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Contents Â· Categories Â· Featured content Â· A–Z index The Age of Reason is a deistic treatise written by eighteenth-century British radical and American revolutionary Thomas Paine that critiques institutionalized religion and challenges the inerrancy of the Bible. Published in three parts in 1794, 1795, and 1807, it was a bestseller in America, where it caused a short-lived deistic revival. British audiences, however, fearing increased political radicalism as a result of the French revolution, received it with more hostility. The Age of Reason presents common deistic arguments; for example, it highlights what Paine perceives as corruption of the Christian Church and criticizes its efforts to acquire political power. Paine advocates reason in the place of revelation, leading him to reject miracles and to view the Bible as an ordinary piece of literature rather than as a divinely inspired text. The Age of Reason is not atheistic, but deistic: it promotes natural religion and argues for a creator-God. Most of Paine's arguments had long been available to the educated elite, but by presenting them in an engaging and irreverent style, he made deism appealing and accessible to a mass audience. The book was also inexpensive, putting it within the reach of a large number of buyers. Fearing the spread of what they viewed as potentially revolutionary ideas, the British government prosecuted printers and booksellers who tried to publish and distribute it. (more...) Recently featured: Port Chicago disaster – Domitian – Strapping Young Lad From Wikipedia's newest articles: July 18: Constitution Day in Uruguay (1830) More anniversaries: July 17 – July 18 – July 19 The Richmond Bridge in Richmond, Tasmania, Australia, is the oldest bridge still in use in the country, having been completed in 1825. Listed on the Australian National Heritage List, it is constructed of sandstone and was built with penal labour. Recently featured: Eriophora heroine – Apollo 11 launch – Wind Point Light Wikipedia is hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation, a non-profit organization that also hosts a range of other projects: This Wikipedia is written in English. Started in 2001, it currently contains 2,955,973 articles. Many other Wikipedias are available; some of the largest are listed below. awexz.com

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