Expressing virulient disbelief in scripture, Thomas Paine detailed the predominant faith of the cogniscenti of his day - Deism. One example is from
his essay, "
Biblical Blasphemy," as in the following exerpt:
"Deism teaches us that God is a God of truth and justice. Does the Bible teach the same doctrine? It does not.
"The Bible says (Jeremiah xx, 7) that God is a deceiver. 'O Lord (says Jeremiah) thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived. Thou art stronger than
I, and hast prevailed.'
"Jeremiah not only upbraids God with deceiving him, but, in iv, 10, he upbraids God with deceiving the people of Jerusalem. 'Ah! Lord God (says he),
surely thou hast greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, ye shall have peace, whereas the sword reacheth unto the soul.'
"In xv, 18, the Bible becomes more impudent, and calls God in plain language, a liar. 'Wilt thou (says Jeremiah to God) be altogether unto me as a
liar and as waters that fail?'
"Ezekiel xiv, 9, makes God to say - 'If the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the Lord have deceived that prophet.' All this is
downright blasphemy."
Mr. Paine's correspondence was extensive and he was unapologetic for his views. Simply put, he expressed common opinions of the time, of which few
were offended. After experiencing an NDE, his
letter to a friend relented not in fervor against the
Bible: "The Christian religion is derogatory to the Creator in all its articles. It puts the Creator in an inferior point of view, and places the
Christian devil above Him. It is he, according to the absurd story in Genesis, that outwits the Creator in the Garden of Eden, and steals from Him His
favorite creature, man, and at last obliges Him to beget a son, and put that son to death, to get man back again; and this the priests of the
Christian religion call redemption."
Thomas Paine was a celebrated patriot, materially and psychologically aiding the cause of the Revolution. And indeed, his writings and correspondence
were well-received in the nascent nation, even by his friend, President Washington. Another friend, Samuel Adams, did find fault in the publication
of certain material due to concerns for consensus-building among citizens. However, Mr. Paine deftly defended his position during their
correspondence.
The precepts of
Deism are quite natural, concepts without the need for interpretation or convoluted explanations.
Adherents to the faith are many spanning the ages, moreover, they include the greatest thinkers of all time. Especially notable are those counted
among the Founding Fathers of the United States of America.