Usually when someone asks me which religion I follow, I always give the same answer: “I am a Deist”. but it is clear that Deism is not a religion. I give this answer just to get rid of the question and trying not to get in so many details as this topic needs when people doesn´t know what is about; also to give an idea that I believe in a higher deity but not by a theistic religion.
Deism is a philosophy that asserts the existence of God as creator and organizer of the universe and each of its physical and natural processes, and that can be perceived through rational contemplation and study of physics and nature.Thus the rational Deism is the belief of God.
Deism is not guided by any writing, religion or holy book, as all these are merely human creations there are multiple deities or persons to whom worship is simply clear that there is a God.
Because Deism basis believing in God through reason, the description of God can vary from a deist to other and the reason each person is very subjective and each end somewhat depending on the way it looks or its logical conversations on the subject with others . However, we all have something clear, Deism is that God does not interfere with the free will of the people, not a person involved in the daily lives of each of the individuals on the planet.
Deism was born long ago with some of the early Greek philosophers, but it took real importance about the fifteenth century with the revival since by this time began to structure thought and study on the physical nature and the universe, two people who consider themselves were deists at the time Galileo Galilei and Isaac Newton, who as we know were the fathers and founders of physics and astronomy we know now.
Near the seventeenth century were a few writers who delved into the subject of Deism setting ideas as that the state should be separate from religion and the free choosing of a religion. This does not stop at simple ideas but took real importance in the U.S. and applied these concepts, then these ideas have been applied in different countries in the world, having now a large majority of countries where they operate these thoughts.
As expected there were several clashes between the Catholic religion and Deism for several reasons, the most important are:
- In Deism is clear about the theory of evolution and all existing scientific theories.
- Deism believes that God is not an entity that engages in human behavior.
- Deism believes that religion should be separate from the state, since each has convictions and quite different purposes.
- Deism is not guided by any book, church, person, ritual, dogma, creed, among others.
So far I did not want to make any definition of God because as I said before, is subjective depending on each person’s reasoning, however, when people ask me how I can accept the theory of evolution and still believe in God (probably many have this question), these people tell them that the first thing to do is forget any religious paradigm to understand the Deist philosophy, God is a creator and organizer of being every one of the natural and physical processes in the universe, the probability of the existence of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe is extremely small and the fact that we as rational intelligent life in this world we are not a matter of chance or luck, as Albert Einstein said ” God does not play dice “, many events have been very detailed and difficult to understand so that we are here, and all this has gone through so.The ability to reason is the clearest evidence of the existence of God (This phrase, taking into account the ontological argument ).
Some of the most famous deists in history:
- Socrates
- Platon
- Aristotle
- Benjamin Frankiln
- George Washington
- Albert Einstein ( Einstein’s Reliance Deist )
- Stephen Hawking (I personally think Deist, this based on his writings and ideas about science and God)
On the net there are hundreds of sites (most of those who believe) talking about the subject, I have noticed that this way of thinking has been growing slowly in recent years and that knowledge has grown significantly, it is now easier to find a young person or person wondering, how a man blow solidified mud? How are recorded in the Bible people (like Noah) with more than 750 years? What is an Angel? How do I know God exists?, I think in time these questions are far more common than we think and the need to find reasonable answers brings us to the growing knowledge of deism.
Gente inteligente.