Every individual falls far short of the glory of God. Even the agnostic are capable of contributing to the betterment of mankind. Thomas Paine is one of these profound individuals. Thomas Paine was a great humanist, political activist and a great philosopher thinker. Living in a society influenced greatly by Christian teachings, it's not surprising that despite his living on the edge of Christendom, he reveled in it. After being marked as unsuccessful man due to his previous jobs and activity, he migrated to America in 1774 with a help of Benjamin Franklin.

While living in France in 1792, he was convicted and imprisoned for Seditious libel, which relates to speech and organization against the established order of the community. Most people, however, are unaware of his long struggles against organized religion and Christianity. In 1794 Paine wrote a radical book of a different kind, one destined to become a classic of atheist free thought, "The Age of Reason". It is suppose to be an expose of the Bible, it ostensibly points out the "numerous contradictions, errors of fact, and absurdities" contained in the Old and New Testament. Paine, while being influenced heavily by St. Thomas Aquinas influence on the renaissance, never seemed to give tribute to it.

Constantly at war with his surroundings, Paine even points to thinking that his will and his mind are his church and that he doesn’t need a religious institution to believe in God or in after life. However, Thomas Paine also professed he did not believe in any [organized] Church he knew of. He said "My mind is my own church". He died in New York on 1809 and the interesting fact here is that only six people attended his funeral. Not too many people wanted to be associated with him due to him being a political activist who openly kept uncovering the veil of many political affairs and was not afraid to speak about it.

What a guy.

Every individual falls far short of the glory of God. Even the agnostic are capable of contributing to the betterment of mankind. Thomas Paine is one of these profound individuals. Thomas Paine was a great humanist, political activist and a great philosopher thinker. Living in a society influenced greatly by Christian teachings, it's not surprising that Paine was influenced by it. Despite his living on the edge of Christendom, he reveled in it. After being marked as unsuccessful man due to his previous jobs and activity, he migrated to America in 1774 with a help of Benjamin Franklin.

While living in France in 1792, he was convicted and imprisoned for Seditious libel, which relates to speech and organization against the established order of the community. Most people, however, are unaware of his long struggles against organized religion and Christianity. In 1794 Paine wrote a radical book of a different kind, one destined to become a classic of atheist free thought, "The Age of Reason". It is suppose to be an expose of the Bible, it ostensibly points out the "numerous contradictions, errors of fact, and absurdities" contained in the Old and New Testament. Paine, while being influenced heavily by St. Thomas Aquinas influence on the renaissance, never seemed to give tribute to it.

Constantly at war with his surroundings, Paine even points to thinking that his will and his mind are his church and that he doesn’t need a religious institution to believe in God or in after life. However, Thomas Paine also professed he did not believe in any [organized] Church he knew of. He said "My mind is my own church". He died in New York on 1809 and the interesting fact here is that only six people attended his funeral. Not too many people wanted to be associated with him due to him being a political activist who openly kept uncovering the veil of many political affairs and was not afraid to speak about it.

What a guy.