“Each of those churches shows certain books, which they call revelation, or the Word of God. The Jews say that their Word of God was given by God to Moses face to face; the Christians say, that their Word of God came by divine inspiration; and the Turks say, that their Word of God (the Koran) was brought by an angel from heaven. Each of those churches accuses the other of unbelief; and, for my own part, I disbelieve them all.”

English-born American political thinker, inventor, and statesman

Thomas Paine was an English-born American political thinker, inventor, and statesman of the 18th century. He helped shape the American Revolution and is best known for the pamphlets Common Sense and The American Crisis. Those writings were among the most influential texts at the start of the Revolution, and they helped encourage colonial patriots to declare independence from Great Britain in 1776. His ideas were rooted in Enlightenment ideals of human rights, which run through his political writing.