Has anyone actually read Thomas Paine’s Common Sense? It was a huge selling paphlet published in the 1770’s and was instrumental in the the American’s decision to reject King George and rebel.
Paine based his argument on Shmuel Hanavi’s arguments against Bnei Yisroel’s request for a king. Paine himself was an atheist but his target audience, the American public, was deeply religious and well acquainted with Tanach, and using Tanach was the best way to reach them