Richard Briles Moriarty he dedication of Thomas Paine to rational thought and inquiry was unparalleled amongst the Founders. 1 His commitment to a strictly rational regimen was particularly notable, and fraught, on the religious front. 2 In Paine’s view, organized religions marketed unreliable hearsay piled on hearsay as “revelations” that are, by deinition, based on faith rather than evidence. 3 Carefully observing nature, he rejected nearly everything propounded by organized religions as antithetical to rational analysis, retaining from Biblical accounts only what was discernable through observation. 4 Restricting his mental diet to reason did not make him an atheist. To the contrary, Paine concluded that “reason can discover” the “existence of God.” Articulating his thought process, Paine irst observed that nothing can make itself. He then noted that many things do exist such that those things were undeniably made. Articulating his thought process, Paine irst observed that nothing can make itself. He then noted that many things do exist and, therefore, were undeniably made. Rounding out that syllogism, Paine reasoned that there must be “a power superior to all those things, and that power is God.” 5 Related declarations are more dificult to square with his allegiance to reason. Paine expressed absolute conidence that “Providence” actively intervened to protect not just America but Paine himself. By contrast to his express articulation of why, logically, existence of a Deity comported with reason, his surviving writings disclose no hint of a rationale for believing in an intervening Providence. 6 More puzzling, when he referenced gender regarding Providence, he identiied Providence as female, never as male. Like his expressed belief in an intervening Providence, those identiications appear in his writings as unexplained givens. 7 Two separate but intertwined mysteries are implicated. How could Paine reconcile a belief in an intervening Providence with his dedication to rational inquiry? Why did Paine, uniquely among the Founders and other contemporaries, identify Providence as female? That both mysteries ultimately resist resolution should not surprise Paine aicionados given how much is unknowable regarding Paine, primarily due to an 1830s ire that consumed many of his papers. 8 What may surprise is that, on the unknowable subject of Providence, Paine conveyed deinitive conclusions with utter conidence and calmness and without any explanations, rational or otherwise. Paine vigorously pursued rational inquiry as far it as would take him—farther than some contemporaries preferred—insisting that societal systems incapable of withstanding rational inquiry should be abandoned. But remarks about the limits of human capabilities and his persistent optimism in the face of frequent adversity suggest that, when faced with the inexplicable, Paine was neither frustrated nor sought to log the inexplicable into submission. 9 The Imperial Roman belief in female Providence led to the depicon of “Providena” on many Roman coins. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: RICHARD BRILES MORIARTY Rered from a 42-year legal career in 2016, with the last 28 years as an Assistant Aorney General with the Wisconsin Department of Jusce, Moriarty specialized in civil ligaon in Federal and State trial and appellate courts. A highlight was persuading the U.S. Supreme Court to grant cerorari from a Circuit decision and then securing a unanimous reversal. Moriarty has, in rerement, focused his research efforts on the endlessly fascinang Thomas Paine. JULY 2024 STUDIES IN T The Mysteries of Paine’s Beliefs in Providence 1 THE THOMAS PAINE NATIONAL HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION Studies in Thomas Paine seeks to expand the available knowledge of Paine’s life, philosophy, polics, impact, and wrings. We publish or republish arcles about Paine that are more academic in nature, or exceed the space capacity of The Beacon, to discuss topics important to our membership and the public. Before publicaon, all arcles in the series are reviewed for rigor by a TPNHA team and cleared by the authors, or the arcles qualify for reprinng by the passage of years. We welcome your comments of support or cricism, and may publish them in Studies in Thomas Paine as well.