Neo Deist
Th.D. & D.Div. h.c.
First and foremost, this is in the Deism DIR, so no debating! This post is for educational purposes only, to illustrate why deists differ from atheists with regard to a belief in God, as that is the only thing that really separates the two groups. Scientifically, both groups pretty much agree on everything.
It is often quoted by deists that they believe in God based on their personal observations of nature and the cosmos. However, very few deists actually elaborate on the subject. I would like to expand on the statement and offer natural reasons why I believe in God.
1. Eyeballs. This is, without a doubt, one of my go to topics. If you stop and think about it, what is an eye? It is a collection of various tissues, some liquid, and it attaches to the brain via the optic nerve. But HOW does it work? What actually allows for that hodgepodge of stuff to come together and give living beings vision? Why would nature (without God) design such a thing? How would it know how to design such a thing? The eye is a complex organ.
2. Butterflies. Why would a worm decide to spin a cocoon, hibernate for a while and then completely transform itself into a flying species? What is the purpose behind it? Other worms don't do that. They simply remain as worms. How would nature (without God) design such a creature? Nature does not think, plan or come up with blueprints...if it does, you are now talking about pandeism.
3. Matter. Prior to life, all matter was nonliving. Rock, dust, minerals, elements, etc. Why would nonliving material suddenly develop living material and spring forth life? How would inanimate objects such as rocks, frozen methane, or iron ore know how to design single cell organisms, and spawn evolution?
4. Earth. Our planet is perfectly situated in our solar system to allow for life. Not too hot, not too cold. The sun's energy feeds the plants, which give off oxygen. Creatures breathe that oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide, which helps fuel the plants. Our atmosphere shields us from the sun's violent radiation that would otherwise fry everything around us.
Gravity holds us in place in orbit around the sun, with our moon transfixed in orbit around us, and it controls the tides. We have seasons based on the earth's position to the sun, with the opposite season in the southern hemisphere because of the earth's tilt at a particular time of year.
Water falls from the sky, runs across the ground feeding both plants and animals, and eventually evaporates back into the sky where the process starts all over again.
5. Emotions. Why would nonliving, inanimate objects design emotions? We feel love, anger, jealousy, hatred, sadness, pride, happiness, fear, courage, etc. Why would those feelings come about from randomness in nature (without God)? What would be the point? Why give us a conscience?
These are but a handful of the reasons that I believe in God as the creator of the universe. I see intelligent design, not random acts of nature. Many things follow a natural path or natural law, but God is the designer behind those laws. God created the universe and set everything in motion. Atheists and deists agree that the Big Bang is a plausible theory. The difference is that atheists can't explain what caused the Big Bang, while deists simply say "God caused it."
Whether or not God has an interest in us and interacts with us is a different matter.
It is often quoted by deists that they believe in God based on their personal observations of nature and the cosmos. However, very few deists actually elaborate on the subject. I would like to expand on the statement and offer natural reasons why I believe in God.
1. Eyeballs. This is, without a doubt, one of my go to topics. If you stop and think about it, what is an eye? It is a collection of various tissues, some liquid, and it attaches to the brain via the optic nerve. But HOW does it work? What actually allows for that hodgepodge of stuff to come together and give living beings vision? Why would nature (without God) design such a thing? How would it know how to design such a thing? The eye is a complex organ.
2. Butterflies. Why would a worm decide to spin a cocoon, hibernate for a while and then completely transform itself into a flying species? What is the purpose behind it? Other worms don't do that. They simply remain as worms. How would nature (without God) design such a creature? Nature does not think, plan or come up with blueprints...if it does, you are now talking about pandeism.
3. Matter. Prior to life, all matter was nonliving. Rock, dust, minerals, elements, etc. Why would nonliving material suddenly develop living material and spring forth life? How would inanimate objects such as rocks, frozen methane, or iron ore know how to design single cell organisms, and spawn evolution?
4. Earth. Our planet is perfectly situated in our solar system to allow for life. Not too hot, not too cold. The sun's energy feeds the plants, which give off oxygen. Creatures breathe that oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide, which helps fuel the plants. Our atmosphere shields us from the sun's violent radiation that would otherwise fry everything around us.
Gravity holds us in place in orbit around the sun, with our moon transfixed in orbit around us, and it controls the tides. We have seasons based on the earth's position to the sun, with the opposite season in the southern hemisphere because of the earth's tilt at a particular time of year.
Water falls from the sky, runs across the ground feeding both plants and animals, and eventually evaporates back into the sky where the process starts all over again.
5. Emotions. Why would nonliving, inanimate objects design emotions? We feel love, anger, jealousy, hatred, sadness, pride, happiness, fear, courage, etc. Why would those feelings come about from randomness in nature (without God)? What would be the point? Why give us a conscience?
These are but a handful of the reasons that I believe in God as the creator of the universe. I see intelligent design, not random acts of nature. Many things follow a natural path or natural law, but God is the designer behind those laws. God created the universe and set everything in motion. Atheists and deists agree that the Big Bang is a plausible theory. The difference is that atheists can't explain what caused the Big Bang, while deists simply say "God caused it."
Whether or not God has an interest in us and interacts with us is a different matter.
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