DEIS
M
DEISM
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The word “Deism” is derived from the Latin word for God:
“Deus.” Deism involved the belief in the existence of God, on
purely rational grounds, without any reliance on revealed
religion or religious authority
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Deists
- Do not accept the belief of most religions that God
revealed himself to humanity through the writing of the
Bible, the Qur’an or other religious texts
- Disagree with strong Atheists who assert that there is no
evidence of the existence of God
K E Y FA C T S / B E L I E F S A B O U T D E I S M
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Belief in a higher power/supreme being.
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Belief in an afterlife.
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Rejects revelations as a source of religious evidence.
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Oriented toward scientific fact and natural observation, rather
than scripture.
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Heavily influenced by ideas from the Enlightenment.
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Very much an intellectual movement.
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Heavily influential during the American revolution and in early
America. The Declaration of Independence uses Deistic
language.
W H AT D E I S T S D O N O T B E L I E V E I N :
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The revelations of the Abrahamic religions.
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The Bible as an absolute guide.
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The need for frequent prayer.
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Baptism and circumcision.
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Regularly attending church or any other meeting involving
worship.
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The need for a personal relationship with a priest.
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Communion.
W H AT D O E S T H E B I B L E S AY ?
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Discuss with your neighbor. What sorts of things can you
come up with? Jot them down on the space provided in your
notes.
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**Be sure to write down what other groups say as well**