From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Thomas Paine was a famous deist who wrote The Age of Reason

Deism is the belief that a higher being (like the Christian God) exists but does not tell people what to do. Deism says people should rely on logic and reason and not traditions of a religion based on a holy book. People who follow Deism are called Deists.

Deists believe that a higher power created the world. They do not believe that the creation of the universe happened because of a spontaneous event. They usually reject supernatural events like miracles and believe that God has set up natural laws and does not interfere with them. Most deists also see holy books, such as the Bible and Qur'an, as writings made by people rather than the writings of God.

Famous Deists from history include the third President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson,[1] American political leader and scientist Benjamin Franklin, famed French conqueror Napoleon Bonaparte, the French writer and philosopher Voltaire,[1] British philosopher Thomas Paine, and actor Marlon Brando.

References[change | change source]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Gay, Peter; Time-Life Books (1966). "A Religion of Rationality". Age of Enlightenment. Time. pp. 36.

Other websites[change | change source]