On Good and Evil by Albert Einstein

This short essay taken from Albert Einstein's book The World as I See It p. 7. It is right in principle that those should be the best loved who have contributed most to the elevation of the human race and human life. But, if one goes on to ask who they are, one finds oneself in no inconsiderable difficulties. In the case of political, and even of religious, leaders, it is often very doubtful whether they have done more good or harm. Hence I most seriously believe that one does people the best service by giving them some elevating...

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Epicurus – Jefferson's Favorite

Another philosophy that focused on how one should live was Epicureanism. Its founder was Epicurus, who was younger than Pyrrho the Skeptic by 19 years, and older than Zeno, the founder of Stoicism, by 8 years. Epicurus was from the island of Samos. He went to Athens at the age of eighteen to confirm his Athenian citizenship – the year before Alexander died. Later he took up residence in the city of Mytilene, and there, at the age of thirty, he acquired recognition as a philosopher. Like the Cynics and Stoics, Epicureans believed it best to...

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Basic Religion Test Stumps Many Americans

Americans are by all measures a deeply religious people, but they are also deeply ignorant about religion. How much do you know about religion? Try answering a sampling of questions asked in a phone survey by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. Researchers from the independent Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life phoned more than 3,400 Americans and asked them 32 questions about the Bible, Christianity and other world religions, famous religious figures and the constitutional principles governing religion in public life. On average,...

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A Christian Deist's View of Bible Study and Prayer

I have written other essays relating to the practice of Christian deism as a personal religion. In the essay, "Christian Deism as a Personal Religion," I focused on what it means to "love God" and "love neighbor" as we live each day. I also focused on repentance by us, and our forgiveness of others. In the essay, "Christian Deists: Christians Without Churches," I focused on the meaning of worship "in spirit and in truth." In this essay, I will try to address the subjects of Bible study and prayer in the practice of Christian deism. In regard...

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This is What Deists Believe About Forgiveness

I have always believed in forgiveness, (or at least I think I always thought I had - at the very least as a civilized value). To believe in a value, however, and to practice it are two entirely different things as I came to find out. Ultimately I came to practice it because I was forced to face the harm that was done to me when I was abused as a child. This was forced upon me by a mental breakdown and it made me realise that I needed to heal from what had been done to me. I found the only way I could do that was through appropriate therapy and...

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Here's What Deism Really Is

Deism is a well-established theology with a long history. It is said to originate in the Age of Enlightenment, according to Wikipedia, but it could be argued that it goes all the way back to the days of the great Greek philosophers. It was popular with several of the American Founding Fathers, including Thomas Paine, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and more, and is experiencing a resurgence. Thomas Paine once said “God exists, and there it lies.” This brilliant man summed up Deist theology in a single sentence, and demonstrated the simplicity...

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The Essence of Deism

The word "Deism" is derived from the Latin word for God, "Deus." Deism is a natural religion. Deists believe in the existence of God, on purely rational grounds, without any reliance on revealed religion or religious authority or holy text. Because of this, Deism is quite different from religions like Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The latter are based on revelations from God to prophet(s) who then taught it to humans. We like to call...

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9 Things Every Deist Should Know

While there are no "official" tenets of Deism, many of the following "unofficial" tenets might be the best way to introduce generally accepted beliefs within Deism. The unofficial tenets of Deism are: 1. Belief in God based on Reason, Experience and Nature (nature of the universe) rather than on the basis of pure faith, holy texts and divine revelation. Essentially, through the use of Reason, God’s existence is revealed by the observation of...

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Deism's Relationship with Christianity

I thought it would be interesting to consider what Deism shares with the Christian religion. This topic could be a bit tricky because Deists have no set of codified beliefs. We consider ourselves to be free-thinkers, so we don’t tell each other what to believe. But, in a nutshell, Deists believe in God as revealed in nature, and then use reason to determine for ourselves our other personal beliefs and practices. This makes me reluctant to speak for all Deists everywhere, so I’ll just share the similarities that I know of.  In the first place,...

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