Reviews

The Age of Reason by Thomas Paine

raji_c's review

5.0

Nothing I can say about this book matches Paine's words: “If we consider the nature of our condition here, we must see there is no occasion for such a thing as revealed religion. What is it we want to know? Does not the creation, the universe we behold, preach to us the existence of an Almighty power, that governs and regulates the whole? And is not the evidence that this creation holds out to our senses infinitely stronger than any thing we can read in a book, that any imposter might make and call the word of God? As for morality, the knowledge of it exists in every man's conscience... It has been the scheme of the Christian church, and of all the other invented systems of religion, to hold man in ignorance of the Creator, as it is of government to hold him in ignorance of his rights… We can know God only through his works. We cannot have a conception of any one attribute, but by following some principle that leads to it. We have only a confused idea of his power, if we have not the means of comprehending something of its immensity. We can have no idea of his wisdom, but by knowing the order and manner in which it acts. The principles of science lead to this knowledge; for the Creator of man is the Creator of science, and it is through that medium that man can see God, as it were, face to face.”

I am thrilled to find such an articulate challenge to institutional religion.

notwellread's review

5.0

This is a marvellous refutation of Christianity, probably surpassing anything written on the subject since. I particularly enjoyed the second half in which Paine considers every major book in the Bible individually (it’s unfortunate that more authors don’t manage this level of detail). Although I disagree with his views on the messages of the Iliad, as far as the actual subject of the work goes I found his arguments effective and his prose style was engaging and generally a joy to read (despite the fact that my edition, the Cathedral Classics one, was riddled with typos – the notes made up for it though). I would highly recommend it for a general audience, whether you have read the Bible for yourself or not (I think it would be comprehensible either way). Even if you are aware of the arguments on this subject you will probably learn something new.