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Paine was the son of an [[Anglican]] and a [[Quaker]], and grew to become a devout [[Deist]].  Paine was skeptical about miracles in [[Christianity]], and became an opponent of the [[Bible]].  Thirty years after his successful ''Common Sense'' he published ''The Age of Reason'' (1807),<ref>The first part was written earlier, in 1794.</ref> in which he asserts that organized religions, including Christianity, are frauds.  

Paine was the son of an [[Anglican]] and a [[Quaker]], and grew to become a devout [[Deist]].  Paine was skeptical about miracles in [[Christianity]], and became an opponent of the [[Bible]].  Thirty years after his successful ''Common Sense'' he published ''The Age of Reason'' (1807),<ref>The first part was written earlier, in 1794.</ref> in which he asserts that organized religions, including Christianity, are frauds.  

But Thomas Paine vigorously defended freedom of religion:

But Thomas Paine vigorously defended freedom of religion:

{{cquote|I do not mean by this declaration to condemn those who believe otherwise; they have the same right to their belief as I have to mine. But it is necessary to the happiness of man, that he be mentally faithful to himself. Infidelity does not consist in believing, or in disbelieving; it consists in professing to believe what he does not believe.<ref name="Age of Reason">The Age of Reason, Pt. 1, 1794 [http://god-and-country.info/TPaine.html]</ref>}}

{{cquote|I do not mean by this declaration to condemn those who believe otherwise; they have the same right to their belief as I have to mine. But it is necessary to the happiness of man, that he be mentally faithful to himself. Infidelity does not consist in believing, or in disbelieving; it consists in professing to believe what he does not believe.<ref name="Age of Reason">The Age of Reason, Pt. 1, 1794 [http://god-and-country.info/TPaine.html]</ref>}}