Deism, alive and well in the US

[tumbleweed41]

When historians refer to some of the Founding Fathers as "Deists," it's as if they're talking about an extinct philosophy, like alchemy or phrenology. Very few Americans go around describing themselves as Deists.
Well, perhaps that ought to change. A new study reveals that a rapidly growing number of Americans hold the belief system that used to be described as Deism.

Deism was a philosophy, especially popular in the 18th century, holding that God had created the universe and its laws but then receded from the action. It was treated as heretical -- akin to atheism -- because Deists rejected Biblical authority. Thomas Jefferson, for instance, wrote that the authors of the canonical Gospels were "ignorant, unlettered men" who laid "a groundwork of vulgar ignorance, of things impossible, of superstitions, fanaticisms, and fabrications." He famously crafted his own Bible sans miracles.

This brings us to a new study about the rise of "Nones," Americans who profess no religious affiliation. Trinity College analysts now conclude that Nones make up 15% of the population and that, given their rate of rapid growth, their numbers might soon surpass the nation's largest denominations.
The rise of the Nones is usually decried by religious leaders as a sign of secularization or atheism's ascent, but get this: 51% say they believe in God.
Now, some of those folks might just be religious people in between churches. So the Trinity folks asked them to describe what kind of God they believed in. 24% say they believe in "a higher power but no personal God."

That would mean about 3.6% of Americans could be considered Deists, making them more common than Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, or Mormons.
Deism: Alive and Well in America - WSJ.com

 

[Alceste]

Interesting. I hope the trend keeps up. I think, all in all, a cosmology with a non-interfering God is healthier and more conducive to ethical behavior than the "humans are sock puppets for God or Satan" concept. If we believe in a God that simply wound the clock and stepped away to let it tick, we have to sort out our own problems; our mistakes are no-one's fault but our own.

 

[tumbleweed41]

Interesting. I hope the trend keeps up. I think, all in all, a cosmology with a non-interfering God is healthier and more conducive to ethical behavior than the "humans are sock puppets for God or Satan" concept. If we believe in a God that simply wound the clock and stepped away to let it tick, we have to sort out our own problems; our mistakes are no-one's fault but our own.

Not to mention, our successes are equally our own doing.

 

[Morse]

Deism is a good concept to an extent, but more people being deists really would not change much.

Current religions give some people excuses to do bad things, but they also fill others with hope and inspire them to do fantastic things.

Deism takes away the excuse to do such bad things to an extent, but also releases those that only offered lip service and were bound by fear or old church ties from a usually acceptable moral code.

And furthermore we've solved our problems for the entirety of our species lifespan, and it should not matter who the credit goes to as long as the achievement was made. At least, that is how I view it.

 

[Caladan]

That would mean about 3.6% of Americans could be considered Deists, making them more common than Jews

Hey! there was never anything common about Jews!

 

[tumbleweed41]

Deism takes away the excuse to do such bad things to an extent, but also releases those that only offered lip service and were bound by fear or old church ties from a usually acceptable moral code.

Deistic philosophy supports a humanistic approach to morality. I have always found fear to be a poor excuse for moral living.

 

[Morse]

Many other people haven't.

As well, many of the people who claim to be N/A don't know anything about Deistic Philosophy, they don't even know what Deism is (Hence why they say N/A). The only thing that relates them to Deism is the basic concept that god is a divine clockmaker.

This can be changed though. As Christian Pastors educate people on the word of God, Deistic Philosophers could educate people on the finer points of Deism (Although I've never seen a congregation place for Deists)

 

[mako]

Actually the Deism of the founding fathers never went extinct...I am a third generation Deist and my children are 4th and grandchildren 5th genertion. I think it just because unsafe to openly claim to be Deist in the U.S., I know as a kid I did suffer some discrimination because of my family's belief system.

 

[Yoshieslunchbox]

Labels give us a very poor way of keeping track of individual's beliefs. From the Agnostics I've talked to it feels like some of them would be properly defined as Deists according to definition, but since they aren't familiar with the difference between the two they use "Agnostic" for sake of ease. The inverse could also be true, but I've come across so few Deists in person it would be hard to say.

Deism is a good concept to an extent, but more people being deists really would not change much.

Probably not. Religious belief is just one of many factors that contribute to a person's reasoning. Minority groups tend to sell their souls when they become the majority, and individuals tend to ignore or use religion based upon what they want at the moment.