Quote by Thomas Paine
Is it more probable that nature should go out of her course or that a man should tell a lie? We have never seen, in our time, nature go out of her course. But we have good reason to believe that millions of lies have been told in the same time. It is therefore at least millions to one that the reporter of a miracle tells a lie.
Summary
This quote by Thomas Paine highlights the concept of rationality and probability in relation to miracles and truth-telling. Paine asserts that while nature follows its predictable course consistently, lies being told by individuals are far more commonplace. Therefore, given this imbalance, he argues that the likelihood of a person reporting a miracle is significantly higher to be false rather than true. Paine's message emphasizes the critical evaluation of claims and the importance of evidence-based thinking in rejecting extraordinary claims without sufficient proof.
By Thomas Paine
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