Deism For the Modern Mind

Deism as Process

Legionnaire1211@gmail.com (Joel Troxell, Dan Mesmer, and Bob Blunk) — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 10:20:00 +0000

When people ask me what my religion is, I generally tell them I'm a Deist. I do this because it is a simple question that really requires a complicated answer, but I know I would be taxing the patience of the asker. I'm not really sure Deism qualifies as a religion in the conventional sense. Deists don't call other Deists heretics - at least, not openly. And there's no such thing as a bad Deist, or a Christmas and Easter Deist, either, because there is no established, Divinely-mandated authority or organization. So Deism as a religion in the conventional sense is out.

Is Deism a philosophy? Well, that label doesn't exactly stick in a conventional sense, either. Most major schools of philosophy are built upon some cosmological framework, often making certain assumptions that most Deists would pick through with a series of questions and tests pretty quickly. I think most Deists would also be appalled at Plato's notion that it is acceptable to invent religious myth in order to get people to do certain things. Most Deists don't have the elaborate and speculative cosmologies of the Stoics, either. I think most of us are pretty content to believe nothing more than there is a God who created what we call the physical universe. We don't seem to care too much for the how's. In fact, we seem to talk more about debunking other people's cosmological assumptions, such as evolution or creationism.

So, even though I tell people my religion is Deism, I think, for lack of a better term, Deism is a process. It is an observational process whereby each person attempts to arrive at truth through certain reasonable assumptions: that (1) there is an intrinsic order to the universe that, as of yet cannot be replicated by man and (2) rationally implies a Creator and not random chance, and (3) this Creator can be best known through attention to the natural order and sound reason. While others may phrase it a little differently or make some variations, I think this is pretty close to what most Deists accept. The implication of this is that each person is responsible to use the process to arrive at, and continually re-evaluate, truth. So any Deist who says what a person should believe or should be doing is forgetting that Deism is about each person applying one's reason to the search for truth in the created order. To accept what Voltaire, or Descartes, or Thomas Paine, or Ethan Allen, or Thomas Jefferson says without question, or to quote them as some sort of authority on God without being able to articulate one's personal process of examining what they have said, is to depart entirely from Deism, and begin to walk down the well-trodden path of religion and philosophy.

I think Deism is gaining credibility in general because it is not a religion or philosophy in the conventional sense. I think people are embracing Deism because it is a process. What would squelch this increased attention almost immediately would be for Deists to begin treading the well-worn path of religion by establishing organizations with authoritatian power structures, or establishing Deist dogma beyond the most general statements. Once someone or some people become THE AUTHORITY on Deism, to the censure of any dissidents, it is over. Better yet, let there be a schism. All we would need would be a rift dividing Deists in half over some trivial point for people on the outside to say, "Yep. Deism is another church."

So fellow Deists, we must be very careful to avoid the temptation to be a religion or a philosophy based on either authority, dogma, or speculation. There are already blogs and websites that make definitive and sweeping statements about Deism that I'm not sure apply to all. This is a direction we must avoid. I think the biggest rift in historic Deism was not over beliefs, but how much invective to heap at established religion. It was a discussion that was never resolved, so before we jump into "Deists believe..." statements, let's see if we can even decide how we are going to relate to those who want to save our souls from the fires of hell.

16.1% - Religiously Unaffiliated

Legionnaire1211@gmail.com (Joel Troxell, Dan Mesmer, and Bob Blunk) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 13:27:00 +0000

The number of people who say they are unaffiliated with any particular faith today (about 16%) is more than double the number who say they were not affiliated with any particular religion as children.

Deist Clockwork Evolution

Legionnaire1211@gmail.com (Joel Troxell, Dan Mesmer, and Bob Blunk) — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 05:18:00 +0000

Doubting Thomases

Legionnaire1211@gmail.com (Joel Troxell, Dan Mesmer, and Bob Blunk) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 21:25:00 +0000

In reply to people who blindly follow organized religions and who muster the collective impudence to call people who don't, "doubting Thomases":

People who are so afraid of relying upon their own powers of reasoning that they turn to "experts" even when dealing with subjects in which there are no experts, and people who are so afraid of their own ability to handle rejection that they never voice unpopular thoughts to those "experts"—even when those thoughts may be correct, are the real "doubting Thomases."

These real doubting Thomases will be the first to accuse a person who has left an organized religion that he or she has "lost faith." These real doubting Thomases don't realize the decision to leave an organized religion may be the first sign that a person has gained real faith.

Finally—as part of an organization that has for hours, days, weeks, months, years, decades, centuries, or millennia harmed people through perpetration of myths and superstitions—these real doubting Thomases will complain that we complain. We former members of organized religions who were victimized, understand exactly why you complain about our complaining. We know that you fear reason; we understand why you fear reason; we understand that you are victims, too; and we have compassion for you.

It is out of compassion that I voice my complaints. I have no doubt about it.

CONTACT THE AUTHOR

An Ultimate Process for Measuring Morality?

Legionnaire1211@gmail.com (Joel Troxell, Dan Mesmer, and Bob Blunk) — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 17:34:00 +0000

I will start with humility and say that I cannot, in an ultimate and absolute sense, know if a particular individual has acted morally. I possess neither all of the requisite information about any particular person nor a moral yardstick that is known to be absolutely correct. That does not mean that we should not make a reasonable estimate about a person's morality. I think it is part of our ethical responsibility to do so. Additionally, I think that we can make an educated guess as to what might be involved in making a final moral judgment about a person. I think the final measure of a person's morality might be:

Given the innate level of the person's intelligence, the innate level of the person's emotional stability, the amount of education the person received, and the influences upon the person that were not within the person's control, should the person have acted as he or she did?

Here are only two of countless examples:

For a person of low intelligence who was victimized by the people around him or her and who did not realize it, I think compassion might be shown.

For a person who through his or her given level of reasoning power should have realized his or her own victimization and who had the opportunity and emotional stability to pull himself or herself away from such victimization but did not, I think the judgment might be harsh.

A corollary of the second example is that many followers of revealed religions are in a morally precarious position.

CONTACT THE AUTHOR

McCain denounces the separation of church and state

Legionnaire1211@gmail.com (Joel Troxell, Dan Mesmer, and Bob Blunk) — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 21:23:00 +0000

"He said last fall that "the Constitution established the United States of America as a Christian nation." Although the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights says, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion," McCain goes on to claim of our Founding Fathers that "they didn't mean, in my view, separation of church and state.""

By The Progressive

This quote is right in line with my belief that American Politicians spend too much time wearing their religion on their sleeve and focusing their attention on the past. The Founding Fathers were Deists, for the most part. They constructed a constitution that has upheld a government and supported the American people longer than any other written document in history. But why focus so much on the past. The Founding Fathers were great men, men who I admire. But, this election needs to focus on future issues. McCain will not be voted into office if he intends to run his campaign by focusing on past and unpopular issues.

McCain also said, "that the Constitution established the United States of America as a Christian nation. But I say that in the broadest sense. The lady that holds her lamp beside the golden door doesn't say, “I only welcome Christians.” We welcome the poor, the tired, the huddled masses. But when they come here they know that they are in a nation founded on Christian principles."

Personally, I am a moderate. I vote for whoever will do the best good for the republic and perform their duties in the best manner possible, with respect and dignity. These attributes are hard to come by in todays politics, and McCain seems to be farther away from these ideals than most. Mired in the world of yesterday, this man has obviously lost touch with the minds and religions of today. This country is certainly in need of change, but don't expect to see this happen in the next administration. Bloated spending, inflation, and political infighting will highlight the next decade or so of American politics. However, there is hope. The belief in reason based religious and ethical philosophies is on the rise. Americans are feeling the pull of reason, and it is causing them to question the irrational and superstitious beliefs of the revealed religions.

Map of The World's Religions

Legionnaire1211@gmail.com (Joel Troxell, Dan Mesmer, and Bob Blunk) — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 20:00:00 +0000

Click on the Map to enlarge it, and your perception of the World's Religions

CONTACT THE AUTHOR

Christian Moral "High Ground"?

Legionnaire1211@gmail.com (Joel Troxell, Dan Mesmer, and Bob Blunk) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 12:24:00 +0000

I can remember even in my not-so-distant past arguing for the superiority of the Christian religion because its morals and ethics were superior to all other religions and ethical systems. But once I began to examine the foundations of Christian ethics, as well as the foundations of the Western philosophical traditions, I had to concede that Christianity's ethical base was nothing more than dressed-up tribal superstition. While I don't think that anyone can assume all Christians have the same ethical framework, some suppositions are more common than others and can therefore be addressed in general. Let's take a look at just two of these:

Foundation # 1: God rewards the good and punishes the wicked.

Refuting this is simple: ask anyone who believes this to prove it. Other than quoting verses from a religious text, there is no evidence in reality that people who are evil supernaturally come to a bad end, or that good people supernaturally find envelopes of money in their mailboxes on exactly the day that their bills are due. If God were truly actively rewarding and punishing based on behavior, then he has some serious explaining to do, especially as to why children who are under the oft-quoted evangelical "age of accountability" suffer from cancer, birth defects, and painful injuries from accidents - among other things. The belief that one must be good because it will be rewarded by God simply doesn't stand up to reality, and eventually leads to a level of frustration when one's good deeds don't seem to pay off while unbelievers seem to be doing pretty well for themselves. If you are in discussion with a religionist who is rational enough to concede the point, the next statement that I almost guarantee will come out of his or her mouth is this: "Ok, fair enough. But God truly punishes and rewards in the after life." This is foundation # 2.

Foundation # 2: "Believers" or "the faithful" go to heaven, while heathens and sinners go to hell.

The premise behind this is that by joining a religion and adhering to the morals of that religion, one can avert the righteous indignation of God that is coming on the whole world and spend eternity in Paradise. This is, just as foundation #1, an extremely selfish motive for doing good. I was talking with a Christian coworker and was able to effectively argue that the Bible (at least, the Pauline portion) does not teach the notion of an eternal hell. His response effectively summarizes the Christian moral foundation: "If hell is not eternal, and eventually everyone goes to heaven, then why I am trying so hard to do the right thing?" The Christian moral foundation does not recognize in any capacity the idea that good has its own intrinsic benefits. The average religionist must be bribed with reward or threatened with punishment before he or she will exert effort at doing good.

So the assertion that Christianity or any other religion is superior and holds the moral high ground can be seen here to be a lie. It is built upon crude childlike assertions of reward and punishment, and will not generally produce character in its adherents that can withstand adverse circumstances.

The Deist Approach
Once I had exposed the faulty foundations of Christian morality in myself, I began looking for another way. Eventually, I discovered Deism. The idea that how one lives should be dictated by nature and reason, and not by supposed promises of divine rewards and punishments, was beautifully simple. No longer did I need to fear that if something bad happened that it was either divine punishment or demonic persecution. If something bad happened, it was due to either a necessary cause and effect that was necessary according to natural law to preserve the whole, or a human cause-effect based on poor decision-making. The first I can work to accept as necessary, and even "good." The second I can work to prevent by encouraging every person to live according to the highest ideals of human virtue found in nature and reason, and working within myself to achieve virtuous living. The end result is the happiness and betterment of all.

In conclusion, here is an excerpt from a poem by the Christian theologian CS Lewis that I think well illustrates the fallacy of the moral high ground of Christianity. It is called Cliche Came Out of its Cage:

1
You said 'The world is going back to Paganism'.
Oh bright Vision! I saw our dynasty in the bar of the House
Spill from their tumblers a libation to the Erinyes,
And Leavis with Lord Russell wreathed in flowers, heralded with flutes,
Leading white bulls to the cathedral of the solemn Muses
To pay where due the glory of their latest theorem.

Walk carefully, do not wake the envy of the happy gods,
Shun Hubris. The middle of the road, the middle sort of men,
Are best. Aidos surpasses gold. Reverence for the aged
Is wholesome as seasonable rain, and for a man to die
Defending the city in battle is a harmonious thing.
Thus with magistral hand the Puritan Sophrosune
Cooled and schooled and tempered our uneasy motions;
Heathendom came again, the circumspection and the holy fears ...
You said it. Did you mean it? Oh inordinate liar, stop.

2
Take as your model the tall women with yellow hair in plaits
Who walked back into burning houses to die with men,
Or him who as the death spear entered into his vitals
Made critical comments on its workmanship and aim.
Are these the Pagans you spoke of? Know your betters and crouch, dogs;
You that have Vichy water in your veins and worship the event
Your goddess History (whom your fathers called the strumpet Fortune).

Religious Freedom vs. State Sponsored Religion

Legionnaire1211@gmail.com (Joel Troxell, Dan Mesmer, and Bob Blunk) — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 16:15:00 +0000

The idea of state sponsored religion sends chills down people's spines, it enrages others, and some people protest for religious tolerance. Many countries across the world still lack religious freedom, opting instead to live under the umbrella of state sponsored religion. The normal mode of human government throughout history was to sponsor a religion. To create unity among the people in order to harness a society's manpower. Religion bound together the Roman culture for almost 1000 years. This religious bind helped the Romans to overcome adversaries, bring culture to Western Europe, and sustain the largest empire in the Western Hemisphere to date. This was achieved in no small part because of religious homogeny. Once the pillars of the Roman Pagan Religion began to fall, infighting and religious intolerance brought about the slow and inevitable decline and fall of the Roman Empire. This fact is due to the idea that monotheists and polytheists of the revealed religions assert the idea that only one religious ideology is correct, and everyone else's is wrong. This impasse has caused the untimely deaths of millions of people the world over.

I am under no circumstances advocating that we should live under a system of state sponsored religion. Religion freedom exists to help alleviate the effects of any one religion gaining control over the government and hence forcing their religious and political ideologies upon us. I am simply pointing out the idea that state sponsored religion can and has worked, as long as society has a homogeneous view of religion and god. In today's modern culture this is simply not possible. The rise of Individualism has brought about the idea of religious independence and personal gods. Religions and Religious Philosophies number in the thousands, each believing that their god is the one true god, and that the practice of any other religion will bring about damnation or personal suffering. Reason dictates that this is simply not true. Deism, provides a path for individuals to understand and recognize the Creator on their own terms. To see the patterns and messages from The Creator throughout nature without the use of holy scripture or divine intervention.

This may come as a shock, but state sponsored religion is alive and well in America today, whether our laws support it or not. The Abrahamic Religions, with Christianity leading the way, always have and continue to spread their influence and control over the American Government. Christian prayers are said at the opening of congressional secessions, Armed Forces Service personnel swear their oath of allegiance with their hand on the bible, and the leaders of our government swear their oaths with their hands resting on the same dogmatic text. Like it or not, Christianity is our state sponsored religion. Voted into office, and given free reign over the future of our nation, by uneducated or ignorant voters. thousands of years of history is hard to overcome.

"Religious factions will go on imposing their will on others unless the decent people connected to them recognize that religion has no place in public policy. They must learn to make their views known without trying to make their views the only alternatives.", Barry Goldwater

This will be the next step in the evolution of state sponsored religions. People will eventually learn that politicians need not use religion to bind societies and cultures. However, the state sponsored religions of today are subversive and clandestine, in order to keep the appearance of religion tolerance. We live in a society of religious dualism; law provides us with religious freedom, but practice dictates that we live in a society of religious intolerance. Reason can help break this impasse. A religious philosophy based on this principle will need to supplant the revealed religions in our culture to achieve personal religious freedom and tolerance. This will only come about when voters demand that a person of reason, with values based on religious philosophies like Deism, take the reigns of government and fundamentally change the subversive practices of the revealed religions and their influence on our government.

State Sponsored religion will eventually become a thing of the past. We are on the right track. Religion freedom was a step in the right direction. If we continue the process, set in motion by the Founding Fathers, we will achieve the goal of religion tolerance. And, who knows, religious tolerance might give way to the idea of personal religious homogeny; then there would be no need for state sponsored religions to bind societies and cultures together. Reason can help everyone learn to understand the Creator on their own terms, but realize that revelation is myth and superstition.

New Content Contributor - Joel Troxell

Legionnaire1211@gmail.com (Joel Troxell, Dan Mesmer, and Bob Blunk) — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 15:35:00 +0000

In keeping with the idea of expanding the content I would like to send out a warm welcome to the newest content contributor of Deism For the Modern Mind, Joel Troxell. I will let Joel introduce himself via a post in the near future.

Joel's addition will allow this blog to grow and expand in content and ideas. As we continue to "roundout" the list of content contributor, the blog will start to appeal to more of our fellow Deists and become a place were all Deists, and followers of Reason based Thought can converse and learn. As our readership and content expands more individuals will not only learn and experience Deism, but also learn more about themselves and society in general. And, hopefully, this leads to people living happier and fuller lives.

Welcome aboard Joel, and I am glad to have you here.

CONTACT THE AUTHOR

A Brief History of Food

Legionnaire1211@gmail.com (Joel Troxell, Dan Mesmer, and Bob Blunk) — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 11:22:00 +0000

It's okay to eat apples, pomegranates, grapes, figs, citrons, wheat, and a lot of other stuff. It's always been okay. If the "tree of knowledge" story had been true, somebody would know which fruit or grain it was!

CONTACT THE AUTHOR

Deism Podcast is on Hiatus

Legionnaire1211@gmail.com (Joel Troxell, Dan Mesmer, and Bob Blunk) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 21:49:00 +0000

I regret to inform everyone that due to family considerations, my state of mind, and work requirements the Deism Podcast is now on hiatus until sometime in the near future. I promise that when the time is right there will be further episodes. The current episodes will still be available via the Deism Podcast Blog and iTunes.

Currently the arduous production requirements for recording, creating, and posting a podcast are taking up a considerable amount of my time. I want to redirect this valuable time and use it to maintain and expand this blog. I envision this blog as a place where all Deists can converse on subjects near and dear to all of us, not just Deism. Deism will always remain the primary focus, but Deists are thinkers; we have interests in science, history, humanities, art, and literature. I want this blog to be a place were all Deists can take part in the growth of Deism and Reason based thought.

Hopefully, I will find other members of the Deism community who will want to become contributors to this blog, like Dan and I. If you think that you might be interested, please send me an email by using the link at the bottom of this post. Once this blog becomes more self sufficient and fulfills my goals I will return to producing more podcasts. If there is any member of the community who would like to submit audio for the podcast, I would be happy to produce and post a new episode from time to time. I look forward to any new comers to the community, and please do not be shy. There are many ways to become active on Deism For the Modern Mind, such as through comments and emails.

The only thing that I will not tolerate on this blog is intolerance. All individuals are free to make there own decisions in life. This does not mean that this blog supports every decision, it only supports an individual's right to make their own decisions. Obviously, Dan's last post makes it pretty clear of where we stand on the topic of the revealed religions, but this does not mean that followers of the revealed religions are not welcome here. Actually, just the opposite is true, we welcome the challenge, the dialog, and the debate.

Well, that ended up being a little more long winded than I anticipated, but rest assured this blog is here to stay and I hope grow significantly in the future. And I will return to posting The Deism Podcast on a regular schedule as soon as time permits.

CONTACT THE AUTHOR

My Reply to Clemente

Legionnaire1211@gmail.com (Joel Troxell, Dan Mesmer, and Bob Blunk) — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 20:36:00 +0000

In a comment to the "World Union of Deists Update" post by Bob Blunk, a reader named "Clemente" says:

"After reading most of your blog, I'd like to know your opinion on militant atheism. Also, I'd like to know why you hold so much anger or antagonism against religion, from the personal point of view."

As I write this, Bob Blunk has not posted a response to Clemente's comment. I know that Bob will. Although Clemente's comment was not directed toward me, I cannot resist providing my response. First of all, thank you, Clemente, for your comment.

Religion poses great danger—both to individuals and to civilization. With regard to individuals, I will not disclose (out of compassion for those affected) any personal information about people whom I have seen harmed by religion. I will tell you that, throughout my life, I have seen many people (including many very intelligent people) who have been victimized by religion. Religion is based on myth and superstition. The most fundamental reason for a religion to come into existence is to enable an individual or group of individuals to gain power over others through indoctrination. A religion tries to convince people that it has answers to unanswerable questions that are asked universally by humans. Religions succeed because the universal "need to know" is so strong that even preposterous answers become welcome. Religions continue because they appeal to a variety of logical fallacies—including appeals to fear, tradition, emotion, authority, ridicule, popularity, etc. (See the "Fallacies - The Nizkor Project" link and other links on my Deist Links web site.)

Religious beliefs threaten the very existence of our civilization. History repeats itself. The divisiveness brought about by religion can no longer be tolerated in a world where weaponry exists that can bring about extinction of the human species. I am not talking solely of Christian or Islamic extremists, nor am I talking solely of the "militant atheism" that you mention in your comment. Extremist groups exist only where there are mainstream groups that provide the basis for extremist groups to exist. Mainstream Christians deplore the fundamental extremists who allow a sick child to die from lack of medical treatment. Mainstream Islams deplore the suicide bombings of Islamic extremists. The danger of extremists is readily and commonly recognized. The dangers posed by mainstream religions often (if not "usually") go ignored or unrecognized. Yet it is the very existence of mainstream religions that fuel the extremists.

Nevertheless, to the best of my knowledge, I have never met anyone who has been harmed directly by an extremist. All of the people I know who have been harmed have been harmed by members of mainstream religions.

Deism offers the opportunity for people to "get it together." It allows all people to go with what we have in common. We all have the ability to reason and to be reasonable. In the dangerous future that we face, "reason" may be the only means for our survival. How long will it take for religions to go away? My guess is "millennia." We may not have that long. Nevertheless, I maintain some optimism. I have never urged anyone to become a Deist, and I never will. No one urged me to become a Deist. Yet people come to Deism because they find that Deists think like they do. Not only is Deism growing, its growth started some time ago, and it will continue to grow. It grows because it asks nothing other than to use "reason." People like that! For people fleeing from the indoctrination of organized religion, it is a joy to find other people who have fled, and it is a welcome relief to discover a safe—and reasonable—place to land.

CONTACT THE AUTHOR

World Union of Deists Update

Legionnaire1211@gmail.com (Joel Troxell, Dan Mesmer, and Bob Blunk) — Sat, 31 May 2008 16:54:00 +0000

Bob Johnson, Director of the WUD, has asked that I send along a message concerning the lack of Deism Updates and the delay in subscribers receiving Deistic Thought & Action and THINKOnline newsletters. Recently the WUD headquarters was moved from Sarasota, FL, to Painesville, OH. Bob has experienced some issues in trying to establish and setup a business class interest connection that would allow his send out mass emailings.

He is currently switching to a new Internet Service Provider and is hoping to be back online sometime within the coming week. During this week, there may be a few times when the Deism.com website will be down while Bob switches servers.

Bob also wanted me to pass along some news that should be of concern for all Deists. The Vatican recently threatened to excommunicate anyone who ordains a woman as a priest and to excommunicate the woman as well. If you have time, can you do a Deist Podcast on this? Here's a Deist leaflet we have about women and the Abrahamic "revealed" religions that may help: http://www.deism.com/images/what%20wrong%20with%20women.pdf

This topic will also be discussed in next week's Deism Podcast in greater detail. This is an idea that should receive a lot of attention from Christians and non-Christians alike. It seems that in some circles, the intolerance and inequality of past centuries is still alive and well today. Stay tuned for more information on this topic. We will explore some of the history that has plagued equality for all humankind, especially where the revealed religions are concerned, and how Deism can and is playing an important role in establishing equality for all.

Is Religion a Byproduct of Evolution?

Legionnaire1211@gmail.com (Joel Troxell, Dan Mesmer, and Bob Blunk) — Thu, 29 May 2008 10:30:00 +0000

"God may work in mysterious ways, but a simple computer program may explain how religion evolved. By distilling religious belief into a genetic predisposition to pass along unverifiable information, the program predicts that religion will flourish. However, religion only takes hold if non-believers help believers out – perhaps because they are impressed by their devotion."

By Ewen Callaway

read more | digg story

Note: It is interesting, if not fascinating, to think about and ponder the evolution of religion. And perhaps evolution is not even the right term, maybe adaptation is more appropriate. Evolution implies that our religious beliefs have achieve a higher level or more complex state. In many cases, most notably the revealed religions, todays religions are no more advanced than primitive beliefs held by ancient civilizations. Sure, religious philosophies have come a bit further, but even these core values are basically reprints of ideas held for thousands of years. Aristotle believed in the "Unmoved Mover", basically Paley's precursor to the Watchmaker Analogy.

Religion, and religious philosophies have, however, gone through many adaptations. Changing governments, societies, civilizations, and global circumstances have molded religious belief throughout human history. We no long believe that Apollo's Chariot guides the sun through the sky, Thor does not create thunder, and gods do not interact in daily affairs of humankind. These are religious adaptations caused mostly by scientific discovery.

I linked to this story because I think that it is important to understand that religious philosophies do not exist in a vacuum. Over time many things have occurred that lead to changes in core religious beliefs. And, of all the religious philosophies and religions left in the world today, Deism remains the one reasonable and logical choice.

Deism Podcast Episode 6 - Remembering Our Natural Rights

Legionnaire1211@gmail.com (Joel Troxell, Dan Mesmer, and Bob Blunk) — Mon, 26 May 2008 14:55:00 +0000

Episode 6 of The Deism Podcast is now available for download via the Deism Podcast Blog and iTunes. Click on the image above to go there now.

This episode features an article written by Brian Black and was orginially published in the 1998 edition of Deistic Thought & Action Newsletter, entitled Natural Rights of Man Rest on Deism. Also featured is the Post I wrote concerning Albert Einstein's religious views.

Make sure you listen to the Deism News section to hear one announcement concerning the WUD and another concerning the Deism for The Modern Mind blog.

I would like to thank everyone for their support of this podcast. Spread the word of Deism by recommending this podcast to all of your friends and family members. Please provide any feedback or comments that you have to help us improve the show.

Deism News:
New Content Contributor on Deism for The Modern Mind
Post Concerning Social Networking

Enjoy the show!

Deists Need Social Networking

Legionnaire1211@gmail.com (Joel Troxell, Dan Mesmer, and Bob Blunk) — Sun, 25 May 2008 14:15:00 +0000

Don't have twitter, get it. Don't use Facebook, start. If your not writing for or running a blog, you need to. Deists need to use the tools of the web to spread our message and drowned out the noise of the revealed religions, and unreasonable and irrational media outlets. Social Media Networks, Bookmarking sites, and blogs are not only a great way for Deists to stay in touch, they are becoming the cornerstone of the new Deism movement on the web. With web 2.0 people are finding amazing ways to converse and learn online. Friendships are created and relationships develop that increase personal understanding and knowledge.

These tools are not only useful but should become an intricate part of the Deism community. Deists have no churches, no public places of worship or gathering, and no meeting halls. Partially for good reason, partially because Deism is not compatible with these atmospheres. Online Social Networking, however, is compatible with all the precepts of Deism. It spreads knowledge and understanding, it lets almost all voices be heard on a mostly level playing field(almost to a fault), and it gives fellow Deists a sense of belonging without removing the individualism that is necessary for each Deist.

Look below for a list of some of the social network tools available today. Also, this blog contains widgets from many of the popular social networks. By using these tools and conversing with each other more, Deism will grow, and friendships will be created in the process. These tools are no longer just for kids. Companies are spending millions to create networks such as these to recruit new employees and diversify their assets. At the same time, big media companies are using these networks as a way to spread their flawed opinions and shortsighted views. Luckily for us, these networks create a level playing field and individuals views count for the same as million dollar corporations. Start networking with fellow Deists today.

Links:
List of all Social Networking Sites
Popular Social Networking Sites: Facebook and Myspace
Microblogging tools: Twitter and Pownce
Bookmarking sites: Digg, Reddit, StumbleUpon, and Del.icio.us

Podcast Episode 6 Delayed

Legionnaire1211@gmail.com (Joel Troxell, Dan Mesmer, and Bob Blunk) — Sun, 25 May 2008 10:00:00 +0000

Today is my 7th wedding anniversary, so in an attempt to stay out of trouble, I will be postponing the next episode of the Deism Podcast until at least tomorrow. Sorry for the delay, but I will make it up to you somehow.

A Few Words About...Words - Part 1

Legionnaire1211@gmail.com (Joel Troxell, Dan Mesmer, and Bob Blunk) — Fri, 23 May 2008 18:45:00 +0000

We all use them. We all need them. Cellular service providers love them; losing court defendants hate them. They make us laugh; they make us cry. They convey truth; they convey lies. They remove us from danger; they put us in danger. They produce art; they produce banality. They communicate love; they communicate hate. Most importantly, they have the ability to make all of our lives better. They are "words."

Sometimes, words have different pronunciations and tense—depending upon the context:

"Seed" is a word that rhymes with "read."
"Shed" is a word that rhymes with "read."

Sometimes, the context is open to interpretation—useful to a person who wants to try to achieve some gain through "spin."

Sometimes, the sound of a word has different spellings and meanings:

see
sea

Sometimes, those differences depend upon the language:

sí

We take actions on words. We:

Capitalize
Italicize
Underline
Punctuate
Add
Color
Fill
Concatenate
Mirror
Click
Encrypt
Decrypt
Enlarge
Compress
Touch (Braille)
Record
Type
Typeset
Publish
Sell
Purchase
Translate
Transcribe
Transliterate
Sign

Did I mention "superscript," "subscript," "rotate," "kern," "engrave," "emboss," and "stencil"? How about adding "glow," "blink," and "sparkle"?

Not all of our actions are kind to words. Especially when we:

Warp
Truncate
Misinterpret
Mispronounce
Stamp
Tear
Shred
Burn
Watermark
Staple
Punch
Forget
Misuse
Confuse
Delete
Ink-smear
Double-strike
Misspell

We even put bullets in front of them, or we make them invisible. (That's "invisible.")

We use words for:

Tags
Keywords
Identity
Description
Communication
Labels
Teaching
Learning
Rhyming

With words, we produce symbolism, metaphor, alliteration, and much more. We submit them for peer review. We store them in libraries; on disk drives; on CD, DVD, and Blu-ray discs; on flash drives; and in scrolls. We transmit them via telephone, telegraph, fiber optic cables, coaxial cables, microwaves, radio waves, and satellites. In the future, we will have instantaneous communication through the use of quantum entanglement—a technology, currently, that is neither here nor there. When it arrives, it will be both.

Sometimes, we hear a word or phrase that someone has changed from a noun to a verb. It can happen when it's least expected. A professor with whom I worked, found his 3-year-old son sitting in front of their home computer. Amused at the enthusiasm with which his son was banging away at the keyboard, the professor smiled and asked, "What are you doing?" His son replied emphatically, "I'm dot coming!"

Eventually, there is always someone who uses the word "word" in an exaggeration—such as the person who tries to convince us by saying, "It's the last word in..." It never is. You have my word on it.

Part 2 of "A Few Words About...Words" will answer the question, "Should you trust your dictionary?"

Pipsqueak Star Unleashes Monster Flare

Legionnaire1211@gmail.com (Joel Troxell, Dan Mesmer, and Bob Blunk) — Fri, 23 May 2008 10:00:00 +0000

Brought to you by NASA's Image of the Day Gallery

Einstein's Belief in The Creator

Legionnaire1211@gmail.com (Joel Troxell, Dan Mesmer, and Bob Blunk) — Tue, 20 May 2008 23:07:00 +0000

The web has been buzzing over the recently released and auctioned letter, written by Albert Einstein, that seemingly has him denouncing religion in all forms. "In the note, written the year before his death, Einstein dismissed the idea of God as the product of human weakness and the Bible as "pretty childish." He went on to say that the Jews are not chosen people and are no more or less extraordinary than the rest of the human race." (The Huffington Post)

Many media outlets have used this letter to bolster the claim that Einstein dismissed the idea of a Universal Creator. The is misleading at best, and a complete fabrication at worst. I posted before concerning Einstein's belief in a Cosmic Religion. Einstein said, "My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble minds. That deeply emotional conviction of the presence of a superior reasoning power, which is revealed in the incomprehensible universe, forms my idea of God."

He certainly dismissed the idea of a personal god. Einstein's letter and many other written articles make it clear that he thinks we must look past what he terms as earthly religion, and what Deists refer to as revealed religion. "I cannot imagine a God who rewards and punishes the objects of his creation, whose purposes are modeled after our own - a God, in short, who is but a reflection of human frailty. It is enough for me to contemplate the mystery of conscious life perpetuating itself through all eternity, to reflect upon the marvelous structure of the universe which we can dimly perceive and to try humbly to comprehend even an infinitesimal part of the intelligence manifested in Nature."

I think that we are slowly, but surely, moving past the idea that God refers to the idea of the revealed religion, a god in our image. The Creator is not a personal god, and the sooner the traditional media outlets discover and embrace this idea the better. We must change our perception of what it means to believe in the Cosmic Religion, or to follow the path of religious philosophies such as Deism. Einstein understood that science and religion will forever remain intertwined. In fact the said, "Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind." This statement could only be made by a man who has a deep understanding for the intricacies of nature and the dramatic patterns and laws established by the creator. It is time for news agencies like CNN, Fox, NY Times, etc, to move past the idea of correlating god, or the Creator, to revealed religions. We need to embrace the ideas of men such as Einstein and his statements proclaiming the obviousness of an impersonal Universal Creator.

"The scientist is possessed by the sense of universal causation. His religious feeling takes the form of a rapturous amazement at the harmony of natural law, which reveals an intelligence of such superiority that , compared with it, all the systematic thinking and acting of human beings is an utterly insignificant reflection."

Take it upon yourselves to remind people to broaden their perceptions. To understand that nature refers to the vastness of space and time, not just trees and animals. Remind them that the true Creator of the universe is not a personal god who listens to our prayers and inflicts painful and wrathful vengence upon humankind.

Einstein Quotes from Deism.com

New Content Contributor - Dan Mesmer

Legionnaire1211@gmail.com (Joel Troxell, Dan Mesmer, and Bob Blunk) — Sun, 18 May 2008 17:16:00 +0000

In keeping with the idea of expanding the content I would like to send out a warm welcome to the newest content contributor of Deism For the Modern Mind, Dan Mesmer. I will let Dan introduce himself via a post in the near future.

But, for now, just know that this is a great step in the right direction for this blog. As our readership and content expands more individuals will not only learn and experience Deism, but also learn more about themselves and society in general. And, hopefully, this leads to people living happier and fuller lives. This may seem like a bit of a reach for a blog, but to me it seems like the only logical way to help improve our society, and hopefully people enjoy doing it in the process.

Welcome aboard Dan, and I am glad to have you here.

You can also visit Dan's Website at Deist Links or checkout his Blogger Profile

Current Timeline of Our Universe

Legionnaire1211@gmail.com (Joel Troxell, Dan Mesmer, and Bob Blunk) — Sun, 18 May 2008 13:22:00 +0000

This supposedly shows the expansion of our Universe since the occurrence of the Big Bang. It is interesting to see that science has evolved enough to begin piecing together the significant points in the Universe's History. This is allowing us to create some pretty exciting images of what is took for the universe to get to this point. I am sure that this model will change many times in the near future.

Let me know how you would change this model to reflect new scientific theories.

Saturday Morning Humor

Legionnaire1211@gmail.com (Joel Troxell, Dan Mesmer, and Bob Blunk) — Sat, 17 May 2008 16:52:00 +0000

Brought to you by Comics.com