Deism is a philosophical state that derives the existence and nature of God from reason, as opposed to theism, which relies on direct supernatural revelation and scriptural dogma. Deism rose during the 1700s in Europe and the US and today exists in Classical Deism and Modern Deism.
The deist school of thought includes:
- Rejection of miracles, prophecies, and supernatural events.
- Rejection of holy scriptures and religions based on scriptures.
- Rejection of most major religious faiths, such as Islam, Christianity, and Judaism.
- God exists and created the universe.
- God has an absolute standard for morality.
- Humans have some form of a "spirit" or "soul".
While deists agree that some form of God exists, the nature of God to individuals will vary greatly. This has caused deism to be much more obscure in the religious world, as deists, like atheists, are only unified by a belief in a God. Because there is no scriptural standard or dogma, deism is not classified as a religion but rather as a philosophical state. Generally, today, deists identify with an omnipotent God who created the universe but now has no personal interaction with the actual world. Other variations include pandeism, a belief that everything is a part of God but humans are unable to comprehend God in its entirety due to the infinite nature of God.