Famous Quotes

Quotes by Thomas Paine

• 'Tis the business of little minds to shrink but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death.
• A thing moderately good is not so good as it ought to be. Moderation in temper is always a virtue but moderation in principle is always a vice.
• 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.
• Any system of religion that has anything in it that shocks the mind of a child, cannot be true.
• Belief in a cruel God makes a cruel man.
• But such is the irresistable nature of truth, that all it asks, and all it wants is the liberty of appearing.
• Every religion is good that teaches man to be good and I know of none that instructs him to be bad.
• Every science has for its basis a system of principles as fixed and unalterable as those by which the universe is regulated and governed. Man cannot make principles he can only discover them.
• Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil in its worst state, an intolerable one.
• He that rebels against reason is a real rebel, but he that in defence of reason rebels against tyranny has a better title to Defender of the Faith, than George the Third.
• He who is the author of a war lets loose the whole contagion of hell and opens a vein that bleeds a nation to death.
• Human nature is not of itself vicious.
• 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.
• I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. 'Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death.
• I prefer peace. But if trouble must come, let it come in my time, so that my children can live in peace.
• If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace.
• Is it not a species of blasphemy to call the New Testament revealed religion, when we see in it such contradictions and absurdities.
• It is error only, and not truth, that shrinks from inquiry.
• 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.
• It is not a God, just and good, but a devil, under the name of God, that the Bible describes.
• My country is the world, and my religion is to do good.
• Of all the tyrannies that affect mankind, tyranny in religion is the worst.
• One good schoolmaster is of more use than a hundred priests.
• Persecution is not an original feature in any religion but it is always the strongly marked feature of all religions established by law.
• Reputation is what men and women think of us character is what God and angels know of us.
• Society in every state is a blessing, but government, even in its best stage, is but a necessary evil in its worst state an intolerable one.
• Suspicion is the companion of mean souls, and the bane of all good society.
• That God cannot lie, is no advantage to your argument, because it is no proof that priests can not, or that the Bible does not.
• The greatest remedy for anger is delay.
• The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.