Aaron Admin

Age : 37 Joined : 24 Jan 2007 Posts : 1132 Location: : Connecticut
| Subject: Theism and Deism Thu Jan 24, 2008 12:20 pm | |
| What do you think the main difference is between Theism and Deism? _________________ "Enjoy every sandwich" ~ Warren Zevon |
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The Paineful Truth

Joined : 19 Sep 2007 Posts : 356 Location: : Arizona
| Subject: Re: Theism and Deism Thu Jan 24, 2008 3:06 pm | |
| Technically, deism is a form of theism that holds there is no divine intervention in the natural universe, while theism's main tenet is that God is a personal God. But convention has deism as something separate from theism--probably so the other theists can deride it for making sense. _________________
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Helium
Joined : 14 Sep 2007 Posts : 436 Location: : Toronto
| Subject: Re: Theism and Deism Fri Jan 25, 2008 12:00 am | |
| | Quote: | | Technically, deism is a form of theism that holds there is no divine intervention in the natural universe |
That's what I would think but I don't know all the greek origins of the words.
But I would say my view of deism is closely rated to theism in that I posit a God, just one that doesn't abrogate the natural laws of the universe. |
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Schizophretard

Age : 26 Joined : 22 Oct 2007 Posts : 359 Location: : In the core of Uranus.
| Subject: Re: Theism and Deism Fri Feb 29, 2008 5:36 am | |
| Theist: One who has blind faith in revealed religion.
Deist: One who has a reasonable faith in natural religion. _________________ "I am just a figment of God's imagination." Schizophretard
"I fully comprehended the power of the human mind at the exact moment I came to the realization that I'm totally insane and have no idea what I'm talking about." Schizophretard
"I'm sorry Mrs. Pubicsmurf but aliens ate my homework assignment." Schizophretard
"I love myself so much that I quote myself." Schizophretard(: |
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stretmediq

Age : 49 Joined : 04 Oct 2007 Posts : 179 Location: : Tulsa, Ok.
| Subject: Re: Theism and Deism Mon Mar 03, 2008 4:05 am | |
| | The Paineful Truth wrote: | | Technically, deism is a form of theism that holds there is no divine intervention in the natural universe, while theism's main tenet is that God is a personal God. But convention has deism as something separate from theism--probably so the other theists can deride it for making sense. |
I have to disagree. I think Deism is different from Theism just as Christianity is different from Judaism. One came from the other but has evolved to the point it can no longer be thought of as a form of the other.
Theism is a belief in God based on revelation. Deism is a belief in God based on reason. In other words Theists believe in God because someone else told them to and Deists believe in God because they figured it out for themselves. However, some Deists may come to the conclusion that some traditional religion is true and so consider themselves Christian or Buddhist or whatever. They are adherents to a religion but not because they were told it was true they just examined the evidence available to them and became convinced it was right. As a hardcore evolutionist I hate to admit it but many IDer's could be considered Deists for that reason.
So Deism can be Theistic, or like Theism, in some cases because many Deists believe God purposely created the world and so hold that God can intervene in the world but chooses not to. But it can also be A-theistic, or like Atheism, in that some (including me) think that while the universe is contingent on God it was not purposely created by God. Atheistic Deists believe the cosmos is instead an epiphenomenon, or unintentional byproduct of a God that has no powers of intervention.
It is a fine distinction but being like something in some respects is not the same as being that thing.
P.S. I have posted what I mean by the world being an epiphenomenon of God here: http://panendeism.userboard.net/deism-f4/the-non-creator-god-t273.htm#2529 |
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