My other two cents

I understand why Thomas Paine was considered a rebel and to have radical thoughts on religion, slavery and other topics.

Radical or not though, maybe—by natural way—to see the common sense in all of this, is also to see the common ground we all share as One People [one mind].

Personally, I believe the words by Thomas Paine are just as vibrant today as they were when he wrote them   ...and what do you know, he pointed a finger at Sweden in 1776 already, so this is personal!

I see Thomas Paine as a very kind and moderate individual; naturally dead center when it comes to politics and religion, but that's just me.

More words by Thomas Paine:

"The moral principle of revolutions is to instruct, not to destroy."

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

"Everything in this strange system is the reverse of what
it pretends to be. It is the reverse of truth, and I become so tired
of examining into its inconsistencies and absurdities, that I hasten
to the conclusion of it, in order to proceed to something better."

 •  From  Common Sense: The cause of America is in a great measure the cause
of all mankind. Many circumstances hath, and will arise, which are not local, but universal, and through which the principles of all Lovers of Mankind are affected, and in the Event of which, their Affections are interested. The laying of a Country desolate with Fire and Sword, declaring War against the natural rights of all Mankind, and exterpating the Defenders thereof from the Face of the Earth, is the Concern of every Man to whom Nature hath given the Power of feeling.

 •  From  The (American) Crisis: These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as Freedom should not be highly rated.

 •  From  Age of Reason (Part I, Chapter I): It has been my intention, for several years past, to publish my thoughts upon religion; I am well aware of the difficulties that attend the subject, and from that consideration, had reserved it to a more advanced period of life. I intended it to be the last offering I should make to my fellow–citizens of all nations, and that at a time when the purity of the motive that induced me to it could not admit a question, even by those who might disapprove the work.

The circumstances that have now taken place in France, of the total abolition of the whole national order of priesthood, and of everything appertaining to compulsive articles of faith, has not only precipitated my intention, but rendered a work of this kind exceedingly necessary, lest, in the general wreck of superstition, of false systems of government, and false theology, we lose sight of morality, of humanity, and of the theology that is true.

As several of my colleagues, and others of my fellow–citizens of France, have given me the example of making their voluntary and individual profession of faith, I will also make mine; and I do this with all that sincerity and frankness with which the mind of man communicates with itself.

I believe in one God, and no more; and I hope for happiness beyond this life.

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.

But, lest it should be supposed that I believe in many other things in addition to these, I shall, in the progress of this work, declare the things I do not believe, and my reasons for not believing them.

I do not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish church, by the Roman church, by the Greek church, by the Turkish church, by the Protestant church, nor by any church that I know of. My own mind is my own church.

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.

I do not mean by this declaration to condemn those who believe otherwise; they have the same right to their belief as I have to mine. But 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 impossible to calculate the moral mischief, if I may so express it, that mental lying has produced in society. When a man has so far corrupted and prostituted the chastity of his mind, as to subscribe his professional belief to things he does not believe, he has prepared himself for the commission of every other crime. He takes up the trade of a priest for the sake of gain, and, in order to qualify himself for that trade, he begins with a perjury. Can we concieve anything more destructive to morality than this?

Soon after I had published the pamphlet Common Sense, in America, I saw the exceeding probability that a revolution in the system of government would be followed by a revolution in the system of religion. The adulterous connection of church and state, wherever it had taken place, whether Jewish, Christian, or Turkish, had so effectually prohibited, by pains and penalties, every discussion upon established creeds, and upon first principles of religion, that until the system of government should be changed, those subjects could not be brought fairly and openly before the world; but that whenever this should be done, a revolution in the system of religion would follow. Human inventions and priest–craft would be detected; and man would return to the pure, unmixed, and unadulterated belief of one God, and no more.

"That some desperate wretches should be willing to steal and enslave men
by violence and murder for gain, is rather lamentable than strange."

"The natural source of secresy is fear."

"It is of the utmost danger to society to make
religion a party in political disputes."

 •  My opinion: 'Party' is the keyword. To me, this concerns Organized Religion, nothing else. Of course I bring with me Creator/God/Source should I wish to do work in politics, this is unavoidable if you ask me.

The institutions of Organized Religion have been infiltrated politically since long ago. It seems to me that that's why they got started in the first place.

"You will do me the justice to remember, that I have always strenuously supported the Right of every Man to his own opinion, however different that opinion might be to mine. He who denies to another this right, makes a slave of himself to his present opinion, because he precludes himself the right of changing it."

"It is the duty of every man, as far as his ability extends, to detect and expose delusion and error. But nature has not given to everyone a talent for the purpose; and among those whom such a talent is given, there is often a want of disposition, or of the courage to do it."

"Suspicion is the companion of mean souls, and the bane of all good society. For myself I fully and conscientiously believe, that it is the will of the Almighty, that there should be diversity of religious opionions among us."

"Certain as I am that when opinions are free,
either in matters of government or religion,
truth will finally and powerfully prevail."

Without the pen of the author of Common Sense,
the sword of Washington would have been raised in vain.

John Adams

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Free Speech, my friend, will put any religion/ideology to the test,

...old as well as new,

...mine as well as yours.