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Deism Defined
DEISM DEFINED
Deism is defined in Webster's Encyclopedic Dictionary, 1941, as: "[From Latin Deus,
God.Deity] The doctrine or creed of a Deist." And Deist is defined in the same
dictionary as: "One who believes in the existence of a God or supreme being but
denies revealed religion, basing his belief on the light of nature and reason."
This common sense approach to God and a spiritual philosophy can not only bring a
lasting profound sense of peace and happiness to the individual, but it also has the
potential to go light years in eradicating religious fear, superstition and violence.
For comparing Deism to revealed religion and atheism please click on Deism vs.
Christianity & Atheism, at the bottom of this page.
If this definition of Deism makes sense to you, please click here for a membership
application from the World Union of Deists, or click here for a subscription to the
quarterly publication of the World Union of Deists THINK!.
Frequently Asked Questions about Deism
What is the basis of Deism? Reason and nature. We see the design found
throughout the known universe and this realization brings us to a sound belief in a
Designer or God.
Is Deism a form of atheism? No. Atheism teaches that there is no God. Deism
teaches there is a God. Deism rejects the "revelations" of the "revealed" religions but
does not reject God.
If Deism teaches a belief in God, then what is the difference between Deism and the
other religions like Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, etc.? Deism is, as
stated above, based on nature and reason, not "revelation." All the other religions
make claim to special divine revelation or they have requisite "holy" books. Deism
has neither. In Deism there is no need for a preacher, priest or rabbi. All one needs
in Deism is their own common sense and the creation to contemplate.
Do Deists believe that God created the creation and the world and then just stepped
back from it? Some Deists do and some believe God may intervene in human
affairs. For example, when George Washington was faced with either a very risky
evacuation of the American troops from Long Island or surrendering them he chose
the more risky evacuation. When questioned about the possibility of having them
annihilated he said it was the best he could do and the rest is up to Providence.
Do Deists pray? Only prayers of thanks and appreciation. We don't dictate to God.
How do Deists view God? We view God as an eternal entity whose power is equal
to his/her will. The following quote from Albert Einstein also offers a good Deistic
description of God: "My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable
superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with
our frail and feeble minds. That deeply emotional conviction of the presence of a
superior reasoning power, which is revealed in the incomprehensible universe, forms
my idea of God."
Is Deism a cult? It's impossible for Deism to be a cult because Deism teaches self-
reliance and encourages people to constantly use their reason. Deism teaches to
"question authority" no matter what the cost.
Unlike the revealed religions, Deism makes no unreasonable claims. The revealed
religions encourage people to give up, or at least to suspend, their God-given
reason. They like to call it faith. For example, how logical is it to believe that
Moses
parted the Red Sea, or that Jesus walked on water, or that Mohammed received the
Koran from an angel? Suspending your reason enough to believe these tales only
sets a precedent that leads to believing a Jim Jones or David Koresh.
What's Deism's answer to all the evil in the world? Much of the evil in the world
could be overcome or removed if humanity had embraced our God-given reason
from our earliest evolutionary stages. After all, all the laws of nature that we've
discovered and learned to use to our advantage that make everything from
computers to medicine to space travel have existed eternally. But we've decided
we'd rather live in superstition and fear instead of learning and gaining knowledge.
It's much more soothing to believe we're not responsible for our own actions than to
actually do the hard work required for success.
Deism doesn't claim to have all the answers to everything, we just claim to be on the
right path to those answers.
Please bookmark this site as it is frequently updated.
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In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material
is distributed without charge or profit to those who have
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for non-profit research and educational purposes only.
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The only real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking
new landscapes but in having new eyes. -Marcel Proust
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"Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe
simply because it has been handed down for many generations. Do not
believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do
not believe in anything simply because it is written in Holy Scriptures. Do not
believe in anything merely on the authority of Teachers, elders or wise men.
Believe only after careful observation and analysis, when you find that it
agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all.
Then accept it and live up to it."
The Buddha on Belief, from the Kalama Sutta
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A merely fallen enemy may rise again, but the reconciled
one is truly vanquished. -Johann Christoph Schiller,
German Writer (1759-1805)
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It is preoccupation with possessions, more than anything else, that
prevents us from living freely and nobly. -Bertrand Russell
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"Everyone has the right...to seek, receive and impart
information and ideas through any media and regardless
of frontiers."
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
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"Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will
teach you to keep your mouth shut."
--- Ernest Hemingway
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