The Thomas Paine legacy surged back into view at a No Kings protest in Philadelphia. Rep. Jamie Raskin cast Paine as a democratic spark, and he tied that founding vision to today’s political fights. Raskin praised Paine’s dream of America as an “asylum to humanity,” and he framed it as a refuge from repression. The Thomas Paine legacy, he argued, still points toward freedom, pluralism, and open debate.
Two Pulpits, Two Americas
Weeks later, a very different message landed at Christ Church DC during an inaugural service. Pastor Jared Longshore, speaking under an American flag, warned the crowd against Paine’s elevation of human reason. He portrayed Paine as isolated at death, and he used that image to jab at modern progressives. The split showed how the legacy of Thomas Paine now marks a fault line between politics and religion.
A Revolutionary Icon With Global Reach
Historians say Paine’s role in the American Revolution remains towering. “Common Sense” helped drive the break from monarchy, and “The American Crisis” steeled resolve in wartime. John Adams even labeled the late 1700s “the age of Paine.” Paine later championed democracy in France, too, so his influence stretched far beyond one nation.
Faith, Power, and the Age of Reason
Paine’s fiercest critics focus on his attacks on organized religion’s political power. He embraced deism, but he condemned what he called the adulterous bond between church and state. “The Age of Reason” emerged during a period of rising revivals, so backlash grew quickly. Scholars say opponents also weaponized fears about the French Revolution to discredit him at home.
Memorial Push Meets a New Culture War
Paine once drew bipartisan respect, and a 1992 law authorized a memorial signed by President George H.W. Bush. The project stalled, but a 2022 bill revived the effort for a National Mall site by 2030. Raskin, the bill’s sponsor, also tried to name a caucus for Paine, but lawmakers chose “Congressional Freethought Caucus” instead. As the nation nears the 250th anniversary era, plans for a faith-themed National Mall “rededication” heighten the clash over church-state separation.
Supporters and Detractors Square Off Over America’s Founding Vision
Supporters say Paine’s legacy defends democracy because it rejects monarchy, aristocracy, and theocracy. They cite his anti-slavery views and his support for education and social care, and they argue his warnings about mixing religion and politics still fit today. Detractors, including Christian nationalist voices and some integralist thinkers, say Paine’s religious critique undermined moral order. They emphasize his ties to the French Revolution and argue that public faith should shape government more openly.
Thomas Paine helped start America. In the Trump era, he’s under fire.
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