Prophecy Quote by Thomas Paine
““Those three means are Mystery, Miracle, and Prophecy. The first two are incompatible with true religion, and the third ought always to be suspected. As mystery answered all general purposes, miracle followed as an occasional auxiliary. The former served to bewilder the mind, the latter to puzzle the senses. The one was the lingo, the other the legerdemain. As Mystery and Miracle took charge of the past and the present, Prophecy took charge of the future, and rounded the tenses of faith.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Age of Reason, 1794
Mystery and miracle distract from rational faith; prophecy, as future‑oriented belief, should be scrutinized.
In simple terms: Question supernatural claims; focus on reason.
Key Takeaway
Apply critical thinking to spiritual claims.
Themes
skepticism
faith
reason
Mood
analytical
critical
Type
philosophical
skeptical
When to use this quote
- religious debate
- education
- public policy
- personal belief systems
Key Concepts
epistemology
critical inquiry
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you differentiate useful metaphor from harmful superstition?
- What role should prophecy play in modern belief?
A Different Perspective
May dismiss meaningful symbolic aspects of faith.
![“But it is doubtless true, and evident from [the] Scriptures, that the essence of all true religion lies in holy love; and that in this divine affection, and an habitual disposition to it, and that light which is the foundation of it, and those things which are the fruits of it, consists the whole…” quote by Jonathan Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/2fd/jonathan-edwards-770_affection_but-it-is-doubtless-true-and-evident-fro_82879.jpg)
