Deism

[JSynon]

Greetings,

Deism was founded on the belief that the universe was created by a God who then made no further intervention in its affairs, often expressed by the metaphor of the "Divine Watchmaker" who created a mechanism so perfect as to be self-regulating.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deism

Why do deists believe in God? What provokes them to?

 

[Magisterium]

Well, as I understand it, Deism discerns the existence of a creator from purely reasonable and empirical means. However, deists then conclude that nothing more can be known about this creator (beyond that it exists) and therefore all claims of revelation are invalid or erronious. I had a thread about the leap to this conclusion and didn't get any real explanation or rational justification.

 

[zoe_uu]

Greetings,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deism

Why do deists believe in God? What provokes them to?

Because believing in a god makes sense to them.... they just don't believe in all the religion stuff that man creates to explain that god.

 

[Thylacine]

I, as a deist, believe in God due to the order of creation and the fact that we understand roughly 3% of the known universe. I'll bet my faith that somewhere in the 97% we don't know, there is a being that would fit our definition of God.
I don't believe He inspired any books, because He would have no need to.

I had a thread about the leap to this conclusion and didn't get any
real explanation or rational justification.

Magisterium, none of the reasons we gave you were accepted by you.
Do you recall the Cave analogy we mentioned... how by looking at the remnents in a cave (warm ash, hair clippings, etc) you could deduce that someone was there. You mentioned not to disregard other evidence about that person, ie. DNA from the hair, possibly a journal etc.
Well, say we found 4 journals in that cave, but only 1 hair sample. This leads us to believe only 1 person wrote those 4 journals. Yet, they describe the man in 4 different ways, totally different perspectives of only similar events. One perhaps shows him a jolly man, one a harsh, bitter man, one a cautious man, the last a risk taker.
Are we supposed to believe only one of those journals describes the man correctly? If you choose one, why not the others that provide evidence about the man? If I get 4 pieces of evidence that all contradict eachother, by logic, I'm more likely to disregard them. Parts of the journals, I'll believe. Such as the fact that it describes a man. I don't doubt a man lived in the cave, alternate facts + the journals proves without a doubt that a man lived there. How he lived, acted or was, the journals don't prove since they don't agree.

Anyhow, just a thought...

 

[Seeking...]

I agree with Thylacine. My study of science, observation of nature and personal experience have lead me to believe that God exists. I believe this God to be basically unknowable to humans and therefore unrevealed to them.

 

[ServantofTheOne]

What do deist believe to be the purpose of creation.

 

[Seeking...]

What do deist believe to be the purpose of creation.

I don't personally believe there is one, or at least, the purpose - like God - remains unrevealed to mankind.

 

[silverflare]

I don't think many deists would claim to know the purpose of creation. As far as I can tell, Deists believe in a God through empirical, logical, and rational means but see no evidence for a personal, interventionist God. I consider deism a branch of freethought not much different than atheism in many ways.

 

[JSynon]

Thanks for the clarification Thylacine.

 

[Dagda]

Greetings,

Why do deists believe in God? What provokes them to?

:o I have a link that I would like to post but it told me I need to have at least 15 posts before I can do that.

Anyway, the reply that Veggie gave is very accurate. That's the most basic and straight-forward way to put it.

 

[ShadowAspect]

Do Deists, have to believe that god was the creator? If so, who or what created god?

I agree with the 97% thing and that out there is some thing we could describe as a god. But I believe that god and the universe are part of the same whole. I don't believe that god created himself.

How close am I to being a Deist?

 

[Wayfarer]

How close am I to being a Deist?

Well, given there is no written doctrine for Deism, and their is no specifications for God, you are Deist. The only requirement (from my understanding) is belief in a God.

 

[Dagda]

http://www.deism.com/

Here you go JSynon. I finally can post a link.

 

[AudioArtist]

Do you believe in the supernatural? And do you believe that God can give divine experiences to people, even though He hasn't revealed Himself in any books?
Thanks.

 

[Holy Heretic]

I as a deist see it this way. Actually before I go any further i should state that I am a UNIVERSIST{not to be confused w/unitariun universalism}, I borrow my beliefs from variuos freethinking philosophys, DEISM beeing the most, pantheism coming in second, and also from other areas.

I see it as, the order in the Universe suggest to em the "probability"{not the absolutness of} a creator. It's enough to convince me personally that there is some form of creator{now, borrwoing from my pantheist ideas, the universe itsel;f could eb this creator, or perhaps one of amny universes/creators that soemweher down the line was started by one universe or creator, or perhaps the particles that smashed together had sentiecne-and were-are the creator, and that would make su als ourselves a part of the creator-as in we are all "gods' or a better way of putting it -we aer all/along with all the universe-"god"}.

The thing is w/deism, that it does not beleive deity to be of a gender-type{or at least, that we know whether or not it is}, and it is opne to other intprettaions as well{as I have done}.
Now, many deists do and have{ie:Thomas Paine used male terms for god, probably because it was so prevalent in his culture at the time} used gender-types, but they do not actually beleive those types, and I would challenge all deisst to stop using gender-types for deity.
But all we know/personally beleive{though we will not tell ohers they must beleive the same} is that some form of creator exists, base don our observation of scientific fact,nature/creation/universe, and the universl principles thatseem prevalent in most religons and non-religons of "I will not hamr because I do not wish to be harmed' and "I will love and show mercy, because I would like to receieve the same".

That about covers it.

 

[Holy Heretic]

Do Deists, have to believe that god was the creator? If so, who or what created god?

I agree with the 97% thing and that out there is some thing we could describe as a god. But I believe that god and the universe are part of the same whole. I don't believe that god created himself.

How close am I to being a Deist?

you sound like a pantheist. Or maybe a deistic pasntheist.

 

[Holy Heretic]

Do you believe in the supernatural? And do you believe that God can give divine experiences to people, even though He hasn't revealed Himself in any books?
Thanks.

I believe that god "could" possibly give divine experiences, but as of yet there is no real proof that he/she.it has done so, because all the divine expericers have spawned variuos "one way/revealed" religons that don;t agree w/each other.

 

[Holy Heretic]

servantoftheone;

I persoanlly beleive that we can't know the exact purpose. But I intpret it this way personally; deity created the universe{es} because deity is just creative. now our existence in my mind has the purpose of just existing and to{because we are the higher lifeform;-at least on this planet} care for one another and respect that we all intpret the creator differently. Perhpas the deity has had it purposed this whole time for us to stupidly create all these religons and "revealed" religons in order that we may eventually spititually evolve to the acceptance of the fact that it {for whatever reason} ahs decided to not personally involve itsefl w/us, and it's love is shown through when we love and accept each ither[indirect love].
who knows.

 

[Holy Heretic]

servantoftheone;

I persoanlly beleive that we can't know the exact purpose. But I intpret it this way personally; deity created the universe{es} because deity is just creative. now our existence in my mind has the purpose of just existing and to{because we are the higher lifeform;-at least on this planet} care for one another and respect that we all intpret the creator differently. Perhpas the deity has had it purposed this whole time for us to stupidly create all these religons and "revealed" religons in order that we may eventually spititually evolve to the acceptance of the fact that it {for whatever reason} ahs decided to not personally involve itsefl w/us, and it's love is shown through when we love and accept each ither[indirect love].
who knows.

or perhaps the universe id "god" and we too maybe are part of it. so when we love each other-that is god

 

[JSynon]

Hey,

I believe that god "could" possibly give divine experiences, but as of yet there is no real proof that he/she.it has done so, because all the divine expericers have spawned variuos "one way/revealed" religons that don;t agree w/each other.

I disagree. There is proof. But my question for you is: What if one of those "one way/revealed" religions are correct?

Actually before I go any further i should state that I am a UNIVERSIST

No offense meant to you personally Holy Heretic, but IMHO the Universist Movement which is uniting moral relativists from many world views is quite logically incoherent and absurd.