Show Unitarian Unity hall 41 Main street where the Unitarian society holds its regular services ser-vices was as well attended as ever yesterday morning The interest in the liberal movement of Salt Lake city is an ever increasing factor After the choir had rendered some attractive selections se-lections the Rev Stanley M Hunter began his sermon on Thomas Paine Was He an Atheist Mr Hunter said that Jan 29 would be the anniversary of the birth of this great patriot and friend of man Born in England in 1737 he came to this country in 1774 and immediately threw his influence on the side of independence He wrote the famous pamphlet Common Sense wlhic Washington sid was unanswerable unanswer-able This pamphlet hastened the Declaration Dec-laration of Independence Thomas Paine being one of its principal authors au-thors Elected a member of the national nation-al convention of France he passed through the period of the French revolution revo-lution only just escaping with his life While in Paris he wrote the first part of The Age of Reason a book that brought obloquy and ostracism upon him whereas formerly he had enjoyed a nations gratitude In United States histories Thomas Paine had not had justice done him In The Age of Reason Rea-son he sets forth his theological views He considers the Bible to be of purely human origin He is not a Christian but devout believer in God a beleer calling himself a Deist Miracles and prophecies prophe-cies he thoroughly disclaims For Jesus as a man he has the utmost respect re-spect He rejects the idea of his godhood god-hood with indignation He is a believer be-liever in a future existence He writes I believe in one God and no more and hope for happiness beyond this life The clergy of his time were violently vio-lently opposed to him as but too many are at the present time because foe I tme ie I undermines the infallibility of the Bible Returning to America he died at his farm at New Rochelle N Yin Y-in words 1809 On his tombstone are these I Thomas Paine Author of Common Sense |