Examples of Deism

Deists believe in God. They just don’t believe in God way that “revealed” religions do. Deists consider revealed religions to be Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Deism rejects the idea that religions have any special divine revelation, and they reject the use of holy books. Their belief in God stems from the structure of the universe. If the Deists were to have a religious book, it would probably be Thomas Paine’s “The Age of Reason.”

Deists believe that a universal force greater than man created nature. According to the World Union of Deists, every human possesses God-given reason. God and religion are not the same things to Deists. Churches are human inventions that often are misused for power and profit. Deists believe it's wrong for people to suspend their God-given reason to accept notions like original sin, healing the sick without medical care and walking on water. Instead of believing in God through faith, deists believe in God through reason.

Fear of death is a big motivator for some people to subscribe to a particular religion, according to the World Union of Deists. Different religions have varying opinions on what will happen after death. Deists teach that no one knows for sure what happens after death and that we should not worry about it. People should work to improve the Earth and to enjoy it while here.

Deists don't believe God kills babies or that Jesus raised the dead, as depicted in the Old and New Testaments. Instead, Deists believe in a more simple and nondogmatic God. They refer to God as a he or a she, believing that societies that characterize God as a man relegate women to a lesser standing.

Deists do not believe in blaming God for life’s horrors, such as disease, war and disasters. Rather, they believe it is in people’s power to eliminate or neutralize atrocities. For example, by studying nature, humans found cures for disease. Deists envision a world in which cooperation will make warfare obsolete.

Deists have opened a Reason Center in Washington state's Mount Rainier National Park. The center is open every weekend, providing fellowship and camaraderie to other Deists and welcoming anyone who wishes to learn about Deism. Deists would like to see reason centers open throughout the world.