Authentic Assessment Author Selections: Thomas Paine: 1.

I do not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish Church, by the Roman Church, by the Greek Church, by the Turkish Church, by the Protestant Church, nor by any Church that I know of. My own mind is my own Church. [Thomas Paine, The Age of Reason] Thomas Paine was a man that did not take his beliefs in government or people or country from religious dichotomy. This above quotes demonstrates that explicitly. It is the common sense and reason of a man that should dictate outcomes. 2. The first was a government of priest craft, the second of conquerors, and the third of reason.
[Thomas Paine, The Rights of Man]

This is one of his many assertions that we as a society have progressed far enough to not have a crutch of religion as the basis of our governments.

3. The countries the most famous and the most respected of antiquity are those which distinguished themselves by promoting and patronizing science, and on the contrary those which neglected or discouraged it are universally denominated rude and barbarous. The patronage which Britain has shown to Arts, Science and Literature has given her a better established and lasting rank in the world than she ever acquired by her arms. And Russia is a modern instance of the effect which the encouragement of those things produces both as to the internal improvement of a country and the character it raises abroad. The reign of Louis the fourteenth is more distinguished by being the Era of Science and Literature in France than by any other circumstance of those days.

The advancement of society lies in the study and the promulgation of science and education based upon common knowledge, not on teaching fallacy along with it.

John Winthrop:

1. God almighty in his most holy and wise providence hath so disposed of the condition of mankind, as in all times some must be rich, some must be poor, some high and eminent in power and dignity; other mean and in subjection.

I use the above quote because I believe it establishes his pretention for his thoughts on government and Gods role in society that to him are inarguable. 2. "If we should change from a mixed aristocracy to mere democracy, first we should have no warrant in scripture for it: for there was no such government in Israel ... A democracy is, amongst civil nations, accounted the meanest and worst of all forms of government. [To allow it would be] a manifest breach of the 5th Commandment." This blatantly shows his disdain for democratic rule as against his ideal of religious providence. 3. For we must Consider that we shall be as a City upon a Hill, the eyes of all people are upon us; so that if we shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken and so cause him to withdraw his present help from us, we shall be made a story and a byword through the world, we shall open the mouths of enemies to speak evil of the ways of God and all professors for Gods sake; we shall shame the faces of many of gods worthy servants, and cause their prayers to be turned into Curses upon us till we be consumed out of the good land whether we are going. He deems these colonies and all upon it to be destined of god to be beacons of Christianity to all others and is his ideal of Christian American exceptionalism.