Belief Quote by Thomas Paine
““Be this as it may, they decided by vote which of the books out of the collection they had made, should be the WORD OF GOD, and which should not. They rejected several; they voted others to be doubtful, such as the books called the Apocrypha; and those books which had a majority of votes, were voted to be the word of God. Had they voted otherwise, all the people since calling themselves Christians had believed otherwise ; for the belief of the one comes from the vote of the other.””
About This Quote
Source Treatise: “The Age of Reason” (attributed), 1794
A satirical take on how religious canon was decided by majority vote, suggesting belief is a social construct rather than divine truth.
In simple terms: Religious texts were chosen by vote, not divine authority.
Key Takeaway
Question authority in faith decisions.
Themes
religion
democracy
authority
Mood
critical
thoughtful
Type
satirical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- church councils
- academic debates
- political theory
Key Concepts
canon formation
social construct
belief systems
Questions to Reflect On
- What role does consensus play in belief?
- Can truth be decided by majority?
A Different Perspective
Oversimplifies complex historical processes.
