DMB

You didn't, and nor do I. But in some circles it is considered a disgraceful thing to be.

emotional

Under atheism, evolution is a process that got started "just because". Under Deism, evolution is the will of the Creator. If God has so willed it that creatures should evolve, then it follows that we have a purpose of spiritual evolution as well.



It doesn't, except in the way that it calls to ignore scriptures. Deistic morality is basically humanism.

There's the afterlife, of course - the thought that the dead are not gone forever, and that good or bad deeds are rewarded or punished justly.

(added: but I should note that belief in the afterlife is an optional component for a Deist. My afterlife beliefs are based on spiritualist teachings rather than a vage Deistic notion of "hope for happiness beyond this life" as Thomas Paine said)

Jamie_L

Different diestic gods might imply different diestic things.

For example, an omniscient, omnipotent diestic god is responsible for every event that happens, even if he isn't actively interfering when the events happen. The god still set things in motion knowing (implied: planning) that all these events would happen.

A non-interfering god can still have purpose in creation, intent for his creations, can still have desires about how people should treat each other (i.e. morality), yadda, yadda, yadda. The god can also have plans to interfere again after things run down, providing for afterlife, etc.

In some ways, modern, liberal Christianity is very diestic in nature. Lots of apologetics paint the picture of a Christian God who intentionally hides his presence, thus never interfering. Plenty of people believe in this non-interference Christian diety, and yet still find plenty of meaning, purpose, emotional support, etc. from believing in this diety that they admit will never get off his duff to do anything for them.

Jamie

xorbie

So then Deists can believe in the traditional Hell/Heaven bit? I know very little about the whole thing...

emotional

What do you mean by "traditional Hell/Heaven"? If you mean the Christian concept, then no. Deists believe the god of the Bible is a diabolical monster, and that eternal hell is just another part of his cruelty. The Deist God is believed to be merciful and far removed from such atrocity.

Thomas Paine believed in a vague afterlife: "hope for happiness beyond this life".

I believe in the spiritualist heaven and hell planes: heaven as higher in spiritual evolution and awareness, and hell as a laundry room where sinners get clean and then are admitted to heaven. The good thing about Deism, for me, is that it can be freely mixed with spiritualism. It's not mandatory - in fact many rationalistic Deists would recoil from such a mixture - but it works.

SimplyAtheistic

And what do you base your beliefs on? Seems to me your heaven is a product of wishful thinking. The laws of nature are not enforced by a god, they do not enforce anything! They describe the way matter interacts with the universe. There could be no other way, for if they kept changing then you could label nothing. A tree wouldn't be a tree. People asked me why I come down on emotional, and it is the simple fact that he acts very much like christians and worse in some areas. He uses blind faith that goes against logic, and that is not something one should be content with.
Jake

Jobar

I see Deism as an 'approach' to atheism.

Before the advent of modern science, it was still obvious to thinking people that the universe did not resemble the world as described in the Bible, and that on a purely moral basis Jehovah was self-contradictory. But since there was no theoretical frame, no worldview, to describe how the physical world came to be, the deistic God was posited. Since no properties of this god can be inferred- after all, He leaves the world entirely untouched, after the first push which sets it to rolling- the deistic god is immune to the various arguments which snare more physical gods.

It still boils down to nothing more than .

DMB

I think you're right, Jobar, about where it comes from.

emotional

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The laws of nature were set by God at Creation, 15 billion years ago.



I didn't say they change. As a matter of fact I believe they are immutable, and prayer to change them doesn't work.



I for one know the answer: you love feeling superior over those who have faith. In that, you are like many atheists. A rare species indeed is atheistus humilis.

Oh yeah? I'm not the one who believes in a talking snake. I accept nearly all of science, except those parts which may hint to the absence of life after death. I use rational thought where possible - where not possible is that weakness of mine, my fear of death. Forgive me, O Rationalist, for my weakness, wilt thou?

emotional, CHILL.- Jobar

Shadowy Man

Why do you believe that Creation was 15 billion years ago?