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DEISM. “ISM” #3 Times and beliefs are changing. FUNDAMENTAL BELIEFS.
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DEISM “ISM” #3 Times and beliefs are changing. . .
FUNDAMENTAL BELIEFS • Deism is a religious philosophy and movement that became prominent in England, France and the United States in the 17th century. Deists typically reject supernatural events (prophecy, miracles) and divine revelation prominent in organized religion, along with holy books and revealed religions that assert the existence of such things. Instead, deists hold that correct religious beliefs must be founded on human reason and observed features of the natural world, and that these sources lead to belief in the existence of one God or supreme being.
WHY CHANGE FROM PURITAN IDEALS? • The humanist tradition of the Renaissance included a revival of interest in Europe's classical past in Greece and Rome. With study of the past came a growing awareness that the world in which the classical authors lived was quite different from the present. • In addition, study of classical documents led to the realization that some historical documents are less reliable than others, which led to the beginnings of biblical criticism.
DIVERSITY IN THE WORLD – OH NO!!!! • In addition to discovering diversity in the past, Europeans also discovered diversity in the present. The voyages of discovery of the 16th and 17th centuries acquainted Europeans with new and different cultures in the Americas, in Asia, and in the Pacific. They discovered a greater amount of cultural diversity than they'd ever imagined, and the question arose as to how this vast amount of human cultural diversity could be compatible with the Biblical account of Noah's descendants.
Deism in America • In America, deists played a major role in creating the principle of separation of church and state, and the religious freedom clauses of the First Amendment of the Constitution. American deists include John Quincy Adams, Ethan Allen, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and (by most accounts) George Washington. Thomas Paine published The Age of Reason, a treatise that helped to popularize deism throughout America and Europe.
WHAT DO THEY CALL GOD? • Supreme Being • Divine Author of the Universe • Divine Providence — used in the United States Declaration of Independence • Grand Architect of the Universe — often used by members of the Freemasonic lodges or societies which involve Masonic rituals • Nature's God — used in the United States Declaration of Independence • Father of Lights — Benjamin Franklin, when proposing that meetings of the Constitutional Convention begin with prayers
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 (with the possible exception of Taoism, although superstition does play a role in both Buddhism and Taoism) 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 was 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."
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 realities, 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 TODAY • The modern Deist movement attempts to integrate classical deism with modern philosophy as well as the current state of scientific knowledge. This attempt has produced a wide variety of personal beliefs under the broad classification/category of belief of "deism".
Deism Today Continued • Classical Deism held that a human’s relationship with God was impersonal: God created the world by setting it into motion, but does not actively intervene in it by creating miracles, governing instead through Divine Providence. Modern Deism has expanded this classical view to state that humanity's relationship with God is transpersonal, and that any actions he might take to intervene are subtle and beyond human understanding.
For More Information • Check out www.deism.com