Enlightened Perspectives on Religion and Righteousness: Franklin's Autobiography and Paine's The Age of Reason Anonymous 11th Grade

Two of the most profoundly influential and respected figures of the American Revolution are Thomas Paine and Benjamin Franklin. Both held views about religion and morality that defied orthodoxy, giving rise to the new emphasis on the individual’s quest for virtue and the rationalism characteristic of the Enlightenment. They preferred a personal approach to faith, and each of their spiritual ambitions centered primarily around human decency along with basic monotheistic principles. To Franklin, religious institutions could become problematic when their focus shifted from moral instruction to sectarian arguments. He saw potential for edification in all common denominations, refusing to criticize the beliefs of another. Conversely, Paine decried all organized religion as inherently corrupt and illegitimate. In regard to morals, he recognized the contributions of some religious leaders, but accredited them no prophetic value. No hesitation was given by either to the censure of tradition, but each took a very different approach to the radical theological ideas of the Enlightenment. Franklin envisioned churches as tools for empowerment, while Paine imagined them as institutions of fraud.

Franklin and Paine maintained similarly...