--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The bishop who has answered me has been…" description: "\"The bishop who has answered me has been obliged to acknowledge the fact, that the Books that compose the NT, were voted by yeas and nays to be the word..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b7/thomas-paine-267_books_the-bishop-who-has-answered-me-has-been_671447.png" --- # The bishop who has answered me has been obliged to… ![“The bishop who has answered me has been obliged to acknowledge the fact, that the Books that compose the NT, were voted by yeas and nays to be the word of God, as you now vote a law, by the Popish councils of Nicea and Laodocia, about 1,450 years ago.” quote by Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b7/thomas-paine-267_books_the-bishop-who-has-answered-me-has-been_671447.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b7/thomas-paine-267_books_the-bishop-who-has-answered-me-has-been_671447.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b7/thomas-paine-267_books_the-bishop-who-has-answered-me-has-been_671447.png) > “The bishop who has answered me has been obliged to acknowledge the fact, that the Books that compose the NT, were voted by yeas and nays to be the word of God, as you now vote a law, by the Popish councils of Nicea and Laodocia, about 1,450 years ago.” [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. Religious texts were historically shaped by political processes, not divine consensus. **In simple terms:** Church decisions were political votes. Key Takeaway Question authority and seek personal understanding. Themes religion politics authority history Mood critical inquisitive Type historical philosophical When to use this quote - church councils - modern legislative bodies - academic curricula Key Concepts Enlightenment institutional critique democracy Questions to Reflect On - How does this view affect your faith? - What role should democracy play in spiritual matters? 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