NOM

I've been reading "Nature's God" by Matthew Stewart. He points out that Jefferson, Washington, Franklin, and many other founding fathers were deists. This is emphasized in Jefferson's reference to "Nature and Nature's God" in the Declaration of Independence. We don't hear much about deism nowadays. What happened to it?
I do sometimes read nationalists try to rewrite history to say that Jefferson, etc. were Christians but I think they are deluding themselves.
Where are the Deists today?
Somedays I think I might be one.

deacon blues wrote: ↑Sat May 24, 2025 7:57 am I've been reading "Nature's God" by Matthew Stewart. He points out that Jefferson, Washington, Franklin, and many other founding fathers were deists. This is emphasized in Jefferson's reference to "Nature and Nature's God" in the Declaration of Independence. We don't hear much about deism nowadays. What happened to it?
I do sometimes read nationalists try to rewrite history to say that Jefferson, etc. were Christians but I think they are deluding themselves.
Where are the Deists today?
Somedays I think I might be one.

Deism doesn't give me any (lame) answers to the "Big Questions."

Deism is too wishy-washy for humans to form a cult surrounding it, so it languishes in obscurity.

"These are my thoughts so far."

Maybe it's the argument that if you believe in God enough to think he created the universe, why is it difficult for you to believe he's still around bt that your tiny human brain just isn't picking up on the evidence, or mistakenly expecting it to look different.

One problem with the endowment ceremony is that it indoctrinated Mormons (us in a former life) to have a very narrow view of God: white, male, long hair and beard, white robes, sandals, lives in a Geek style temple in the sky. Maybe it's because most people create god in the image of their father or grandfather. Even when Mormons stop believing, that is the image we think everyone else shares.
But most people, even Christians, were not indoctrinated into that- though that may be the way many picture God. Interestingly, Muslims are indoctrinated contrary to that view.
I think Thomas Jefferson saying "laws of nature and Nature's God" and "their Creator" is not describing the god of the endowment movie/video.
Why do I make a big deal about it? Because Jefferson used that specific language to describe his beliefs, namely Deism, in The Declaration of Independence, which Christian nationalists revere as "inspired by God." .
Was Jefferson hiding his atheism by calling it Deism? I don't think so, and I don't think Christian Nationalists want to believe that.
Importantly, that would be damned hard to prove!
So what?
Christian Nationalism is trying to recreate the founding fathers in their own image. (How typically human. )
Why? So they can have power to redefine everything else in this country. (I could be wrong, but it's unlikely)
So I believe the words "laws of nature and Nature's God, are a very helpful defense to combat the Christian Nationalist views.
It might be important someday, soon.

Once you understand that the universe proceeds along knowable and mostly known processes that also happen to explain the start up of the observable universe, it turns out the isn't a need for god to kickstart it.

Indeed,there would be no place for him to have acted from and no time in which to have acted. Or time to have even made a decision to start acting.

Deism always struck me as atheism for an era when atheism was not socially acceptable. It is as close as you can get to not believing in a god as you can get without not believing. In time not long after the Salem witch trials, not believing in a god could have messy consequences.

Today, now that atheism is socially acceptable, people have make the final leap from a minimalist god to just no god.

I think Deism was trying to make contemporary Christian belief into something beneficial to the lives of ordinary people.