What Sustains Deists?

I hope Bob will not mind me posting since this blog has been inactive for some time. As one of those who has the privilege of being able to author posts on this blog, I must admit that the past few months has involved a lot of soul-searching when it comes to religion and philosophy, so I've been quiet. For a time, I also wanted little to do with what I have perceived is a predominant "culture" in modern Deism towards religion bashing. Despite disengaging from dialogue with Deists, I must admit the following two things. First, there are in general only two views available when it comes to religious belief. Either a person embraces a religion or philosophy that has the natural world as its source of authority, or a person embraces views that accept something beyond reality as the authority (such as revelation). I have struggled with my place in the scheme of all of the names and tags we give our beliefs, but I am completely dedicated to what we find in nature and reality as the source of religious belief.

Deism is not the only stamp a person can assign to himself or herself that embraces reality. Certain elements and schools of philosophy, both ancient and modern, are deeply rooted in the study and appreciation of the natural world. Certain teachers within Zen Buddhism point to reality as what we must wrestle with and ultimately accept. There are others, to be certain, some people I have met even within the confines of the so-called "revealed" religions. So simply because a person or group does not quote Thomas Paine, does not mean that they are not fellow-travellers with those of us who do not buy the view of a revelatory God waiting to burn us up like the head of a match. We should try to learn from and dialogue with others whose experiences are ultimately rooted in making the best of life in here-and-now, because the only other choice people have is to embrace "supernatural" religion that implies at its core that the world that may have a Creator behind it is simply not good enough.

Why should we do this? Why should we ask a Soto Zen Buddhist about zazen, or read Marcus Aurelius or Nietzsche, or learn about what is in our gardens, parks, and even our backyard as something like a spiritual act? Because we need it. Constantly reacting to, and railing against, the ills of revealed religion is not healthy, and will not sustain the psyche of many people. To be sure, there are people who have been deeply hurt by Roman Catholicism and need to draw from Deism as a source of validity to work through their hurt and anger. But at some point, the anger and sense of righteous indignation will wear off. We all need, at some point, something positive and life-affirming to sustain us. Embracing Deism does mean un-learning much that we have been told about God from established religions, but it also means embracing the beauty of nature that is bigger than us, that speaks to something bigger than us that we call "God". Such an approach to the spiritual life, that is rooted in the created order, no matter where it comes from, should be enough to sustain us. It has been enough to sustain me in the past few months.

So let me ask: what is it about Deism that sustains you?

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I have a new home. Come check out what I have been up to. I will be adding more personal content and moving in a more philosophical direction.

http://thebob.tumblr.com/

I am still not sure about the future of this blog, so stay tuned.

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Warning in America: Andrew J. Bacevich on Bill Moyers Journal

"We modern Americans are marvels of indolence. We'll slap magnetic "Support our troops" ribbons on our minivans and surrender our freedoms to telephone companies if that's what it takes to keep from having to protect our freedoms"

By Mark Czerniec

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Note: Click on read more. This article is a must read. Enough said!

Deism Podcast Episode 8 - No Jealous God For Me Please

Episode 8 of The Deism Podcast is now available for download via the Deism Podcast Blog and iTunes. Click on the image above to go there now.

This episode features a dialog from WUD Director Bob Johnson. This week in Deism News, learn about a recently published article about a prominent Atheist turned Deist. Also, learn how multimedia content on Deism is spreading around the Internet.

I would like to thank everyone for their support of this podcast. Spread the word of Deism by recommending this podcast to all of your friends and family members. Please provide any feedback or comments that you have to help us improve the show.

Deism News:
Atheist Changed His Mind
Deism on YouTube(link shows videos for and against Deism, so choose wisely)

Enjoy the show!

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YouTube - Deism FAQ: God and the Natural Universe

John Armstrong has been posting some interesting and thought provoking videos on YouTube and I thought that it would be great to share some of them here.

This video provides a basic overview of the falsies within the bible. John provides reason based questions and information that makes it apparent that the bible is filled with ridiculous fantasy and falsehoods.

Let me know what you think.

The Rise and Fall of Individualism

America was built on a firm stance of individualism. Immigrants to the English colonies were escaping persecution and intolerance. The collectivism of Europe pushed people to find new homes, and more importantly, a new way to live. American independence was a result of the hard handed stance of individualism and individual freedom. The Founding Fathers of America intended to create a new government that would show the world that people living as individuals could maintain a homogeneous society.

"The majority, oppressing an individual, is guilty of a crime, abuses its strength, and by acting on the law of the strongest breaks up the foundations of society." --Thomas Jefferson

Words to this effect held a special power in the early days of the American Democracy. People and their individual rights were the pinnacle of American idealism. If people could maintain their voices and be heard above the masses, then the balance of power would always be maintained. Popular thought held that elected officials were the best and brightest of the American people and the people would always elect those who were best to lead. The addition of the Bill of Rights to the Constitution added to the idea of individualism and in most minds cemented the fact that individualism would yield a government sworn to protect the interests of the people.

Halfway though the 20th century, something ominous began to happen. Individual voices began to drown out the will of the majority. Individualism began to unbalance the powers that the Founding Fathers so meticulously designed. The will of the individual began to win out over common sense and reason. Frivolous lawsuits, unjust wars, unethical corporate practices, and corrupt politicians have cost the American people billions of dollars and thousands of lives. We are beginning now to understand that any ideal, unchecked, can lead to a society's undoing. The essence of individualism is to choose one’s own standards, or ignore standards entirely, so long as that decision is well-reasoned. The problem is, that reason can be flawed, and a society with no standards will eventually crumble.

"Democracy in itself does not define or guarantee a free society. History has told many stories of democratic societies that have degenerated into corruption, plunder, and tyranny." -- Richard M. Ebeling

For too long now, we have hidden behind the guise of a Democratic nation. Far from the truth, America is no longer a Democracy. Each new President brings us closer to totalitarianism. People's right and liberties are being repressed. Individuals, and individual ideals, are preventing the majority from protecting our precious freedoms. Individualism should not, and probably will not, ever die or fade away. However, the majority needs to regain its voice and footing. Democracy is not republicanism. We are not representatives of our government. We elect officials to govern for us. We elect people who we believe are best suited to make the decisions that protect our rights and interests. Individualism is preventing this. An individual's ideals are preventing the government from doing what is best for the whole of our nation. Our officials spend far too much time placating to every minority, special interest group, and individual within their constituency.

Reason can help us strike a balance between Individualism and Collectivism. The majority can have a voice and individuals can still maintain their rightful place within the American and world society. We must remember that what is good for one, might not be the best for all.

"Democracy must be something more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner." -- James Bovard

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Deism Podcast Episode 7 - A Little Talk About Paine

Episode 7 of The Deism Podcast is now available for download via the Deism Podcast Blog and iTunes. Click on the image above to go there now.

This episode features a dialog from WUD Director Bob Johnson. Listen to Deism News for information concerning an LA Time article about Deism. Also, make sure you listen to the Deism News section to hear an announcement concerning the WUD.

I would like to thank everyone for their support of this podcast. Spread the word of Deism by recommending this podcast to all of your friends and family members. Please provide any feedback or comments that you have to help us improve the show.

Deism News:
Article about the Jefferson Bible

Enjoy the show!

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With meticulous editing, Jefferson made Bible his own.

"Jefferson was not the only 18th-century leader who questioned traditional Christian teachings. Like many other upper-class educated citizens of the new republic, including George Washington, Jefferson was a deist."

By Louis Sahagun
Los Angeles Times / July 7, 2008

read more | digg story

Note: This is a story that every Deist should read. Frequently Deists, including myself, lash out at the revealed religions. Our anger tends to cloud the fact that good can be found in all things. Jefferson knew this fact, and although he considered himself a Deist, he wanted the world to know that the bible hid many of the standard morals that guide our lives today behind superstitions and exaggerated stories.

Also, it should be noted that this story was printed in the Los Angeles Times, meaning that Deism is becoming more mainstream as the word about Deism spreads. This is an encouraging fact that could lead to more people learning how to lead a life based on reason. This story also highlights the importance of learning about the ideals of our Founding Fathers and their impact on our culture and civilization.