Thomas Paine

[Doug]

"Did the book called the Bible excel in purity of ideas and expression all the books that are now extant in the world, I would not take it for my rule of faith, as being the word of God, because the possibility would nevertheless exist of my being imposed upon. But when I see throughout the greater part of this book scarcely anything but a history of the grossest vices and a collection of the most paltry and contemptible tales, I cannot dishonor my Creator by calling it by his name."

--Thomas Paine, The Age of Reason

[Dar]

Damn, that's a good Paine quote. It goes in the collection.

[Betsy]

I can barely understand that quote. There are much better ones, in my opinion.

[Guest]

DOUG
OK, Betsy, how is this one?

"Whenever we read the obscene stories, the voluptuous debaucheries, the cruel and tortuous executions, the unrelenting vindictiveness with which more than half the Bible is filled, it would be more consistent that we call it the word of a demon than the word of God. It is a history of wickedness that has served to corrupt and brutalize humankind. And, for my own part, I sincerely detest it, as I detest everything that is cruel."--Thomas Paine, The Age of Reason.