A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong gives it a superficial appearance of being right.
Thomas PaineRead
That which is now called natural philosophy, embracing the whole circle of science, of which astronomy occupies the chief place, is the study of the works of God, and of the power and wisdom of God in his works, and is the true theology.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the interconnectedness of science and spirituality, suggesting that studying nature reveals the divine.
Thomas Paine's quote highlights the idea that natural philosophy, which encompasses all scientific inquiry, is fundamentally a study of the divine works in the universe. By focusing on the wonders and laws of nature, particularly in areas like astronomy, one can gain insights into the power and wisdom of God, thus merging scientific exploration with theological understanding.
Themes
Natural PhilosophyScienceTheologyAstronomyWisdomGod
In practice
Example use cases
In a lecture on the relationship between science and spirituality.
More from Thomas Paine
All quotes →That God cannot lie, is no advantage to your argument, because it is no proof that priests can not, or that the Bible does not.
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I consider the war of America against Britain as the country's war, the public's war, or the war of the people in their own behalf, for the security of their natural rights, and the protection of their own property.
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Had the news of salvation by Jesus Christ been inscribed on the face of the sun and the moon, in characters that all nations would have understood, the whole earth had known it in twenty-four hours, and all nations would have believed it; whereas, though it is now almost two thousand years since, as they tell us, Christ came upon earth, not a twentieth part of the people of the earth know anything of it, and among those who do, the wiser part do not believe it.
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The end of all political associations is the preservation of the natural and imprescriptible rights of man; and these rights are liberty, property, security, and resistance of oppression.
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To reason with goverments, as they have existed for ages, is to argue with brutes. It is only from the nations themselves that reforms can be expected
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