Read "The Age of Reason" by Thomas Paine online for free on Textopian. Full text with search, annotations, highlights, and AI-powered reading aids.
Every national church or religion has established itself by pretending some special mission from God, communicated to certain individuals. The Jews have their Moses; the Christians their Jesus Christ, their apostles and saints; and the Turks their Muhammad; as if the way to God was not open to every man alike.
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.