Deism
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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"The object of the following Dialogue is to prove that the system of Deism is untenable. It is attempted to shew that there is no alternative between Atheism and Christianity; that the evidences of the Being of a God are to be deduced from no other principles than those of Divine Revelation."--"A Refutation of Deism" (1814) by Percy Bysshe Shelley |
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Deism in the philosophy of religion is the standpoint that reason and observation of the natural world, without the need for organized religion, can determine that the universe is a creation and has a creator. Furthermore, the term often implies that this supreme being does not intervene in human affairs or suspend the natural laws of the universe. Deists typically reject supernatural events such as prophecy and miracles, tending to assert that a god (or "the Supreme Architect") does not alter the universe by (regularly or ever) intervening in the affairs of human life. This idea is also known as the Clockwork universe theory, in which a god designs and builds the universe, but steps aside to let it run on its own. Deists believe in the existence of a god without any reliance on revealed religion, religious authority or holy books. Two main forms of deism currently exist: classical deism and modern deism.
See also
- American Enlightenment
- Christian deism
- Ceremonial deism
- Ietsism
- Infinitism
- List of deists
- Religious affiliations of Presidents of the United States
- Theistic evolution
- Transcendentalism
- Unitarian Universalism
