own are trite, as those with sour grapes seem to do.

In his most famous quote he disparages religion, and makes up no god.

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.
-- Thomas Paine, (1737-1809), The Age of Reason, pt. 1

[Willum]

Of course Thomas Paine explains very well his position, it is not like he is hiding is atheism, which is reviled through the ages by many.

You call all religions you recognize as corrupt institutions, you are an atheist, right?

Is the any other foundation to speak of? He certainly isn't, as many do, inventing his own set of beliefs about god, raising the standard as that being the true religion. Nor is he ratting out other people for pointing out beliefs other than his own are trite, as those with sour grapes seem to do.

In his most famous quote he disparages religion, and makes up no god.

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.
-- Thomas Paine, (1737-1809), The Age of Reason, pt. 1