Chapter Fourteen
Deism
Reason-Based Spirituality
- Thomas Paine, “The Age of Reason” [2]
Christian apologists, fond of the false dichotomy in Pascal’s Wager, often present a similar false dichotomy in matters of spirituality. They would have you believe that we are faced with a choice of two worldviews: one where there is a God (who must, of course, be the god depicted in the Bible) and one where there is no god.
On the contrary, rejecting Christianity doesn’t mean rejecting God. Being a freethinker has nothing to do with whether or not you believe there is a Creator. Rather, being a freethinker is about thinking freely. It’s about having the courage to pursue your own answers. Those who reject the strict dogmas of faith-based religions and use their own power of reason, intuition, observation and personal experience will come to different conclusions. Some will be atheists and doubt the existence of any Creator. Some will be agnostics and state uncertainty about the universe’s origins. Some will be deists.
Deism is a free-thought philosophy that sees an order and architecture to the universe that indicates a Creator. However, deism makes no positive assertions about the nature of that Creator except what can be determined by reason and observation of the universe. This enigmatic Creator is sometimes referred to as “Nature’s God”.
Deists note that we as humans are endowed with the power of reason. It follows that we are intended to exercise it. Therefore, skepticism and doubt are not “sins” but rather natural expressions of God’s Gift of Reason.
Because skepticism and doubt are not sins, Deists view with extreme suspicion any efforts by other humans to claim divine authority, such as claiming to be a “prophet” or citing “sacred scripture” said to be written by alleged prophets (as in the Bible, the Quran, the Book of Mormon, etc.). Placing faith in scriptures, prophets, priests, churches, “holy” figures, or traditions is surrendering your personal reason to another source. Usually, this other source has far less interest in “the state of your soul” as the accumulation of wealth and political power. Deism rejects the authority of institutions of faith and sees faith as the suppression of reason.
With scripture and revelation removed, all that remains to know God is personal reason and observation of the universe. Essentially, this is getting to know the artist by studying the artwork. The only Word of God is the universe itself.
How do we study this Word? Through open-minded scientific inquiry. Science gives us a greater understanding of how the universe works and therefore brings us closer to understanding God. This outlook is eloquently summed up in Dr. Catherine Faber’s poem, “The Word of God”:
“And we who listen to the sky or walk the dusty grade
or break the very atoms down to see how they are made
or study cells or living things, seek truth with open hand,
the profoundest act of worship is to try to understand.
Deep in flower and in flesh and sky and soil and seed,
the truth has left its living word for anyone to read.
So turn and look where best you think the story is unfurled.
Humans wrote the Bible; God wrote the world.” [3]
To read the full poem: Click Here
Image Above: God's Gift of Reason.
"The choicest gift of God (is) the Gift of Reason." - Thomas Paine
Only God is God
How needlessly cluttered the Christian paradigm looks in comparison to the simple admiration of God and awe of the universe that is found in deism. Christianity claims to be monotheistic but believes in a three-part god and then adds another lesser god, Satan, to be the opposition. It further exalts man-made objects like churches or the Bible, as if they were pieces of God on earth. It introduces a host of other divine beings: angels, demons, saints and prophets to further confuse the worldview. It throws into the mix superstitious beliefs in miracles and magic.
Deism sweeps away all this clutter. The Bible is not God nor does it speak for God. It’s just a book. The priests are not God nor do they speak for God. They’re just people. A church is not God nor is it a house of God. It’s just a building. Only God is God. Only God may speak for God. Our minds are the true churches.
The deist believes basically in three things: the natural universe, God (as its architect) and ourselves, beings gifted with reason and an indomitable human spirit. While deism may lack the romance and fantasy presented by theistic mysticism, in what remains is found enough wonder to inspire the imagination and sufficient purpose to give our lives meaning. Why believe in the unlikely “miracles” presented in mythology when we have a real miracle of life to celebrate?
God, contrary to the assertions of theism, apparently does not seek a dominant relationship over us nor does It expect to be worshipped on pain of some eternal torment. God, contrary to the assertions of the Bible, does not smite those who choose this or that religion or none at all. The bounty of the earth is not withheld from the faithless nor are the faithful spared the pains and trials of life. God has apparently provided us this life and this world, asking for nothing in return.
As mentioned earlier, love is not bought with rewards or commanded with threats. It is born of sincere respect and given without fear or expectation. The deist is not God-fearing. Why should we fear God? We respect God, appreciate what we are given and ask for nothing more.
How Should We Serve God?
Logically, the way to serve any being is to observe what that being does and offer to assist. God has designed this machine, the universe. It follows that the way to serve God is to do whatever we can to build upon this foundation. If in our own little way, we leave this world better off than when we found it, it will be our way of honoring our Creator.
What of songs of praise, the construction of temples and other expressions of adoration? We may enjoy their artistic and cultural value but should have no illusion that the Creator of the universe somehow requires such validation from us. The Christian depiction of God is as a supremely powerful yet emotionally insecure being (for jealousy is borne of insecurity) who requires glorification from us. He goes to such lengths as to create Heaven and Hell for that purpose (trying to buy love is another example of insecurity). The things we do can make the biblical god angry and the devotion we offer can sway him to intervene and grant miracles. Thus, Christians believe we have influence (and therefore power) over God.
In an odd way, the Christian view is almost touching. It features a deity with supreme might and deep emotional insecurity, like this god’s a really big powerful guy who, deep down is plagued with feelings in inadequacy and, more than anything else, just needs a hug.
It’s highly unlikely such a god exists. More likely, what we do for this world and for each other is of far greater value in the service of God than sycophantic words of praise. As an old freethought saying goes, a single hand at work accomplishes more than a thousand clasped in prayer.
Reason-Based Spirituality
As mentioned earlier in this book, it is by reason, not faith, that we come closer to God. The “Truth” is meant to be pursued in the spirit of discovery and the adventure of life.
We need neither faith nor any Bible to tell us of God. We see Its majesty in the scale and the architecture of Creation.
We need neither faith nor any Bible to tell us of the Creation. Science tells us it happened some 13.7 billion years ago with the Big Bang. It just didn't happen the way the Bible relates.
We need neither faith nor any Bible to tell us of miracles. We see them in every day life, in the process of life itself. The greatest of these miracles is the advance of humanity’s knowledge over time, made possible only by God’s Gift of Reason.
We need neither faith nor any Bible to give us hope that death is a transition of some sort and not an end. Science tells us the nature of the universe. We observe the cycles of life all around us. The Law of Conservation states that nothing is ever created or destroyed. Why should we be the exception? Regardless of what awaits us, it’s enough that we exist in the here and now. Reason tells us to focus on what we can do with this life and let death, whatever it may be, tend to itself.
We need neither faith nor any Bible to instruct us in right and wrong (not that the Bible is a good guide). Our conscience, combined with our being true to ourselves, is enough.
What purpose then is all the clutter and fairy tales of theism? The truth is not so grim that we must retreat into a world of fantasy. Clear this theistic garbage away so we may behold the wonder of God’s Creation.
What of Comfort in Times of Need?
Life is certainly not all joy. There are disasters and trials that await us. Perhaps this is done deliberately. It is the difficulties that we face and survive that forge our spirits and strengthen our character. Necessity is the mother of all invention and pressure makes diamonds. Perhaps if we lived in a “perfect” world where no one ever wanted, we would never have made it out of the Stone Age.
In times of trouble, theists turn to their god for strength and comfort, with the desire for their god to straighten everything out for them. Sometimes the faithful feel dependent and wait for their god to make things right for them.
Why not have a little more confidence in our Creator? Believe that God has already endowed you with the resources within and that you simply need to find what is in you all along. Believe that God has given you the power to forge your own destiny or cope with adversity. Deism fosters self-reliance, self-confidence and a proactive view of life.
The Parable of “The Wizard of Oz”
Frank Baum, the author of the Wizard of Oz may not have been a deist but his famous story makes for the perfect deist parable. Dorothy seeks to return home. Along her journey she finds other traveling companions who are dissatisfied with their lives. They seek out the Wizard (read: faith-based religion) who frightens them with smoke and mirrors into doing his bidding. In the end, the Wizard turns out to be a fraud. Dorothy and her companions discover that they really didn’t need him. They had the resources within all along. Scarecrow had a brain (reason), Tinman had a heart (compassion), the Lion had courage (determination) and Dorothy found that home is where the heart is.
The Parable of the Flooding City
A Fundamentalist Christian is trapped in a building as the city has flooded all around. A boat pulls up to the window. The rescuers cry out, “Get in,” but the Fundamentalist says, “No, I have faith that God will save me.”
The waters continue to rise and the Fundamentalist retreats to the top floor. Another boat pulls up to the window and the rescuers cry out, “Come, let’s get you out of here.” Again, the Fundamentalist stubbornly says, “No, I have faith that God will save me.”
The waters continue to rise and the Fundamentalist retreats to the roof. A helicopter flies over and a rope ladder rolls down. “Come on, we’ll take you to safety” the rescuers cry. Unafraid, the Fundamentalist says, “No, I have faith that God will save me.”
Finally, the waters rise over the building and the poor Fundamentalist drowns. He goes to meet God and cries out with shock and indignation, “God, I had faith in you. Why did you let me drown?”
“What do you want?” asks God rhetorically, “I sent you two boats and a helicopter.”
The resources are within us. We just need to find them and have the will to use them.
Not Good Enough? You Want a “Personal” God?
One moderate Christian who read a rough draft of this book said he couldn’t argue with most of the points it raised (even agreeing wholeheartedly with its arguments against Fundamentalist Christianity) and yet he still remained a Christian. Why? Because he didn’t find sufficient “comfort” in deism. He wanted to believe in a personal god that watches over him and answers his prayers. He believes not because it’s logical but simply because he wants it to be so. In other words, he wants to be lied to, since no one can honestly say for certain, without some sort of divine audience, that God is indeed watching over us.
Does God intervene? The honest answer is that we don’t know. We can’t be sure to what extent God is involved in the ongoing events on this earth or whether It has moved on to larger issues in Creation. Either way, it’s better to see what we can do for ourselves and not wait for miracles.
It would make sense that God would have created a universe much larger than Itself. In both engineering and artwork, we see the desire to create something larger than the artist or engineer. The creation that comes out of their efforts needs to have a life of its own, one that can function without the artist or engineer’s constant involvement. In fact, the quality of such accomplishments is often viewed inversely with how much attention is required by the creator. If an artist needs to “explain” the artwork or the engineer is always needed to keep the machine working, the creation is usually considered to be of poor quality. What then would be the point of making a universe that has no life of it’s own? Why would any being want to create something that must be micromanaged, that can’t function without constant care? It would make sense that God would want to design a universe larger than It could micromanage, one that would have a life of its own.
It is comforting to believe with certainty that there is an all-powerful, all-knowing, all-loving god who is watching over you and will protect you or make sure that all turns out right in the end. However, to believe in this divine protection in spite of empirical evidence to the contrary (that some people do, in fact, suffer) carries some disturbing moral questions about that god:
“Are all victims of all tragedies evil or undeserving or not worthy of a benevolent god’s love and protection? To believe in a god who intervenes and who will protect an individual, you have to also believe in a god who will reject the appeals of others, who will not answer certain prayers and who will basically just cast any number of people into the maw of whatever horrible outcome is about to occur simply because he doesn’t like them as much. They’re not as worthy. …Is every rape victim a ‘sinner’? Did every person who was ever hurt by a mugger, was that person somehow not worthy? Every person who’s ever been murdered or tortured? See, to believe this divine protection is to believe that there are whole classes of people who obviously deserved the horrors that were visited upon them.”[4]
-Barbara Mikkelson, of “snoops.com” during an interview on “The God Who Wasn’t There”
Deism and Prayer
Deists generally don’t pray to God, except perhaps to give thanks. We don’t feel comfortable dictating to our Creator as if somehow we presume to have influence over God or that we should prompt God in any way. Neither do deists instruct God to “bless” anyone or any nation. This is another form of dictating to God.
Thomas Paine in The Age of Reason wrote of how disrespectful toward our Creator the very act of prayer is:
“He (the Christian) takes it upon himself to direct the Almighty what to do, even in the government of the universe; he prays dictatorially… for what is the amount of all his prayers but an attempt to make the Almighty change His mind, and act otherwise than He does? It is as if he were to say: Thou knowest not so well as I.” [5]
-Thomas Paine, "The Age of Reason"
God will do whatever God will do and It requires neither prompting nor direction from us. It is for us to adjust to whatever life hands us and to be grateful for whatever we receive.
Deism and Morality
Nature’s God teaches us that the strong survive. This point is self-evident. However, what exactly is “strength”?
Evolutionarily speaking, is strength simply the ability to be an efficient killing machine? If that’s the case, we note that lions are much more efficient killing machines than humans. Pit an unarmed human against a lion and there’s no question as to the outcome. Why then do humans rule this world and not lions?
The ability to form communities is strength. The ability to create laws is strength. The ability to work together constructively is strength. The ability to resolve differences peacefully is strength. Compassion and the capacity to help one another is strength. Having a reputation for integrity, that others may be willing to do business with you, is strength.
Nature’s God teaches us to walk a fine line between aggression and pushover-niceness that is called being assertive. Being courageous enough to fight for what is legitimately ours and yet acting with honor, integrity and respect for the rights of others is what wins the race. No human is an island. Our ability to survive and prosper depends on our ability to work together.
The muddled teachings of Jesus are at times impractical, at odds with the teachings of Nature’s God. Love your enemies? Do good to those who harm you? Resist not evil? Give away all that you have? That Christians rarely heed such advice is evident in the fact that the religion wasn’t wiped out long ago.
Reason indicates a natural system of morality whereby we respect the rights of others, as we would want to be treated in their places. For many deists, the basic concepts like those presented in John Stewart Mill’s “Harm Principle” provide a framework for a reason-based morality code:
“The Principle is, that the sole end for which mankind are warranted, individually or collectively, in interfering with the liberty of action of any of their number, is self-protection. That the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilised community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical or moral, is not sufficient warrant. He cannot rightfully be compelled to do or forbear because it will be better for him to do so, because it will make him happier, because, in the opinion of others, to do so would be wise, or even right...The only part of the conduct of anyone, for which he is amenable to society, is that which concerns others.
In the part which merely concerns himself, his independence is, of right, absolute. Over himself, over his own body and mind, the individual is sovereign.”
-John Stewart Mill, “Essay on Liberty” [6]
Also see the “Wiccan Rede” (“These eight words the Rede fulfill: An ye harm none, do what ye will.” [7]) or the “Golden Rule” in the Bible (below) for other examples of a natural, reason-based morality system:
Matthew 7:12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them:
There are some wise words attributed to Jesus. You simply have to know how to cherry pick the Bible to find them.
How is Deism different from…?
…Atheism
Atheism is best summed up by the statement, “I see no reason to believe in any god or gods” (“a” meaning “no” and “theism” meaning “belief in god or gods”). Although most atheists don’t positively assert that God doesn’t exist and the universe came to be on its own, this view is treated as the default assumption barring further proof to the contrary.
Arguably, the only difference between an atheist and a deist is their answer to the question on whether the universe was made or just happened. Put simply, where the atheist sees chaos, the deist sees order.
Aside from this philosophical difference, deists and atheists have a great deal in common. Both philosophies believe in the use of reason, empirical observation and scientific inquiry (atheists see expanding knowledge as a reduction of the “god of the gaps” while deists see further understanding of our universe as coming closer to God). Both reject superstition in favor of a rational worldview. Both reject church authority, scripture, and the imposition of religious ideology either in the law or upon the minds of humanity.
…Agnosticism
Agnosticism is the absence of any beliefs about God or other spiritual matters (“a” meaning “no” and “gnosis” meaning “knowledge of spiritual matters”). This view could be seen as a middle ground between the atheist and the deist. While the atheist is inclined to believe the universe explains itself and the deist is inclined to believe in a First Cause, the agnostic simply claims no opinion on the matter for lack of evidence.
These three philosophies (agnosticism, atheism and deism) might be best understood when arranged on a spectrum:
- Strong deism: “The universe proves a Creator.”
- Deism: “The universe indicates a Creator”.
- Agnosticism: “I don’t know.”
- Atheism: “I see no reason to believe in any god.”
- Strong atheism: “There is no god.”
…Pantheism
Pantheism (or pandeism) is the belief that the universe as a whole is God (“pan” meaning “all” and “theism” meaning “belief in god or gods”). The two, deism and pantheism, are often confused with each other for understandable reasons. Both deism and pantheism are rational attempts to understand our Creator through observation of the natural universe. They differ in the subtle distinction between seeing the universe as being divine verses seeing the universe as a miracle and the primary indications of the divine. Sometimes pantheists will use the term “pandeism” to underscore that they share with the deists the idea that God is not a personal God who desires to be worshipped.
“Scientific pantheists” differ from traditional pantheists in that they reject the idea of a conscious universe but they still distinguish themselves from atheists in their feeling of reverence for nature.
…Transcendentalism
The transcendentalist could be seen as a middle ground between the deist and the pantheist. Where the deist sees God as a separate being from our world and the pantheist sees God as the universe itself, the transcendentalist generally sees God as the sum total of consciousness in the universe (but still not the entire universe). God is the “Oversoul” and we are little extensions of It. For this reason, transcendentalists value intuition, as instinct may come from that part of us which is linked to the larger consciousness of the universe.
These different perceptions of God and the universe might be understood when arranged in their relationship to one another:
- Deism: “God is the Creator of the universe. We aren’t part of God and neither is the world. God is a separate being unto Itself.”
- Transcendentalism: “God is the ‘Oversoul’ or the sum total of consciousness in the universe. We are all extensions of God.”
- Pantheism: (or pandeism) “God is the entire universe. All things, living and otherwise, are part of God.”
- Scientific pantheism: “God is the universe but the universe doesn’t have a conscious will of its own.”
- Atheism: “What god?”
Notice how, as you proceed through the list, that God becomes an increasing part of the universe until, with scientific pantheism, It becomes a synonym for the universe itself.
…Intelligent Design
Intelligent Design is essentially Biblical Creationism masquerading as deism. Deism makes no claim to be science nor does it try to subvert the teaching of science. Deism is a philosophy and defers to science as to the questions of how the universe works.
Deism doesn’t dispute evolution nor does it hold that evolution is in conflict with the idea of a Creator. To the contrary, there is something miraculous in the progress from single-celled organisms to the advanced life forms we have become. Nothing in God’s Creation is instantly made into its final form. All things progress through stages of germination and development. From plants to stars, we see this is so. Why should we expect humanity to be the exception? Further, there’s no reason to think the process is completed. We can only imagine what we might continue to progress toward as a species. It’s likely that God is not yet finished with us and the Creation is an ongoing process.
Question: Why is it that creationists think it’s demeaning to believe that we evolved from simpler life forms yet think it glorious and uplifting to believe that we were made out of dirt?
…Secular Humanism
Depending on how you interpret secular humanism’s rejection of the supernatural and whether or not that includes the deist’s belief in a First Cause, it may be completely compatible with deism. Both philosophies believe in reason and reason-based morality, value scientific inquiry over faith and believe in living for this world as opposed to some hereafter that might or might not be. At the very least, the two worldviews would be compatible in all practical applications if not matters of abstract philosophy.
Conclusion
The purpose of this chapter is not to tell you that deism is “the Truth, the light or the way”. Whether we identify with the deist or atheist label, we must be honest with ourselves and admit that we don’t know the whole truth about our universe and can’t be completely certain of who is right. Rather, the purpose of this chapter is simply to present the philosophy so you may decide if it’s a good fit for you.
This book is written primarily for the wavering theist, the one who is convinced of God’s existence and yet is uncomfortable with the absurdities and morally questionable aspects of their faith. There may be many more deists out there than we suspect.
Whatever philosophy we may embrace, what’s most important is that we have the freedom and the courage to pursue our own answers.
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