Originally Posted by RobJordan
Originally Posted by derby_dude
Theism is the belief in God based on revelation.

Deism is the belief in God NOT based on revelation.

Christianity is theism.


No. Deism is the belief in a God who may have influenced the beginnings of the Universe, but exerts no influence upon the actual workings of the Universe beyond some initial creation act or event (for which He might be ultimately responsible).

BTW, Jefferson is often claimed to have been a Deist, but Jefferson also claimed that "almighty God hath created the mind free...", that "I tremble for my country when I reflect that
God is just; that his justice cannot sleep forever (speaking of the injustice of chattel slavery) and that "the mass of mankind was not born with saddles on their backs and others booted and spurred to ride them".

All of these quotes by Jefferson (and a myriad of others reflect the thought of a man who believed that the hand of God was actively at work in the Universe and in the affairs of men.

In any event, the struggle is not between Deism and Theism. It is between belief and unbelief. Deism, properly understood, concedes every necessary thing to Theism with respect to the idea of God and the meaning of the idea of a Supreme Being in the public square and vice versa. Both beliefs stand in opposition to naturalistic materialism, or materialism. Both uanssisted reason (the "laws of nature") and divine revelation (the "laws of nature's God") stand upon the same ground and are in essential agreement as to what constitutes moral and immoral behavior. It was upon an appeal to both of these (essentially )non-contradictory (in the decisive respect) systems of belief that the Founders appealed (in addition "to the Supreme Judge of the Universe" for the "rectitude of their intentions").

As an aside, it would have been pointless for the Founders to appeal to God for the justness of their cause if they did not believe that the opinion of that God mattered, viz., that he exercised no influence upon the Universe.

Jordan


You are now going to tell a Deist what Deism is? Well I suppose that's only fair as a Deist tells you what a Christian is. grin

The problem is Christians have no idea what they are which is why there are so many interpretations of the Bible and so many Christian sects and denominations each saying they have figured out the true meaning of the Word of God as revealed in the Book of all Books the Bible.

Christianity is a theist religion because Christians believe the Bible is the revealed word of God.

I now think it's possible for a Christian to be a Christian Deist as research done by early American historians and some theologians now believe.

As to praying by Deists, some Deists believe that praying for anything is ridiculousness because we are asking God to violate his laws of nature. Some Deists believe that prayers of thanksgiving are okay because prayers of thanksgiving ask God for nothing. Some Deists figure praying is okay because what have you got to lose. Praying by Deists is a pretty open ended argument.

Deism is not an organized religion not does Deism have a holy book of any type. Deists do not believe in any type of revealed religion that comes from a holy book of legends and myths.

Deism came about in the 18th century primarily from Thomas Paine with his pamphlet "The Age of Reason." There was problem of reconciliation for the educated and enlighten between the revealed Word of God, i.e. the Bible and between science and the observation of nature. This argument is still going on to this day.


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