Deism Explained: Enlightenment Belief in a Non-Intervening Creator

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Deism is a philosophical and religious worldview that emerged during the Enlightenment period in the 17th and 18th centuries. It is characterized by the belief in a supreme being or creator responsible for the universe's existence but does not intervene in its affairs. Deists reject the notion of a personal, revealed religion and rely on reason and natural observation to understand the world.

The core principle of deism is the belief in a transcendent God who created the universe but does not actively participate in its ongoing operations. According to deists, God established natural laws and mechanisms that govern the universe's functioning. These laws are believed to be discoverable through human reason and observation of the natural world.

Deists view the world as a rational and orderly system that operates according to these natural laws. They argue that the existence of a creator can be inferred from the complexity, design, and regularity observed in nature. However, deists do not accept the notion of divine revelation or the idea that God directly communicates with humans or intervenes in their lives.