Reference no: EM133393376

Thomas Paine regards books of organized religions, especially Christianity, as unproven. During the Enlightenment, the religious idea of Deism came to be. The people that believed in Deism believed that there was one God or supreme being who was responsible for creating the universe. This being wouldn't be directly involved in the world. Thomas Paine was a firm believer in Deism, and he thought that the belief of a God was the first part of every religion. Paine was against books and articles of different religions because they led humans to believe in what was written. Paine argued that people should think for themselves and use reason in order to create their own beliefs. The beliefs that are created can connect with reason, and that leads to clarity rather than confusion. These books, such as the Bible, were not proven by anyone. Paine tries to explain to Christians and other religions that they shouldn't just go with what their book says. There is no evidence that proves anything in these books happened other than the presence of a God in the world.

Thomas Paine's attitude toward religion can also be seen in Voltaire's attitude. Both believed in Deism, but Voltaire was a big advocator towards religious tolerance. People should be able to choose what religion they want to practice, and everyone else should accept those decisions. Paine and Voltaire put a higher importance to reason and questioning over reading books like the Bible. Although both didn't hesitate to speak their minds about religion, Paine seemed more outspoken than Voltaire. During the Enlightenment, Voltaire and the philosophes lived in a state of censorship. This could be a reason why Voltaire didn't share his thoughts as much as Paine. The Religion of Deism shows how aggressive Paine was in sharing his thoughts about how people shouldn't be forced to believe in books when they're not proven. Other Enlightenment philosophes agreed with Voltaire's ideas. God exists in the world, but reason and observation should guide people to create their own beliefs and become content with their thoughts.