--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We ought therefore to suspect that a…" description: "\"We ought therefore to suspect that a great mass of information respecting the Bible, and the introduction of it into the world, has been suppressed by ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/150/thomas-paine-267_bible_we-ought-therefore-to-suspect-that-a-gre_3144778.png" --- # We ought therefore to suspect that a great mass of… ![“We ought therefore to suspect that a great mass of information respecting the Bible, and the introduction of it into the world, has been suppressed by the united tyranny of Church and State, for the purpose of keeping people in ignorance, and which ought to be known.” quote by Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/150/thomas-paine-267_bible_we-ought-therefore-to-suspect-that-a-gre_3144778.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/150/thomas-paine-267_bible_we-ought-therefore-to-suspect-that-a-gre_3144778.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/150/thomas-paine-267_bible_we-ought-therefore-to-suspect-that-a-gre_3144778.png) > “We ought therefore to suspect that a great mass of information respecting the Bible, and the introduction of it into the world, has been suppressed by the united tyranny of Church and State, for the purpose of keeping people in ignorance, and which ought to be known.” [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 claims that religious and governmental powers have deliberately hidden biblical knowledge to keep people uninformed. **In simple terms:** Powerful institutions may suppress truth to control populations. Key Takeaway Question authority and seek hidden histories. Themes power control knowledge religion Mood skeptical inquisitive Type political historical When to use this quote - academic research - activist campaigns - educational curricula - public debates Key Concepts political theory history critical inquiry Questions to Reflect On - What sources could verify these claims? - How does suppression affect societal development? A Different Perspective Evidence for such suppression is often anecdotal. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bible/) [Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) [Church and state](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church-and-state/) [Ignorance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignorance/) [Introduction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/introduction/) [Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mass/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose/) [Tyranny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tyranny/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [Our children will grow up confused, not respecting the Bible or anything else that is sacred.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-wesley/our-children-will-grow-up-confused-not-respecting-the-bible-or/) [Charles Wesley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-wesley/) > [Every wicked man is in ignorance as to what he ought to do, and from what to abstain, and it is because of error…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/every-wicked-man-is-in-ignorance-as-to-what-he-ought-to-do-and-from/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [Every burned book or house enlightens the world; every suppressed or expunged word reverberates through the earth from side to side.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/every-burned-book-or-house-enlightens-the-world-every-suppressed-or/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [As women are taking an active part in pressing on the consideration of Congress many narrow sectarian measures, such as more rigid Sunday laws,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-cady-stanton/as-women-are-taking-an-active-part-in-pressing-on-the-consideration/) [Elizabeth Cady Stanton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-cady-stanton/) > [Millions of innocent men, women and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burnt, tortured, fined and imprisoned; yet we have not advanced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/millions-of-innocent-men-women-and-children-since-the-introduction-of-2/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [ ...It would be more consistent that we call \[the Bible\] the work of a demon than the word of God. It is a history… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/it-would-be-more-consistent-that-we-call-the-bible-the-work-of-a/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [“Prosecution is not an original feature in any religion; but it is always the strongly-marked feature of all law-religious, or religions established by law.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/prosecution-is-not-an-original-feature-in-any-religion-but-it-is/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [The Bible: a history of wickedness that has served to corrupt and brutalise mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/the-bible-a-history-of-wickedness-that-has-served-to-corrupt-and/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [“Before you can dispel other people's ignorance, you should first dispel your own.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolai-grozni/before-you-can-dispel-other-people-s-ignorance-you-should-first/) [Nikolai Grozni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikolai-grozni/) > [The enemies of a people are those who keep them in ignorance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sankara/the-enemies-of-a-people-are-those-who-keep-them-in-ignorance/) [Thomas Sankara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sankara/) > [We should not underestimate that: the Chinese people's ignorance. Thousands of years of despotism had been such a poison that their understanding of modern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-yat-sen/we-should-not-underestimate-that-the-chinese-people-s-ignorance/) [Sun Yat-sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-yat-sen/) > [I do sometimes accuse people of ignorance, but that is not intended to be an insult. I'm ignorant of lots of things. Ignorance is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/i-do-sometimes-accuse-people-of-ignorance-but-that-is-not-intended-to/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“When we give our minds and our responsibility away, we give our lives away. If enough of us do it, we give the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-icke/when-we-give-our-minds-and-our-responsibility-away-we-give-our-lives/) [David Icke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-icke/) > [The tax which will be paid for the purpose of education is not more than the thousandth part of what will be paid to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/the-tax-which-will-be-paid-for-the-purpose-of-education-is-not-more/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Politics and church are the same. They keep the people in ignorance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-marley/politics-and-church-are-the-same-they-keep-the-people-in-ignorance/) [Bob Marley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-marley/) ## 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 Bible quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/) [Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/) > [“God hates Hell. He hates the idea of people going there. He hates it so much that He was willing to take on human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-minton/god-hates-hell-he-hates-the-idea-of-people-going-there-he-hates-it-so/) [Evan Minton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-minton/) > [“The Devil can cite Scripture for his purpose, Sergeant,’ Anthony Payne replied. ‘That is from The Merchant of Venice, but it holds great truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-arnold/the-devil-can-cite-scripture-for-his-purpose-sergeant-anthony-payne/) Michael Arnold > [When you put your hand on the Bible, you are saying something much stronger than just telling your peers that you're going to tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-greenwood/when-you-put-your-hand-on-the-bible-you-are-saying-something-much/) [Lee Greenwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-greenwood/) > [“Scripture also teaches that human beings are morally responsible creatures”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-peterson/scripture-also-teaches-that-human-beings-are-morally-responsible/) Robert A. Peterson > [“The wife of a junior officer cooped up in a horrible canvas partition in steerage for five months wrote: "I had enjoyed much peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-taylor/the-wife-of-a-junior-officer-cooped-up-in-a-horrible-canvas-partition/) Stephen Taylor > [O Word of God incarnate . . . It is the golden casket Where gems of truth are stored; It is the heaven-drawn picture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walsham-how/o-word-of-god-incarnate-it-is-the-golden-casket-where-gems-of-truth/) Walsham How > [How can I trust that the Bible is reliable?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-horton/how-can-i-trust-that-the-bible-is-reliable/) [Michael Horton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-horton/) > [Every plant which my heavenly father has not planted with be uprooted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesus-christ/every-plant-which-my-heavenly-father-has-not-planted-with-be-uprooted/) [Jesus Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesus-christ/) > [Where I come from you're not raised to think on your own. It's not that you're pushed to read the Bible. The Bible is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abel-ferrara/where-i-come-from-you-re-not-raised-to-think-on-your-own-it-s-not/) [Abel Ferrara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abel-ferrara/) > [“I felt like praying or something, when I was in bed, but I couldn't do it. I can't always pray when I feel like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/i-felt-like-praying-or-something-when-i-was-in-bed-but-i-couldn-t-do/) [J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/) > [What comes to mind when you think of heaven? Heaven is referred to in fifty-four of the Bible's sixty-six books, and the final two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/what-comes-to-mind-when-you-think-of-heaven-heaven-is-referred-to-in/) [David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/) > [“While it is in one sense a result of God’s presence within us, the New Testament also describes a process involved in our “putting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/while-it-is-in-one-sense-a-result-of-god-s-presence-within-us-the-new/) [Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/) > [The definition of a Church is crystal clear in the New Testament. We see the picture of it. They came together the first day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/the-definition-of-a-church-is-crystal-clear-in-the-new-testament-we/) [John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/) [Browse all 8,465 Bible quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bible/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We ought therefore to suspect that a great mass of information respecting the Bible, and the introduction of it into the world, has been suppressed by the united tyranny of Church and State, for the purpose of keeping people in ignorance, and which ought to be known.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Thomas Paine" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/we-ought-therefore-to-suspect-that-a-great-mass-of-information/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bible" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/we-ought-therefore-to-suspect-that-a-great-mass-of-information/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/150/thomas-paine-267_bible_we-ought-therefore-to-suspect-that-a-gre_3144778.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/150/thomas-paine-267_bible_we-ought-therefore-to-suspect-that-a-gre_3144778.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/150/thomas-paine-267_bible_we-ought-therefore-to-suspect-that-a-gre_3144778.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We ought therefore to suspect that a great mass of information respecting the Bible, and the introduction 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": "We ought therefore to suspect that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/we-ought-therefore-to-suspect-that-a-great-mass-of-information/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/we-ought-therefore-to-suspect-that-a-great-mass-of-information/#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 } } ] } ```