What’s The Point of Deism?

“The great question I have with Deism is why would you bother?”

That strikes me as an odd question. I mean, what’s the point of physics? Physics is a way to describe the way the world works, a collection of theories. Deism is also a way of describing the way the world works, albeit one that doesn’t use, say, document-able, repeatable, or even observable evidence. Otherwise they’re the same thing.

Sort of.

The trouble with “nickpheas’” comments lies in the word “worship.” Deism isn’t exactly a religion, although it does look at religious question. But just because it has a religious bent does not mean that there is any sort of worship implied... any more than a physicist worships the Grand Unified Theory.

I do not worship a deity. I do not serve one. I do not give thanks for its acts, and I do not believe the existence of such a deity has an impact upon my daily life.

So why am I deist? Why do I think about this at all? Why am I concerned with the question and how it relates to my life?

Because, simply put, I have faith.

I am not proud of it. In fact, it’s rather irritating at time because it is entirely irrational. I have never experienced anything that could not be explained through common means. I have no reason to believe that there is a god, or a creator. I like to think that I’m aware enough to concede that existence itself is not evidence of a first cause, let alone a first creator.

And yet.

And yet, I have laid upon the grass and looked up at the stars and believed. And yet, I have looked into myself... and I have believed.

Much of the rest of it has to do social conditioning. I was raised Catholic and there are deep, human needs that religion provides and I suspect that my feelings of loss and search stem from their lack. But for all my rationality, for all my fierce belief in humanism... still I believe.

Now, I just have to figure out what I believe in.

The Grudging Deist – an explanation

Some years ago, I got myself ordained by the Universal Church Triumphant of the Apathetic Agnostic (UCTAA, their motto: “We don’t know, and we don’t care”). I did this mostly because I’ve long wanted to be able to perform weddings, but partially because I think I’d make a fine priest... if it weren’t for all that faith stuff.

I was talking about this with my Good Friend once, and he said, “The thing is, you know you’re not agnostic. At best you’re an angry deist.” I don’t think he got that quite right. I thought I was more of a... deist, I guess. I mean, someone who felt like God set up the universe and then stepped out for a hell of a long smoke break or something. I don’t know if I’m angry about it, but, sure there’s a bit of a grudge against the whole thing. And presto, there you go. A grudging deist.

So, I’m adding my voice to the cacophony, and using this site perhaps to document my search for the real meaning of a Grudging Deist. Or perhaps this is it, my whisper in a scream, never to be heard from again.

Anyone want to give odds on which is more likely?

Yeah, so I have a blog too....

Well, it's not entirely expected, and it's not completely my fault. But I was reading Andrew Rilstone's blog (who is a very bright and insightful man, and very entertaining to read), and wanted to post a comment on his piece on The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, but to do so required me to create a blog of my own. (Can you believe it?)

Well, I figured, what the hell. It's not like I haven't thought about blogging before, so I went ahead with it.

Thus, I have added my voice to the cacophany.