Arkansas won't honor Bible-bashing founding father
Posted February 17, 2007
The British didn't like Thomas Paine. Neither did the French. And he's not exactly getting a hero's welcome in Arkansas.
The state house of representatives this month failed to pass a resolution declaring a "Thomas Paine Day" in the Natural State.
Paine, of course, was the author of "Common Sense" -- an influential tract which urged the colonies to break free from alleged British tyranny. But he also wrote "Age of Reason" -- a broadside against Christianity, Judaism and Islam and religion in general.
Two centuries after his death, Paine's fiery anti-religion rhetoric remains too-hot for many lawmakers to handle.
Paine called Christianity a myth, a fable and a fraud. He said the Bible was more like the word of a demon than the word of God, branding it "a history of wickedness, that has served to corrupt and brutalize mankind; and, for my own part, I sincerely detest it, as I detest everything that is cruel."
His sharp opposition to religion didn't bother the U.S. Postal Service which placed him on a 40 cent stamp, nor did it flummox the Unitarians, who named one of their Pennsylvania congregations in his honor.
But here in the Bible Belt, Paine's Bible-bashing isn't yet in vogue.
The rabble-rouser undoubtedly would be pleased to know he's still sparking unrest. (He was drawn to controvery like few others. After fanning the fires of revolution on this continent, he sailed to France so he could foment rebellion in Europe. The French didn't welcome his interference, however. He was nearly executed there.)
So, what exactly did Paine have to say about religion? Plenty. Below are a few lines from "Age of Reason."
"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."
EVERY national church or religion has established itself by pretending some special mission from God, communicated to certain individuals. The Jews have their Moses; the Christians their Jesus Christ, their apostles and saints; and the Turks their Mahomet; as if the way to God was not open to every man alike.
Each of those churches shows certain books, which they call revelation, or the Word of God. The Jews say that their Word of God was given by God to Moses face to face; the Christians say, that their Word of God came by divine inspiration; and the Turks say, that their Word of God (the Koran) was brought by an angel from heaven. Each of those churches accuses the other of unbelief; and, for my own part, I disbelieve them all.
The Christian theory is little else than the idolatry of the ancient mythologists, accommodated to the purposes of power and revenue; and it yet remains to reason and philosophy to abolish the amphibious fraud.
Thomas [the doubting apostle] did not believe the resurrection; and, as they say, would not believe without having ocular and manual demonstration himself. So neither will I; and the reason is equally as good for me, and for every other person, as for Thomas.
It is in vain to attempt to palliate or disguise this matter. The story, so far as relates to the supernatural part, has every mark of fraud and imposition stamped upon the face of it. Who were the authors of it is as impossible for us now to know, as it is for us to be assured that the books in which the account is related were written by the persons whose names they bear.
Actually, Paine's memory is not in the worst company. Didn't the Arkansas legislature pass a resolution years ago to pray for the soul of H. L. Mencken, that is, after the resolution to try to get him deported to Germany didn't work?