Thomas Paine Quotes

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Thomas Paine

Profession : Activist

Birth : January 29, 1737

The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.

Thomas Paine

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.

Thomas Paine

Belief in a cruel God makes a cruel man.

Thomas Paine

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.

Thomas Paine

But such is the irresistable nature of truth, that all it asks, and all it wants is the liberty of appearing.

Thomas Paine

The World is my country, all mankind are my brethren, and to do good is my religion.

Thomas Paine

My country is the world, and my religion is to do good.

Thomas Paine

Of all the tyrannies that affect mankind, tyranny in religion is the worst.

Thomas Paine

Any system of religion that has anything in it that shocks the mind of a child, cannot be true.

Thomas Paine

Every religion is good that teaches man to be good; and I know of none that instructs him to be bad.

Thomas Paine

Is it not a species of blasphemy to call the New Testament revealed religion, when we see in it such contradictions and absurdities.

Thomas Paine

Persecution is not an original feature in any religion; but it is always the strongly marked feature of all religions established by law.

Thomas Paine

Reputation is what men and women think of us; character is what God and angels know of us.

Thomas Paine

It is not a God, just and good, but a devil, under the name of God, that the Bible describes.

Thomas Paine

A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong gives it a superficial appearance of being right.

Thomas Paine

War involves in its progress such a train of unforeseen circumstances that no human wisdom can calculate the end; it has but one thing certain, and that is to increase taxes.

Thomas Paine

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.

Thomas Paine

Suspicion is the companion of mean souls, and the bane of all good society.

Thomas Paine

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.

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.

Thomas Paine