What is theism and how is it different from deism? (Creator, Deists)

[Comet]

Well, leave it to good ole' me to confuse the situation! Actually, in this case I am inclined to agree somewhat.....

I believe DEISM is regarding a deity that created all and is "hands off". The free-will crowd if you will.

I believe THEISM (as you ask) is regarding a deity that created all and is "interactive" and can "interfere" as it wills in things. The predestination crowd if you will.

There in lays the or rather "lies" the difference for me.

[Rolling_Stone]

Well, let me go to the ole' dictionary and see what is says: theism is "belief in the existence of one God viewed as the creative source of man and the world who transcends yet is immanent in the world." Deism is "a movement or system of thought advocating natural religion, emphasizing morality, and in the 18th century denying the interference of the Creator with the laws of the universe."

Works for me.

[Willamena]

Originally Posted by Sunstone

My understanding, which might be partly wrong, is that theism refers to any believe in deity, while deism refers to a specific theist belief that deity created nature but has nothing to do with it nowadays.

The metaphor I've heard deists use to describe their beliefs is that deity is like a watchmaker who creates the watch, winds it up so that it runs, but who no longer messes with the working of the watch once it has been created and wound up.

Originally Posted by Rolling_Stone

Well, let me go to the ole' dictionary and see what is says: theism is "belief in the existence of one God viewed as the creative source of man and the world who transcends yet is immanent in the world." Deism is "a movement or system of thought advocating natural religion, emphasizing morality, and in the 18th century denying the interference of the Creator with the laws of the universe."

The way I understood it, Deism arose from rationalism and naturalism, from ideas extending as far back as Aristotle's. The Deist believes that the running of the watch (i.e. nature and natural "laws") is the extent of Deity's involvement, so "God" is not absent from his Creation and he is not 'supernatural'. 'Prime cause' or 'creative source' describe it well, and the idea of immanence in eternity necessarily follows.

I'm not sure I understand Deism fully, either. I consider that the numinous unknowable of 'Deity-beyond-things' is 'supernatural' --what better fits the description? And this is supported in mythology. What I'm not clear on is whether the Deist thinks of Deity as conscious, which necessitates a perspective, or if they are agnostic; or if they see Deity as "creator" or as "the way of things." Or are these different branches of Diesm? Do you know?

[Storm]

Originally Posted by Green Gaia

No, I think deists are almost always (if not always) monotheistic in that they only believe in one creator or divine being.

Judging by my father, it's more that they don't care. It's just irrelevant.

[Colabomb]

The way I have always understood it, and forgive me if i am wrong, is that theists simply believe in a god or gods. Deists believe in an impersonal God.

So Both Deists and those who believe in a personal God, are both theists, as opposed to atheism, which does not believe in any God.

To me, Deism is a type of theism.

[TurkeyOnRye]

Originally Posted by Storm

Judging by my father, it's more that they don't care. It's just irrelevant.

I agree. I think another part of it would be that since they believe no higher power interferes with the natural order, they wouldn't have any phenomena to judge that would allow them to come to the conclusion that there was any more than one.

That probably could have been put into clearer words...

[Orontes]

Originally Posted by Hacker

Hi, I'm in the learning process here, about other subdivisions of beliefs or whatever you want to call it, but I was wondering what theism is and how it differs from diesm, thanks.

Hello,

Theism is the belief in a God(s). Deism is a subset of theism. It is a subset because it affirms the existence of an Absolute, but qualifies that belief. The qualification involves the interaction/control of the Creator to any creation with the basic tact being God does not interact and therefore miracles, revelation etc. are rejected or held as suspect. The stance arose as a distinct posture during the Enlightenment (17th and 18th Centuries). This was due to the rise of reason as an independent vehicle for knowing the true contradistinct to faith claims (Descartes' 1637 Discourses on the Method serves as an example) and the force of Newton's physics (the 1687 publishing of the Principia) which was taken by many to indicate Deity was removed from the equation.