--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People in general know not what…" description: "\"People in general know not what wickedness there is in this pretended word of God. Brought up in habits of superstition, they take it for granted that ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b67/thomas-paine-267_almighty_people-in-general-know-not-what-wickedne_1055161.jpg" --- # People in general know not what wickedness there is in… ![“People in general know not what wickedness there is in this pretended word of God. Brought up in habits of superstition, they take it for granted that the Bible is true, and that it is good; they permit themselves not to doubt of it, and they carry the ideas they form of the benevolence of the…” quote by Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b67/thomas-paine-267_almighty_people-in-general-know-not-what-wickedne_1055161.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b67/thomas-paine-267_almighty_people-in-general-know-not-what-wickedne_1055161.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b67/thomas-paine-267_almighty_people-in-general-know-not-what-wickedne_1055161.jpg) > “People in general know not what wickedness there is in this pretended word of God. Brought up in habits of superstition, they take it for granted that the Bible is true, and that it is good; they permit themselves not to doubt of it, and they carry the ideas they form of the benevolence of the Almighty to the book which they have been taught to believe was written by his authority. Good heavens! It is quite another thing; it is a book of lies, wickedness, and blasphemy.” [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He argues that blind faith in scripture leads to moral corruption and false authority. **In simple terms:** Blind faith can be harmful. Key Takeaway Question religious claims critically. Themes faith authority reason corruption Mood thoughtful skeptical Type philosophical inquisitive When to use this quote - debates on religion - education curricula - personal study Key Concepts skepticism enlightenment Questions to Reflect On - What role does faith play in your life? - How can reason and belief coexist? A Different Perspective Faith can also provide comfort and community. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Almighty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/almighty/) [Authority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Benevolence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/benevolence/) [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bible/) [Blasphemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blasphemy/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt/) [Form](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/form/) [Granted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/granted/) [Granted Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/granted-bible-2547554/) [Habit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habit/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [Heaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heaven/) [Heavens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heavens/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Know Wickedness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-wickedness-2547553/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Lies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lies/) [Lies Wickedness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lies-wickedness-2547551/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Permit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/permit/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Superstitions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/superstitions/) [Taught](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taught/) [The bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/the-bible/) [Wickedness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wickedness/) [Wickedness Blasphemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wickedness-blasphemy-2547552/) [Wickedness Pretended](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wickedness-pretended-2547550/) [Word of god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/word-of-god/) [Written](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/written/) ## Related quotes > [“I know this: The wickedness of men is that their power breeds stupidity and blindness, she said.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/i-know-this-the-wickedness-of-men-is-that-their-power-breeds/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [Today we take it for granted that the Bible is in our language. We forget that the Bible used to not be available to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-green/today-we-take-it-for-granted-that-the-bible-is-in-our-language-we/) [Steve Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-green/) > [“I have furnished myself with a Bible and Testament; and I can say also that I have found them to be much worse books…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/i-have-furnished-myself-with-a-bible-and-testament-and-i-can-say-also/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [“There are matters in that book, said to be done by the express command of God, that are as shocking to humanity, and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/there-are-matters-in-that-book-said-to-be-done-by-the-express-command-2/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [“There are matters in that book, said to be done by the express command of God, that are as shocking to humanity, and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/there-are-matters-in-that-book-said-to-be-done-by-the-express-command/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [“The most detestable wickedness, the most horrid cruelties, and the greatest miseries, that have afflicted the human race have had their origin in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/the-most-detestable-wickedness-the-most-horrid-cruelties-and-the/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [“It has been the practice of all Christian commentators on the Bible, and of all Christian priests and preachers, to impose the Bible on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/it-has-been-the-practice-of-all-christian-commentators-on-the-bible/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [“The character of Moses, as stated in the Bible, is the most horrid that can be imagined. If those accounts be true, he was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/the-character-of-moses-as-stated-in-the-bible-is-the-most-horrid-that/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [“What is it the Bible teaches us? — repine, cruelty, and murder. What is it the Testament teaches us? — to believe that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/what-is-it-the-bible-teaches-us-repine-cruelty-and-murder-what-is-it/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [“If you hold on to what you want so tightly, it almost becomes an idol.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/if-you-hold-on-to-what-you-want-so-tightly-it-almost-becomes-an-idol/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [The 10 commandments were written to protect you. If someone breaks them and hurts you they are going against God's plan for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/the-10-commandments-were-written-to-protect-you-if-someone-breaks/) [Sonya Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/) > [“A true god surely cannot have been born of a girl, nor died on the gibbet, nor be eaten in a piece of dough...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/a-true-god-surely-cannot-have-been-born-of-a-girl-nor-died-on-the/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10 (KJV)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bel-claveria-carig-martinez/be-still-and-know-that-i-am-god-psalm-46-10-kjv/) [Bel Claveria Carig Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bel-claveria-carig-martinez/) > [“The only part of evolution in which any considerable interest is felt is evolution applied to man. A hypothesis in regard to the rocks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-jennings-bryan/the-only-part-of-evolution-in-which-any-considerable-interest-is-felt/) [William Jennings Bryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-jennings-bryan/) > [How can I say I can't? when the bible says, I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mbbc-carcar/how-can-i-say-i-can-t-when-the-bible-says-i-can-do-all-things-through/) [MBBC - Carcar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mbbc-carcar/) ## More by Thomas Paine > [“No man is prejudiced in favour of a thing, knowing it to be wrong. He is attached to it on the belief of its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/no-man-is-prejudiced-in-favour-of-a-thing-knowing-it-to-be-wrong-he/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [“The laws of every country must be analogous to some common principle.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/the-laws-of-every-country-must-be-analogous-to-some-common-principle/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [The book called the Bible has been voted by men, and decreed by human laws to be the word of God; and the disbelief…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/the-book-called-the-bible-has-been-voted-by-men-and-decreed-by-human/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/to-argue-with-a-person-who-has-renounced-the-use-of-reason-is-like/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [One would think that a system loaded with such gross and vulgar absurdities as Scripture religion is could never have obtained credit; yet we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/one-would-think-that-a-system-loaded-with-such-gross-and-vulgar/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Commerce diminishes the spirit, both of patriotism and military defence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/commerce-diminishes-the-spirit-both-of-patriotism-and-military-defence/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [What is it the Bible teaches us? - raping, cruelty, and murder. What is it the New Testament teaches us? - to believe that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/what-is-it-the-bible-teaches-us-raping-cruelty-and-murder-what-is-it/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/those-who-expect-to-reap-the-blessings-of-freedom-must-like-men/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [“It has been the practice of all Christian commentators on the Bible, and of all Christian priests and preachers, to impose the Bible on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/it-has-been-the-practice-of-all-christian-commentators-on-the-bible/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [But there are times when men have serious thoughts, and it is at such times, when they begin to think, that they begin to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/but-there-are-times-when-men-have-serious-thoughts-and-it-is-at-such/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Wisdom is not the purchase of a day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/wisdom-is-not-the-purchase-of-a-day/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Our citizenship in the United States is our national character. Our citizenship in any particular state is only our local distinction. By the latter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/our-citizenship-in-the-united-states-is-our-national-character-our/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Suspicion is the companion of mean souls, and the bane of all good society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/suspicion-is-the-companion-of-mean-souls-and-the-bane-of-all-good/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [“To pass from the extremes of danger to safety-from the tumult of war to the tranquility of peace, though sweet in contemplation, requires a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/to-pass-from-the-extremes-of-danger-to-safety-from-the-tumult-of-war/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [What more does man want to know than that the hand or power that made these things is divine, is omnipotent? Let him believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/what-more-does-man-want-to-know-than-that-the-hand-or-power-that-made/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) [Explore all 772 Thomas Paine quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) ## More Almighty quotes > [I recognize I am essentially a failed human being in the sense that I can't possibly live up to the expectations of an Almighty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-recognize-i-am-essentially-a-failed-human-being-in-the-sense-that-i/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [One of the most powerful concepts, one which is a sure cure for lack of confidence, is the thought that God is with you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/one-of-the-most-powerful-concepts-one-which-is-a-sure-cure-for-lack/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [“The LORD Almighty is our very present helper at all times.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/the-lord-almighty-is-our-very-present-helper-at-all-times/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [What is it the Bible teaches us? - raping, cruelty, and murder. What is it the New Testament teaches us? - to believe that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/what-is-it-the-bible-teaches-us-raping-cruelty-and-murder-what-is-it/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [I really appreciate leaders from around the globe who have come to share in prayer with us today. It reminds me that the Almighty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-really-appreciate-leaders-from-around-the-globe-who-have-come-to/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [Thi is the malady onf the humans, that they can hold on to that which is fleeting and of little consequence and call it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-fabry/thi-is-the-malady-onf-the-humans-that-they-can-hold-on-to-that-which/) [Chris Fabry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-fabry/) > [There is nothing more appalling than the wholesale way in which unthinking people plead to the Almighty the richest and most spiritual of His…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-henry-drummond/there-is-nothing-more-appalling-than-the-wholesale-way-in-which/) [William Henry Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-henry-drummond/) > [And upon this act, sincerely believed to be an act of justice, warranted by the Constitution, upon military necessity, I invoke the considerate judgment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salmon-p-chase/and-upon-this-act-sincerely-believed-to-be-an-act-of-justice/) [Salmon P. Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salmon-p-chase/) > [When you hear somebody justifying a war by citing the Almighty, I get a little worried, frankly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-reagan/when-you-hear-somebody-justifying-a-war-by-citing-the-almighty-i-get/) [Ron Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-reagan/) > [My journey deep into coma, outside this lowly physical realm and into the loftiest dwelling place of the almighty Creator, revealed the indescribably immense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eben-alexander/my-journey-deep-into-coma-outside-this-lowly-physical-realm-and-into/) [Eben Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eben-alexander/) > [People of the Philippines: I have returned. By the grace of Almighty God our forces stand again on Philippine soil—soil consecrated in the blood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/people-of-the-philippines-i-have-returned-by-the-grace-of-almighty/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [The First Amendment exists to protect our religious liberty--to ensure that all Americans are able to seek out worship God with all our hearts,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/the-first-amendment-exists-to-protect-our-religious-liberty-to-ensure/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [It is mind-boggling to me that the Almighty power created everything I see; the Bible says that God created the entire universe just so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/it-is-mind-boggling-to-me-that-the-almighty-power-created-everything/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [If there is anyone who loves you more than you love yourself are your mother and almighty God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/if-there-is-anyone-who-loves-you-more-than-you-love-yourself-are-your/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [I'm not denyin' the women are foolish. God Almighty made 'em to match the men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/i-m-not-denyin-the-women-are-foolish-god-almighty-made-em-to-match/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) [Browse all 723 Almighty quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/almighty/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "People in general know not what wickedness there is in this pretended word of God. Brought up in habits of superstition, they take it for granted that the Bible is true, and that it is good; they permit themselves not to doubt of it, and they carry the ideas they form of the benevolence of the Almighty to the book which they have been taught to believe was written by his authority. Good heavens! It is quite another thing; it is a book of lies, wickedness, and blasphemy.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Thomas Paine" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/people-in-general-know-not-what-wickedness-there-is-in-this-pretended/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Almighty" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/people-in-general-know-not-what-wickedness-there-is-in-this-pretended/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b67/thomas-paine-267_almighty_people-in-general-know-not-what-wickedne_1055161.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b67/thomas-paine-267_almighty_people-in-general-know-not-what-wickedne_1055161.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b67/thomas-paine-267_almighty_people-in-general-know-not-what-wickedne_1055161.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“People in general know not what wickedness there is in this pretended word of God. Brought up in habits of…” — Thomas Paine", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Thomas Paine", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "People in general know not what...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/people-in-general-know-not-what-wickedness-there-is-in-this-pretended/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/people-in-general-know-not-what-wickedness-there-is-in-this-pretended/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```