Belief in a cruel God makes a cruel man.

The line argues that theology is not morally neutral: the character of the deity one imagines tends to shape one’s own character and conduct. If a person is taught to revere a God who is vindictive, punitive, or delights in suffering, cruelty can come to seem justified—either as imitation of the divine model or as obedience to it. In Paine’s broader critique of revealed religion, this functions as an ethical indictment of doctrines that portray God as tyrannical: such beliefs can normalize harshness, persecution, and intolerance. The implication is that humane morality is better grounded in reason and benevolence than in fear-driven images of divine wrath.