Did Tom Pain Endorse a Christian Government? Some People Make that Claim
The Age of Reason; Being an Investigation of True and Fabulous Theology got the one-time hero of the American Revolution in plenty of hot water with the theocrats of his day.
The Letters to the Editor column in the local McHenry County daily newspaper the Northwest Herald are always a laugh riot, particularly when members of a reliable stable of right wingers rotate taking their allowed once-a-month soap box.
Yesterday, the aptly named Erik Christian of Algonquin waded in with this jaw dropper.
A perilous condition
To the Editor:
Thomas Paine wrote in his essay, Common Sense: “Society is produced by our wants and government by our wickedness.
“Society in every state is a blessing, but government even in its best state is a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one.”
The framers of our Constitution knew a free and prosperous representative republic could exist only if its people were moral and religious.
Washington stated: “Religion and morality are two indispensable pillars” if we are to survive. Within a short span of 60 years, the nation has abandoned the God of the Bible, replacing him with materialism, avarice and lust.
Jesus and the prophets warned us of the coming woes to those who forget God.
Woe to our schools - they will collapse. Woe to our monetary system that is crumbling.
Woe unto the people in our capital, as they lack wisdom and understanding and enact bad laws.
Woe unto the American people who lack wisdom from God and place corrupt leaders back into office.
Woe unto parents who do not teach their children Godly virtues.
Woe unto the pulpits that teach false or watered down doctrine and scatter the sheep.
Woes are judgments, to an unrepentant nation. 2 Chronicles 7:14
Erik Christian
Algonquin
As I said after another wild letter recently, I don’t often answer these. Even if I could, I answered the last one and have to wait out the balance of a month before I can again grace the Editorial Page. And I don’t want to wade into the cesspool of the on-line comments, where even crazier guys bay at the moon and call anyone who disagrees with them names.
Luckily, I have a blog where I can get it off my chest. Here is what I would like to say about this.
Erik, Erik, Erik! Anyone who uses the writings of that notorious Deist and freethinker Thomas Pain to bolster arguments that the United States is, or should be, a Christian nation is either: a) completely ignorant of both history and theology or b) a committed prevaricator.
I know that last one is a big word, Erik. Go ahead and look it up. It will be good for you. And then, pray tell, which is it, Erik-fool or liar?
.