I put the following work under your protection. It contains my opinion upon Religion. You will do me the justice to remember, that I have always strenuously supported the Right of every man to his opinion, however different that opinion might be to mine. He who denies to another this right, makes a slave of himself to his present opinion, because he precludes himself the right of changing it. The most formidable weapon against errors of every kind is Reason. I have never used any other, and I trust I never shall. Your affectionate friend and fellow citizen, Thomas Paine.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
69 of 75 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Tom Paine wrote the "Age of reason" over 230 years ago and it stands the test of time. His assessment of the Bible and his systematic approach to applying reason and logic to decipher whether it is the Word of God or a book written by men is extraordinary. He was one of the few who actually *read* the Bible and then peeled it back for examination. Paine concludes the Bible is not the word of God, it was written by men, loaded with inconsistencies, errors and can not prove authenticity of authorship (e.g., Moses did not write the Torah or first 5 books of the Bible). Paine was a Deist and makes a great case for his belief system. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a thorough analysis of the Bible from beginning to end from a very smart man. BnB Beatles Depot
42 of 48 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The Age of Reason is Mr. Paine's criticism of the Bible and his vindication of Deism.
Paine attempts to refute the Bible using only contradictions within the Bible as evidence of its falsehood. Some of the main points that Paine argues are:
- Moses did not author the Torah. He says that the Torah is only credible because Moses was credible, and if it is the case that Moses did not write it, we have no reason to regard five anonomously authored books.
- That the Bible being, quote, divinely inspired, is impertinent. It is an historical account, and being such, it is either a true or it is not. Inspiration has little to do with documenting history.
- The inconsistency of the Old Testament God with the New Testament God. How does one reconcile vengelful and wrathful with the all loving God?
- The impertinance of the history of the Jewish people to the message of salvation.
- Elisha's retaliation of she bears against the youths who call him bald head.
- The irrelevance of the Books of the Minor Prophets in the Old Testament.
- The fact that the gospels give different accounts, some mentioning things differently than the others.
- The idea that revelation is only revelation to the person to whom it is revealed. To anyone else it is only hearsay. In this way, no one can truly be punished for disbelieving a person who has reportedly received revelation.
This was a very interesting book. I recommend it to those who do not believe in the Bible as a strong argument for their case. I also recommend it to those who do believe so that they can solidify their faith by embracing tough questions.
Paine attempts to refute the Bible using only contradictions within the Bible as evidence of its falsehood. Some of the main points that Paine argues are:
- Moses did not author the Torah. He says that the Torah is only credible because Moses was credible, and if it is the case that Moses did not write it, we have no reason to regard five anonomously authored books.
- That the Bible being, quote, divinely inspired, is impertinent. It is an historical account, and being such, it is either a true or it is not. Inspiration has little to do with documenting history.
- The inconsistency of the Old Testament God with the New Testament God. How does one reconcile vengelful and wrathful with the all loving God?
- The impertinance of the history of the Jewish people to the message of salvation.
- Elisha's retaliation of she bears against the youths who call him bald head.
- The irrelevance of the Books of the Minor Prophets in the Old Testament.
- The fact that the gospels give different accounts, some mentioning things differently than the others.
- The idea that revelation is only revelation to the person to whom it is revealed. To anyone else it is only hearsay. In this way, no one can truly be punished for disbelieving a person who has reportedly received revelation.
This was a very interesting book. I recommend it to those who do not believe in the Bible as a strong argument for their case. I also recommend it to those who do believe so that they can solidify their faith by embracing tough questions.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
At 53, I'm finally willing to listen to this great book. Loved the first part, kinda skimmed the second part because it got little tedious in the details as he did a more than thorough job of exposing inconsistencies in the Bible. His message is very good for those of us challenging our inherited beliefs, yet think he could've toned down some of the inflammatory language and perhaps would've had more people at his funeral. As Mark Twain wrote-"I must studiously and faithfully unlearn a great many things I have somehow absorbed." This book is helpful if you, like me, have a lot to unlearn.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Thomas Paine Still Speaks
It was inspiring to read his thoughts...still relevent to today! Too many Americans still aren't listening! He was a man of intellect
Published 2 months ago by Richard E. Nystrom
5.0 out of 5 stars
eye opener
This is the real deal folks. If you are serious about resolving the conflict in your mind about religion this book will answer that question.
Published 3 months ago by G. Keppel
5.0 out of 5 stars
love it.
Entertaning, presents alternative view of religion.
Like the candid way it is presented to the reader.
I would recommend to any young reader.
Like the candid way it is presented to the reader.
I would recommend to any young reader.
Published 3 months ago by Jesse Mungia
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Read
I really enjoyed this book. It was a nice easy read. It was interesting reading Thomas Paine entertain some of the same questions about religion the people are still fighting... Read more
Published 4 months ago by steven bussey
5.0 out of 5 stars
very goood
very good
adding more word is stupid and a waste of my time a a a a a a a
adding more word is stupid and a waste of my time a a a a a a a
Published 6 months ago by bmacdonald
5.0 out of 5 stars
Logic at it's best!
With The "Age of Reason", written in 1794, Thomas Paine, one of our more brilliant Founding Fathers did quite a remarkable and complete job of logically using the Bible to debunk... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Uncanny Sublime
5.0 out of 5 stars
age of reason
Came on time, and although I bought it used, it was brand new in the box and the book itself was perfect, no marks or worn look on pages or book, read the book back 25 years ago ,... Read more
Published 11 months ago by peggy
5.0 out of 5 stars
YOU SHOULD READ IT FOR YOURSELF AND MAKE UP YOUR OWN MIND
This tome is controversial to the max.
But, how will you know if you agree with it or not unless you READ IT? I think every intelligent person should read this book! Read more
But, how will you know if you agree with it or not unless you READ IT? I think every intelligent person should read this book! Read more
Published 14 months ago by John Boland
5.0 out of 5 stars
A testament to Paine's skill as a writer and his skill as theologian
This is the only serious theology book a layperson needs. I agree with M. William's opine: The Age of Reason stands the test of time. Read more
Published 16 months ago by gunnerThrax
4.0 out of 5 stars
THE AGE OF REASON: THOMAS PAINE
I read this book when I was twenty years old and and in University. It left quite an impression on my young mind for it's clarity of logic against the Biblical record of the... Read more
Published 20 months ago by Nnoruka
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