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To believe that God created a plurality of worlds, at least as numerous as what we call stars, renders the Christian faith at once little and ridiculous; and scatters it in the mind like feathers in the air.
Thomas Paine
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Paine challenges traditional Christian beliefs by suggesting that the existence of many worlds diminishes the significance of faith.

In this quote, Thomas Paine critiques the notion of a singular God-created universe by proposing that if there are countless worlds, it undermines the importance of Christian faith and makes it seem trivial. He uses the metaphor of feathers scattered in the air to illustrate how such beliefs can easily be dismissed or lost in the vastness of the universe.

Themes

FaithPluralityBeliefWorldsChristianityPhilosophy

In practice

Example use cases

This quote can be used in discussions about the intersection of science and religion.

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