What about deism? (Introduction)
I'm not a deist, but I just wonder if you guys have any rational (not illogical + non-dogmatic) objections to it. - I can fully understand why a person would be an atheist if he were told that the most reasonable God available threatens to torment him forever if he fails to believe(1) something that any rational mind would find improbable. Under such a God, Jesus could have been a hand puppet sent to sucker frightened fools into signing up for eternal servitude. - But what if that's not the most reasonable God available? Given what we've all seen of Earth history, plus our own personal experience, plus the fact that we have no reliable data to judge even the probability of an afterlife, is not deism a reasonable possibility? - I'm defining deism as the belief(1) that a personal non-omniscient Being created this universe mainly to see what happens when he does it. Further, that he created life supporting planets including Earth and humanity (possibly by evolution) again to see what happens when he does it. And then he sits back and observes. - Is such a scenario possible? If so, is it likely? Likely or not, would such a God be just? Are there any circumstances under which such a God would be definitely just or unjust?
Complete thread:
- What about deism? -
Cary Cook,
2008-06-15, 04:45
- What about deism? - George Jelliss, 2008-06-15, 15:05
- What about deism? -
dhw,
2008-06-16, 14:02
- What about deism? -
Cary Cook,
2008-06-17, 02:40
- What about deism? -
dhw,
2008-06-17, 11:09
- What about deism? -
Cary Cook,
2008-06-18, 04:06
- What about deism? -
dhw,
2008-06-18, 14:15
- What about deism? -
Cary Cook,
2008-06-19, 00:54
- What about deism? -
dhw,
2008-06-19, 15:11
- What about deism? -
Cary Cook,
2008-06-20, 00:54
- What about deism? -
dhw,
2008-06-20, 19:43
- What about deism? -
Cary Cook,
2008-06-21, 04:23
- What about deism? -
dhw,
2008-06-22, 08:01
- What about deism? - Cary Cook, 2008-06-23, 00:58
- What about deism? -
dhw,
2008-06-22, 08:01
- What about deism? -
Cary Cook,
2008-06-21, 04:23
- What about deism? -
dhw,
2008-06-20, 19:43
- What about deism? -
Cary Cook,
2008-06-20, 00:54
- What about deism? -
dhw,
2008-06-19, 15:11
- What about deism? -
Cary Cook,
2008-06-19, 00:54
- What about deism? -
dhw,
2008-06-18, 14:15
- What about deism? -
Cary Cook,
2008-06-18, 04:06
- What about deism? -
dhw,
2008-06-17, 11:09
- What about deism? -
Cary Cook,
2008-06-17, 02:40