Contradiction Quote by Thomas Paine
““It is a contradiction in terms and ideas, to call anything a revelation that comes to us at second-hand, either verbally or in writing. Revelation is necessarily limited to the first communication; after this, it is only an account of something which that person says was a revelation made to him; and though he may find himself obliged to believe it, it cannot be incumbent on me to believe it in the same manner; for it was not a revelation made to me , and I have only his word for it that it was made to him.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: Common Sense, 1776
Revelations are personal, direct experiences; second‑hand reports are merely accounts, not true revelations.
In simple terms: Only first‑hand experiences count as revelations.
Key Takeaway
Seek direct experience, not just reports.
Themes
truth
knowledge
skepticism
Mood
critical
inquisitive
Type
philosophical
skeptical
When to use this quote
- religious claims
- historical analysis
- personal testimony
Key Concepts
epistemology
personal experience
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you verify a revelation you haven't experienced?
- Can indirect accounts ever be trusted?
A Different Perspective
Second‑hand accounts may still hold value for learning.
![“As to the fragments of morality that are irregularly and thinly scattered in those books [the Bible], they make no part of this pretended thing, revealed religion. They are the natural dictates of conscience, and the bonds by which society is held together, and without which it cannot exist ; and…” quote by Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/fa6/thomas-paine-267_bible_as-to-the-fragments-of-morality-that-are_964723.jpg)
![“It is, I believe, impossible to find in any story upon record so many and such glaring absurdities, contradictions, and falsehoods, as are in the books [The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John]. They are more numerous and striking than I had any expectation of finding, when I began this…” quote by Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/211/thomas-paine-267_absurdity_it-is-i-believe-impossible-to-find-in-an_934757.jpg)
