Thomas Paine resurrected to inspire tea parties across country

April 15, 10:43 PMBaltimore Republican ExaminerSean O'Donnell

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              Tea party in Lansing, Michigan (AP/Al Goldis)

Today, the date when all Americans’ federal and state tax returns are due, thousands of citizens across the country took part in “tea parties” protesting the massive government spending taking place at both the state and federal level. The tea parties are in reference to the Boston Tea Party where colonists resisted the oppressive British rule by dumping tea off ships into the harbor on December 16, 1773.

Some tea parties that took place today were inspired by a very influential writer of the Revolutionary era; Thomas Paine (1737-1809). He was an intellectual and radical of his time who wrote the powerful pamphlet Common Sense calling for the independence from Britain.

Many Americans invoked Paine’s memory for today’s protests. New videos circulating on the internet have a character actor dressed up as Paine calling for present day Americans to petition their governments for a redress of grievances. In one video the actor portraying Paine states:

“Is it ‘common sense’ to allow your activist judges to ignore your history, your culture… to remove God from public life? … Separation of church and state? Yes. Separation from God and public life? Never intended by your founding fathers!”

Is this an accurate portrayal of what Paine really believed concerning religion?

Here are some actual quotes from the real Thomas Paine about religion:

“It is not a God, just and good, but a devil, under the name of God, that the Bible describes.”

“One good schoolmaster is of more use than a hundred priests.”

“Is it not a species of blasphemy to call the New Testament revealed religion, when we see in it such contradictions and absurdities?”

About the Catholic Church, Paine said:

“The Vatican is a dagger in the heart of Italy.”

He also commented on the Holy Land:

“The whole religious complexion of the modern world is due to the absence from Jerusalem of a lunatic asylum.”

While the real Thomas Paine would’ve advocated for the reduction of government and its spending today, he would’ve also wanted the influence of religion to be at a minimum.

This is the only “common sense” that Paine lacked.

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