Philosophical musings on Quanta & Qualia;  Materialism & Spiritualism; Science & Religion; Pragmatism & Idealism, etc.

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     Post 23. March 10, 2018 continued . . .

    Deism Beyond Reason

   Deism Imperfect but Evolving
   Olson gives Deism credit for being a rational worldview. But then explains, "When I say that deism might be more rational than traditional, orthodox Christianity I mean it does not go beyond what reason alone can discover and reveal about God. I believe deism (as described above) is much more reasonable than, say, atheism or even agnosticism." So he finds it closer to his own view than the completely goddless and materialist paradigms. However, as his title indicates, he cannot be a Deist because of one crucial deficiency. "Take away the incarnation of God in Jesus and Jesus’ resurrection and I would stop being a Christian. I might be a deist instead. But I would not love God; I would only fear him." 5

Although he’s probably not familiar with the updated deity of Neo-Deism, Mr. Olson’s evaluation is reasonable : that a religion with eternal salvation is infinitely better than one with merely a resignation to making the best of this vale of tears. But that appraisal is true only if the scriptural promise of salvation is backed up by plausible external evidence. Yet Deists, along with many others, have concluded, by the use of rational methods, that the “holy” scriptures are not the word of God, as they purport to be, but merely an anthology of myths propagated by ordinary men for various honorable or nefarious purposes6. In that case, both religions should be compared for their other values, besides empty promises.

Since the deity of Neo-Deism is not a king-like ruler, but more like a pragmatic programmer, there is nothing to fear. This G*D may not answer your prayers, but he also won't send you to hell. Whatever will be will be, and G*D will not intervene with miracles or lightning bolts from the sky. Instead, the creation is a living organism, and you are an essential element, with a role to play in the story that is unfolding. Your role may be simply to love your fellow man, and to make your corner of the world a better place, or it may be something more dramatic. You are the captain of your personal ship (Self), so you choose your next port-of-call, and you make preparations to weather the next storm.

After playing good cop for a while, Olson then puts on his black hat, and goes for the jugular. "I will say to any deist who pits deism against orthodox Christianity that deism, compared with Christianity, deism is insipid, tasteless, bland, and offers no hope." Perhaps, but Christianity is over-hyped, ostentatious, romanticized, and offers false hope. It is founded on a human-fabricated myth, and built out of a disputed motley canon7 of Jewish & pagan themes. So, where does that leave us? My solution to the outdated science, and fabulous foundations, of traditional religions is, not to lapse into Atheism, but to keep updating and reinventing. Lacking a direct revelation from the Creator, we must rely on our “god-given” Reason, and our evolved Morality to determine how to live a good life, for the benefit of Self, and others. That’s where I see a role for Neo-Deism as a possible next-generation religion8 for the 21st century. 

End of Post 23

5. Fear God :
Since the deity of Neo-Deism is equivalent to Mother Nature, there is no reason to fear Her. Now that we know that lightning bolts & hurricanes are not weapons of a vengeful god, we can replace fear with courage, and resolve to be better prepared next time for the challenges of life in a physical world.  

6. Why the Bible is not the Word of God :
by Baptist minister.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/alexander-j-barron/why-the-bible-is-not-the-_b_7717552.htm

7. Canon of Scriptures :
The differing criteria and processes of canonization dictate what the various communities regard as inspired scripture.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblical_canon

8. Religious Philosophy :
Deism has never been an actual religion for the masses. Instead, it has served as a philosophical worldview for an intellectual minority. But, with a few tweaks & concessions, it could become a viable religion for the 21st century. See Neo-Deism in the glossary..

Distinguishing Marks of Deism :
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Note :
Here are some additional quotes from the article :

<<Deism of some type is alive and well in America—both on an intellectual level and on a popular “folk religion” level. >>

<<but their Christianity was “free thinking” Christianity as opposed to “dogmatic Christianity.”>>