Thomas Paine had extreme deistic beliefs in relation to Franklin and Jefferson. He believed in one God and no more, in some sort of an afterlife, equality for men, and that religious duty consists of doing justice, loving mercy, and making others happy. Paine believed that, "All national institutions of churches..." were "... human inventions set up to terrify, and enslave mankind and monopolize power and profit." He describes the connection between church and state as "adulterous" and compares the priesthood to witchcraft. He states that al

The Deistic beliefs of these three men are varied in degree. Thomas Paine is an extreme deist. Thomas Jefferson is a strong deist. Benjamin Franklin is a weak deist. The views of these three men would have gotten them into political trouble if they were made public, but Paine made his beliefs clear and open for everyone to read. Jefferson and Franklin were worried about public opinion, and had more to lose than Paine did if their beliefs met harsh criticism. Jefferson was the President of the United States, and Franklin was a well-respected diplomat, publisher, and inventor. Thomas Paine was a revolution stirrer and wherever he went he became involved in revolutionary movements or tried to start them himself.

l religious books of revelation are the same and "I disbelieve them all." He uses the story of Mary and Joseph to say that all religions are "... hearsay upon hearsay, and I do not choose to rest my belief upon such evidence. Paine does, however, respect Jesus' real character say

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Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)