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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Flawed but Important Work,
By LZ-1 (USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Age Of Reason Paper (Paperback)
In "The Age of Reason", an angry, well-researched, and surprisingly witty book, Thomas Paine makes the case for deism. The book is divided into three parts: the first part attacks organized religion in general, the second, written much later, demolishes the Bible piece by piece, and the third sums it all up. Included in this edition is a very thorough biographical introduction to Paine, written by Philip S. Foner in 1948.The problem is that Paine's work depends largely on two basic assumptions, neither of which applies today. First, most of his criticisms of Judeo-Christianity are aimed at Biblical literalism. For instance: Matthew and Luke disagee about Jesus' ancestors; therefore the Bible is not divinely inspired. But many Christians today acknowledge some Biblical imperfections, and say that the underlying message is what's important. So errors of chronology and inconsistencies would not disprove the Christian religion. In fact, many more liberal Biblical scholars have devoted themselves to finding and explaining Biblical imperfections. I say this not because I disagree with Paine that Judaism and Christianity are false, but only because his critique is insufficient to deal with religion as it is practiced today. This book is sure to baffle any fundamentalist, though. The second problem is Paine's assumption that deism is the "true" religion. He bases this on the order of the world and universe, and because conditions on Earth are so amenable to man that a higher power seems likely. Paine was writing before Darwin's theory of evolution, however, which would have provided an alternate explanation for this. And explorations into black holes and the like have shown us that the universe is much more chaotic than we once thought. I can't help thinking that Paine would be an atheist, or at least an agnostic, were he alive today. Nevertheless, Paine's defense of science and his intellectual courage are outstanding. His book is well thought out and a lot of fun to read. We can't judge him by our scientific standards today; the criticisms are just something to bear in mind as you read the book, which you certainly should.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Must read.,
By
This review is from: Age Of Reason Paper (Paperback)
When you suspect that religion may not be as divinely inspired as you once truly believed, read this book. It's short and sweet.Paine's infectious rationalism, and his analysis and critique of organized religion (focusing on the Bible) are invaluable. Beware, depending on your state of mind, his arguments will create introspection or contempt. Don't waste your time if your mind is already made up. Paine (whose "religious duties consist[ed] in doing justice, loving mercy, and endeavoring to make our fellow creatures happy") was a popular proponent of and propagandist for the abolition of slavery, equal human rights, and the hopeful American Revolution. Today, propaganda is spewed from wealthy conglomerate corporations (whose societal duties consist of inculcating "necessary illusions" and making a profit). After digesting AoR, buy/rent/check-out the documentary Manufacturing Consent to learn how you're being systematically duped by today's media. It goes beyond the popular anecdotal evidence to prove its thesis. This is only the beginning of stripping away the many layers of indoctrination, and deciding for yourself what is true.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Important Book,
By Derek Blaire (Buford, GA United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Age Of Reason Paper (Paperback)
One of the best books I have ever read. I have a new respect for Thomas Paine. Paine spent his life defending the cause of freedom. In this book, Paine tries to break the chains of religious superstition. The thoughts expressed in this book might help to reduce the problem of religious extremism we are facing today. We should spend more time learning about the thoughts and ideas of our founding fathers. It is amazing how brilliant these men were.
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