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The Existence of God

Thomas Paine · 1797

A discourse Thomas Paine gave to the Society of Theophilanthropists in 1797, arguing for the existence of God through the universe rather than through books. It shows his late deist views.

A late religious discourse in which Paine speaks in his own voice about God and the universe, showing the deist views that drew replies such as Watson's.

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Full text (Wikisource)

About this source

What it is

This is a discourse by Thomas Paine, given at the Society of the Theophilanthropists and dated 1797. The text is listed on Wikisource under Works and Articles. In it, Paine says that religion has two principal enemies, fanaticism and infidelity, which is called atheism. He says that the existence of God is the first dogma of the Theophilanthropists and that the universe is the true Bible of such a believer.

Why it matters

This speech reveals Paine's religious thinking late in his life. He rejects written and printed books as evidence of God and points to nature instead. It shows how he took part in a religious movement of his time, and it sets his views against the Christian replies written against him in the same years.

Look closer

  • What does Paine say are the two enemies of religion, and how does he propose to fight each?
  • Why does he treat the universe rather than books as the true source of proof for God?
  • Which arguments in this speech would a Christian critic such as Richard Watson be most likely to challenge?

This speech is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Thomas Paine on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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