PAINE’S EGO

Thomas Paine was an influential writer at the birth of our nation. He wrote "The Age of Reason." In his book, he called the substitutionary death of Christ on the cross an "invention." He claimed his book would replace the reading of the Bible.

Of course, you’ve all read his book, haven’t you? How many of you have read "The Age of Reason"? How many of you have read the Bible? Today, the Bible is the most sought-after book, and year after year it is the runaway bestseller.

(From a sermon by Ed Sasnett, "Simeon’s Song" 12/29/2008)