Word of a Demon
A Note from Thomas Paine.
"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 than we called it the word of a demon than the word of God. It has served to corrupt and brutalize mankind."
Thomas Paine
AGE OF REASON, 1794
And, some of us have been fighting (peacefully) for freedom from religion under our system of law. One element I believe Paine would have joined in to argue for was that all religious groups ought to be required (as all persons or private entities ought to be required) to compensate the larger community for whatever land is held by the annual payment of the full economic rent of that land. Religious buildings are private property and are appropriate exempt from taxation (as all buildings should be). But, the land is part of our commons. Controlling part of the commons is a privilege.
Thanks for commenting, Ed. I personally don’t think that religious buildings or any other sort of building should be exempt from taxation. And of course, that includes the buildings of religious organizations. If they are all taxed equally or upon the same basis, then there’s no “persecution.“ They use our services, they should pay their fair share of taxes. Tax exemption for religious organizations or their property amounts to a subsidy. I am opposed to it.
But all of this is actually off-topic because Paine’s point is that the Bible is in greatest part a book of lies, error, and superstition. This seems indisputable to me, having actually read the Bible, unlike many Christians.
But if someone wants to defend it on these pages, they’re welcome to give it a shot.
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