beliefs of a Deist
Every so often there are some hard core Christian folks who spar a little with me about a post I’ve written and invariably the question is asked “what is my world view?” or “are you an athiest, buddhist, hindu?” or “where do your morals come from? do you believe in God?”
Below is a list of what many deists believe and comes from a website called Positive Deism. I stumbled on it a few days ago and thought, “hey, I believe most of those statements. Thing I’ll put it on the blog.”
So… here ya go… here’s what I believe (for the most part) as a Deist.
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While there are no “official” tenets of Deism, many of the following “unofficial” tenets might be the best way to introduce generally accepted beliefs within Deism. The unofficial tenets of Deism are:
1. Belief in God based on Reason, Experience and Nature (nature of the universe) rather than on the basis of pure faith, holy texts and divine revelation. Essentially, through the use of Reason, God’s existence is revealed by the observation of the order and complexity found within nature and our personal experiences.
2. Belief that the nature of God is generally incomprehensible and is beyond definition for humanity at this time. Furthermore, human language is limited and inadequate to define God; however, man can use Reason to theorize and speculate on what this possible nature is.
3. Belief that mans relationship with God is impersonal and abstract. However, this does not create a feeling of a distant and cold deity but of one in which God has a profound and unfathomable relationship with all of creation (nature) rather than just one aspect of it.
4. Belief that humanity has the ability to use Reason to develop ethical/moral principles and through the application of Reason these principles can be used to implement moral behavior, which in turn creates a Utilitarian-Humanist morality. Essentially, humans can be guided by their conscience in matters of morality.
5. Belief that humans have the individual capability of experiencing God, which is defined as spirituality. These spiritual experiences are multi-faceted and all of humanity has the innate capability to have these experiences. Essentially, each human is capable of having a profound experience of God and nature.
6. Belief that God should be honored in a way that the individual believes is best and most appropriate for them. Individuals must determine for themselves how best to honor God and only they can develop how to accomplish this. For many, it is a multi-faceted and an individualized process.
7. Belief in the principle of Natural Law that states that all men and women are created equal to each other with inherent freedom and liberty so that no human has more worth than another. Essentially, each human is equal in terms of the freedoms that they have and in the eyes of the law.
8. Belief that mankind’s purpose is to use our God-given reason to understand what it means to be alive in every sense of the word (to live life to the fullest) and to act in such a way as to secure human happiness and contentment for all involved.
9. Belief that Reason and Respect are God-given traits to mankind and that we are to utilize them in all aspects of our daily lives thus creating a pragmatic approach to life. This includes respecting other alternative views and opinions of God (other religions) as long as they do not produce harm and/or infringe upon others.
I believe in the healing power of chocolate. I believe that the only way a child will learn to NOT eat play doh is to eat play doh. I believe in retail therapy but I can’t afford it. I believe that my daughter spilled milk in my bedroom somewhere because I smell sour milk.
Thanks for sharing this.
I’ve come to discover that i really need to quit taking drinks of anything when I read your posts or comments. (hee hee hee… “i believe my daughter spilled milk…”) know any good ways to get coke off of a monitor?
You did it to me the other day also with your
you make me laugh. hope you have a good day.
reply to the Orgasms in Heaven post you made. “… start a new cult.”
While I’m aware that across the nation many a computer monitor has been violated by the unfortunate spewing of liquid as a result of something funny someone read. I’m honored to be the instigator of at least one such spewing. I’m sure it was milk but I’ve controlled it with Febreeze and Lysol. I know you are dying to know.
I related completely to this definition. As one who is searching for peers, this is encouraging. I hope to meet Deists in Portland, Or some day. I am sure there are many. Thanks for the lift!
Hey Terri… thanks for stopping by. do you have a blog?… let me know the address and I’ll stop by now and again as well. ~julian
For the love of GOD, Deists are everywhere, not just in Oregon..the nice part is that we are never broke. My father actually turned me on to the name Deist, having no clue myself of where I fit in society as a whole. WOW!!! Talk about a perfect relation, I immediately knew what it has been all my life that I have been looking for. Now that I have found it, I want to experience the bliss in the fullest sense of the word. Thank you Jim,Dad, and everyone who was there to help me along the way.
Where do I start????????? I walked into a UU “church” for the first time this past Sunday. I feel like giving up my Christian “stories” is like when I found out there was no Santa Claus. I have children (at least I think the two short men in my home are children………), how do we celebrate “Easter” with no rising CHRIST! How do I allow myself to truly create my own world of beliefs. I’m carrying around the guilt of Jewish Caltholic person….AND I’M NEITHER!!!
Where do I start?
Well I’m a Deist, I was one for several years before I knew there was a word for the way I veiwed the world. I have been outright called a heretic. I’m from a small town in GA, if the USA has a Bible belt I live in the Buckle heh. I guess its a passed off trait but how can you have a religion that does no involve yelling at people??? (If you have ever been in a southern baptist church you will get that joke)
I heard the word “Diest” for the first time tonite and I looked it up to learn the definition…I found a written definition of my personal thoughts that I have believed in my whole life! What a great discovery, really, I feel like I fit within this way of thinking and I love that! Thank you Dave…
I do believe that I have been a Diest all my life. but that is only a short 75 years. Good to find a place that lets God be God and leaves the rest to the wonder of our ability to think. What a universe eh ?
Good stuff on all of you.
Jack.
I have to agree with many others here.
Someone referred to me as a Deist tonight in conversation and I hit Google to figure out what insult they had just thrown my way. Little did I know I would find a definition of my thoughts that I feel I may have written myself someday.
Thank you for the insight as I begin to study this term and how it applies to me.
I discovered this page while googling deism as it related to Voltaire. Little did I know that it would fall in line with just about everything I’ve always thought! Thanks for giving me a way to name what I have believed all this time.
so thats what i am.
Ummm… Does the fact that I beleive God is personal, and gets His hands dirty and is involved in every aspect of your life (if you remember to acknowledge Him), and the fact that if you avoid Him and go do your own thing He is terribly achingly unimaginably patient for you to come back around, and He can speak to our hearts through peace and love… make me… ignorant? I’m sorry I am very much a head thinker, and can understand the idea that God is there, that He set the world into motion, but really I feel in my heart that this mindset lacks a certain… intimacy?
A post on Face Book regarding the survey, ” Should In God we Trust” be removed from the dollar bill. Before responding to the discussion, I reference the classic “The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell with Bill Moyer” which was based on the interview Joseph had with Bill. During the interview, the question about the statement, ” In God we Trust ” was dicussed and Joseph referenced the founding fathers as Diest. I wanted to learn more and after I googled the term… this info/post came up. This is wonderful and the Diest info was excellent. Thank you.
# 8 and #9 definitely have components of stoic philosophy.