Talk:Thomas Paine
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[edit] Quotes
"Man cannot make or invent or contrive principles. He can only discover them and he ought to look through the discovery to the Author." --Thomas Paine 1797
Human Defined: Earth's Choicemaker - paradigm http://www.choicemaker.net/ (Christian advocacy link, placed here by IP 67.227.12.72)
This link has no bearing on the page, is not part of a running discussion and should be removed.
- I restored the above statements made by an anonymous contributor because, unless there are violations of either laws or rules, it is not a good idea to censor the talk pages. They should be open to far more POV discussions and commentary than the articles are. ~ Kalki 22:52, 7 Oct 2004 (UTC)
Other quote from Thomas Paine: "The Christian religion is a parody on the worship of the sun, in which they put a man called Christ in the place of the sun, and pay him the adoration originaly payed to the sun." 82.73.49.40 14:47, 17 October 2007 (UTC)
[edit] Capitalisation
What's going on with the capitalisation - is it present in the original texts?
- I just have a few moments to check in right now... but yes, eccentric capitalization (and other typographic effects) were extensively used in the early pamphlets. ~ Kalki 00:41, 5 November 2007 (UTC)
[edit] Requests
From Wikiquote:Requested entries
- The supposed quietude of a good man allures the ruffian; while on the other hand, arms like laws discourage the keep the invader and the plunderer in awe, and preserve order in the world as well as property....Horrid mischief would ensue were (the law-abiding) deprived the use of them.
- Writings of Thomas Paine at 56 (1894)
- Society in every state is a blessing, but government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one.
Cheers! BD2412 T 03:42, 11 April 2008 (UTC)
- The second of these quotes is already sourced under Common Sense; the first quote is found, not in its entirety and without the same wording, among the unsourced quotes. - InvisibleSun 03:58, 11 April 2008 (UTC)
[edit] Unsourced
- A thing moderately good is not so good as it ought to be. Moderation in temper is always a virtue, but moderation in principle is always a vice.
- Arms discourage and keep the invader and plunderer in awe, and preserve order in the world as well as property...Horrid mischief would ensue were the law-abiding deprived of the use of them.
- Christianity is the strangest religion ever set up, for it committed a murder upon Jesus in order to redeem mankind from the sin of eating an apple.
- He who dares not offend cannot be honest.
- I care not a straw for the opinions of the world.
- It is error only, and not truth, that shrinks from inquiry.
- It is the duty of the patriot to protect his country from its government.
- Reputation is what men and women think of us; character is what God and angels know of us.
- That government is best which governs least.
- Attributed to Jefferson by Thoreau, this statement is used in his essay on civil disobedience, but the quote has not been found in Jefferson's own writing and the statement may well have originated with Thoreau himself. It is also commonly attributed to Paine, perhaps because of its similarity in theme to many of his well-documented expressions, such as "Society in every state is a blessing, but government even in its best state is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one" and "security being the true design and end of government, it unanswerably follows, that whatever FORM thereof appears most likely to ensure it to us, with the least expense and greatest benefit, is preferable to all others."
- The greatest threat to our [democratic] experiment will not come from those who would openly oppose us, but those who will silently follow us.
- The study of theology as it stands in Christian churches, is the study of nothing; it is founded on nothing; it rests on no principles; it proceeds by no authorities; it has no data; it can demonstrate nothing; and admits of no conclusion.
- Alphaman 19:34, 12 May 2009 (UTC) Not unsourced. This is from The Age of Reason. Pt II, Ch 3. Since I have a source, I'm adding it to the appropriate section.
- You can't conquer an idea with an army.
[edit] Exact words?
in: "He that would make his own liberty secure must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself." ~ Thomas Paine - should that be "reach unto himself" as I've seen some places? Is the quote edited to modern english? does anyone have the exact old wording? thanks for any info.
