- Discussion:
-Deism is the belief that God created the universe, set everything in order, and has not been involved with it since. In other words, this viewpoint maintains that there is no supernatural intervention by God in creation. Deists rely solely on reason in their rejection of miracles, including the divine inspiration of Scripture and truths related to the gospel. Also, this article excerpt is worth pondering:
"Classical deism has existed since ancient times and centers on the idea of one Supreme Being who created all things. This thought system evolved in ancient Greek literature as well, and can be seen in the apostle Paul's argument for the Christian message to those in Athens in Acts 17:23-27."
"Classical deism has existed since ancient times and centers on the idea of one Supreme Being who created all things. This thought system evolved in ancient Greek literature as well, and can be seen in the apostle Paul's argument for the Christian message to those in Athens in Acts 17:23-27."
We as Christians should regard this system of thought to be outright heretical, since God has indeed given to us divine revelation and does interact with creation. The Bible describes in ample detail His character. It attests to His unsearchable graciousness, love, mercy, and righteousness. The Old Testament records God intervening for Israel on multiple occasions. In fact, He offered His only begotten Son Jesus Christ to make atonement for our sins. There may be times in this life when the Lord may seem distant, but we know very well that He is interacting with creation.
Is deism even a coherent philosophy? Not at all. How can a person on the basis of creation alone (i.e. physical entities) deduce the existence of logic and reason (i.e. non physical entities)? How could one come to grasp spiritual concepts such as sin and repentance without another source of divine revelation? If there is no ultimate, infallible spiritual standard to govern our worldview, then how can we determine truth in the midst of subjective, contradictory ideas? How can one derive morals from observing nature?
