The word ‘Deism’ comes from the Latin word ‘Deus’, which means ‘God’. Deism is a simple, yet deeply profound, philosophy, based on belief in God or the Supreme Intelligence that brought the universe into being solely on the basis of reason and not on the basis of any so-called ‘Divine revelation’. It is a rationalistic theology that asserts that reason and observation of the natural world are sufficient to indicate the existence of a Supreme Intelligence, or what might be called ‘God’, behind the universe. Thus, Deism may be termed as a ‘natural theology’, as distinct from theologies that claim to be based on what their votaries claim to be ‘Divine revelation’.
Based in upstate New York (USA) Jayson X is the Deputy Director of the World Union of Deists. In this interview, he reflects on Deism and its immensely liberative possibilities.
Q: Could you provide a brief definition of Deism? Given that many people who self-identify as ‘Deist’ might have quite varying understandings of what ‘Deism’ is, what is it that unites them so that they can all be called ‘Deists’? What is it that is common to their understandings of Deity that qualifies their diverse understandings to all come under the rubric of ‘Deism’?
A: If you do two things, you are a Deist. If you don’t, you’re not. Those two things are 1) base all your beliefs on reason, and 2) conclude that God (the being or beings who purposefully created the universe) exists or at least probably exists.
Q: Do you think self-identified Deists can each have their own unique understandings of Deism, including of Deity/God, depending on what personally resonates with them?
A: Yes. However, as I just mentioned, if you do two things, you are a Deist: to base all your beliefs on reason, and to conclude that God (the being or beings who purposefully created the universe) exists or at least probably exists.
Q: What are some of the things that make you believe that there is a transcendental supernatural force or being or Supreme Intelligence in or behind the physical universe that we call ‘God’?
A: I am not a physicist, but from what I can tell, the physical constants of the universe indicate that it was probably purposefully designed and created. Also, the universe just appears purposefully created rather than an accident. It is too complex, magnificent, and balanced to be the product of an accident. A haze of gas might accidentally exist, but not all the complex, magnificent, and balanced stars, planets, and creatures.
Q: Could you please reflect on the course of your own theological journey until you arrived at being a self-identified Deist?
A: I was raised to believe that both the Bible and modern science were completely true. It was not until I was an Antiochian Orthodox Christian priest for a couple of years that I concluded that the two were irreconcilable. I kept believing in modern science and stopped believing that the Bible is completely true and good. I still believe in God, however. That is why I am a Deist rather than an Agnostic or an Atheist.
Q: When was the first time you heard about Deism, and how did you react to it then?
A: I can’t remember when I first learned about Deism. It seems to me that I have pretty much always known a little about Deism and that Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, two leaders in the American Revolution, were both Deists. I thought Deism was good and true because reason is good and reliable, and God is good and true.
Q: At the time when you began to self-identify as a Deist, what were some of the challenges you faced? Do Deists where you live still face such challenges, or is it considerably easier now to publicly be a Deist?
A: Many of my friends and family members were upset that I no longer identified as a Christian. I don’t talk about Deism much with people unless they ask me about my beliefs. Most people don’t talk about serious philosophical issues. Thus, if I stick to uncontroversial topics, people tend not to ask me about my religion in my everyday life. However, as the Deputy Director of the World Union of Deists, people from all over Earth talk with me, via email, about my religious beliefs. So, I often teach people about Deism that way.
Q: Why do you prefer to use a pseudonym (Jayson X) rather than your real name?
A: I sometimes work as a public school teacher, and saying controversial opinions about religion would hurt that career.
Q: Why was it that your disenchantment with religion led you to become a Deist and not an atheist, an agnostic or what might be called an ‘indifferentist’ (someone indifferent to God), unlike many others?
A: Here, I will define religion as the system of beliefs that is most important to one. Thus, everyone has a religion. That religion could have to do with family, friends, work, sports, money, sex, intoxicants, power, God, etcetera. My point is that religion is important, and I have often thought that if I could get people (especially me) to embrace the best religion, I could do my part to make the closest thing to Heaven on Earth. This means that I can’t be indifferent to religion. I think of religion as a very useful means to make the closest thing to Heaven on Earth. Also, I believe that God (the being or beings who purposefully created the universe) probably exists and that believing in God helps me be as good and happy as I can be. Therefore, I believe that Deism is better than Atheism and Agnosticism.
Q: How might Deism be different from what one might call ‘Theological Freethinkingism’ or ‘Non-Religious Theism’?
A: I’m not sure what those things are, but they sound good to me. ‘Freethinking’ means basing beliefs on reason; ‘theologizing’ means thinking about God; ‘non-religious’ means not basing beliefs on myth and mythological traditions.
Q: Many religionists claim that their religion is based on what they call ‘Divine revelation’. What are some of your views about ‘Divine revelation’? Do you think God has ever revealed God’s Will verbally or in writing, as many religionists believe? If yes, why? If no, why not?
A: God created humans, and humans created religions. Some religions are better than others, but I suppose that the best religion which is also substantive enough to be an adequate personal philosophy might be only 70% true. 70% true is much better than 1% true, but 100% true would be even better. However, this side of death, 70% might be the best that we can create or discover. In case you want to know my best guess about the meaning of life, read my book The Book of Expanded Deism, which you can order on amazon.com or read for free at btl201.wixsite.com/expandeddeism.
Q: How do you view various religions? What do you think is their source, and how do you think they came into being? Do you think they are entirely the handiwork of men, or do you think that at least some of them might have been inspired, at least in part, by God? Are there any aspects of one or more religion that you admire and that have impacted your own life?
A: All religions this side of death are human-made belief systems. God remains hidden and silent, and people just make up doctrines for various reasons: to deal with life, to understand life, to live morally, to control people, etcetera. However, I suspect that God occasionally tinkers with Creation to get the results that God wants. Such tinkering might involve implanting a thought here or a feeling there. As far as aspects of religions that I admire, I admire Christianity’s emphasis on love and forgiveness, Buddhism’s emphasis on compassion for all sentient beings, and Islam’s emphasis on submitting to God.
Q: Presumably, as a Deist, you believe in a God who is All-Powerful and All-Good and at the same time do not believe that any religion is based on ‘Divine revelation’. That being the case, why do you think God has allowed so many religions that claim to be based on ‘Divine revelation’ to come into being and to become so widespread as to cause billions of human beings to believe in them? Surely, being all-powerful, God could have prevented that from happening?
A: I believe God wants us humans (and other rational creatures) to go through a similar process as God went through. God, I believe, went from inanimate stuff to a living being, to an intelligent being, to a being capable of purposefully creating the universe. During this process, God had to think for Godself. God did not have a superior being talking to God, giving God commands or advice. I believe that God wants us rational creatures to go through a similar process so that we will understand and relate well with God in the next life. During the process of our evolution, we have to think for ourselves. We do not have a superior being talking to us, giving us commands or advice. God remains hidden and silent to us in this life to teach and test us for the next life.
Q: How and when did you come to be associated with the World Union of Deists (WUD)? Is it a network or a registered organization? Why do you think a network like the WUD is important in today’s context? What are its major activities and achievements? What is your present role in the WUD? What sort of activities do you presently do as a leading figure of the WUD? Could you please share some interesting learnings you have had while being associated with the WUD? How does being a senior member of the WUD help give you a sense of meaning and purpose?
A: The World Union of Deists was founded in Charlottesville, Virginia, USA, on April 10, 1993, by Robert Johnson. The WUD is based in the United States with representatives in some thirty countries, produces podcasts, manages an online library, and publishes the journal Deism along with many other publications. The WUD is needed in the world today because the better our beliefs, the better our actions; the better our actions, the happier we (and those animals we impact) are. So far, the WUD’s major achievement is being a light of Deistic reason in the darkness of human folly. Hopefully as time passes, more and more people will head toward that light until Deism becomes very popular.
I joined the WUD many years ago because I thought that humanity was heading in the wrong moral direction. Under the leadership of George W. Bush, the United States had just unjustly invaded Iraq–an action that basically ruined decades of just and wise U.S. foreign policy. The United States defeated the fascists in World War II and then the Communists in the Cold War, and then it had the chance to lead the world by example, taking humanity to new levels of prosperity and peace. Instead, it acted like all other militarily dominant nations in history and started a war to make the rich richer. Because bad religion had much to do with U.S. foreign policy, I thought that I should speak up and promote the best belief system, Deism.
My present role in the WUD is as Deputy Director. As Deputy Director, I answer emails from people all over Earth. I have also given lectures, done interviews and podcasts, and published books and articles. I have learned much over the years working with the WUD. Much of what I have learned is published in the books that I have written. See Books (Available at www.amazon.com) (jaysonx.com) for details. I used to be an Antiochian Orthodox Christian priest, and leaving the ministry was very hard on me. I had trained many years, barely started ministering, and figured out that Christianity was too flawed to dedicate my life to. Bob Johnson and the WUD gave me the opportunity to use my education to promote the theology and morality that I honestly believed in. Thank you very much, Bob and WUD! : )
Q: What is it that keeps you so committed and deeply engaged in Deist-related work? In what ways do you see this work as your vocation or calling in life? What makes you so passionate about it that you are still engaged in it even after so many years? Also, when you look back at your life, how do you personally feel about your long engagement in seeking to popularize Deism and how it has come to define you as a person?
A: We humans have the power to make Earth a paradise or a cesspool. To make it a paradise, we need to embrace the best belief systems that we can. In my opinion, Deism is the core of the best belief systems. It has the reason of Agnosticism and Atheism and it is open to all that is good in the world religions. I believe that someday I will be judged face- to-face by God. On that day, I want to honestly say that I pretty much did everything in my power to be as sane, good, and happy as possible; which includes helping everyone else be as sane, good, and happy as possible. Promoting Deism through the WUD is a major way that I prepare myself for that meeting with The Divine.
I admit that in recent years, I haven’t done as much as I have done in the past; but most days I do a little Deist-related work. At the very least, I answer emails. People are thirsty for wisdom, and I try to be a refreshing pool of water from which they can metaphorically drink whenever they want.
Q: Why do you think that the number of people who self-identify as Deists is still very small, even in parts of the world where ‘mainstream’ religion is no longer dominant?
A: Once Deism is understood well by humanity, many more humans would self-identify as Deists. I think that people disagree about what the best definition of Deism should be. If everyone adopted my definition, it would greatly help humanity to understand Deism well. The following is my definition of Deism:
Deism is the philosophy that teaches only the following two things: 1) One should base all of one’s beliefs on reason, and 2) reason leads one to conclude that God (the being or beings who purposefully created the universe) exists or at least probably exists.
That’s it! Therefore, Deists can believe anything that is reasonable. Some people who claim to be Deists assert that Deism teaches more than just these two things, but I disagree with them. Deism is only a simple epistemological and theological position. Simply speaking, like Atheism, Deism teaches that one should base all of one’s beliefs on reason; but unlike Atheism, Deism asserts that God exists or at least probably exists. In short, Deism is both as simple and as complicated as Atheism. I happen to be convinced that Deism is much truer, though.
Q: Why do you think what could be called ‘the Deist possibility’ itself—the possibility that one can believe in God without believing in or associating with this or that religion—is so little known? Do you think that many people who are dissatisfied with a religion and for that reason become atheists or ‘indifferentists’ or convert to some other religion might not have so had they known that one can believe in God without believing in and identifying with this or that religion?
A: Once again, I think that people disagree about what the best definition of Deism should be. One reason that this is unfortunate is that many people would gladly identify as Deists if Deism had one well-known and agreed upon definition. In American society, many people seem to believe in a false dichotomy: “Are you an Atheist or a Christian?” It should, instead, be: “Are you an Atheist (one who does not believe that a God exists) or a Theist (one who believes that a God exists)?”. If the one being asked answers, “A theist”, the next logical question is: “Are you a Deist or a Revealed Religionist?” A Deist bases his or her belief in God on reason, and a Revealed Religionist bases her or his belief in God on some kind of supposed miracle.
Q: Today, growing numbers of people are becoming indifferent to religion, and this indifference leads many to atheism or agnosticism, perhaps on account of conflating religion with God. What relevance do you think Deism might have for such people? How do you think we can reach out to them? What do you think might be some attractions that Deism might offer to people who are no longer interested in this or that religion and who also, at the same time, do not want to be atheists or agnostics?
A: Deism is about honesty. Reason seems like the best way to honestly understand and accept all reality as well as one can. Reasoning means using our physical senses and logical thinking to understand truth. Part of truth seems to be that the universe was purposefully created. If the universe were purposefully created, then God probably exists. The best way to reach out to people with Deism is to understand what Deism is and what it is not. Deism is not necessarily the belief that God created the universe and then did no more creating. Many Deists believe that, and that belief is fine. But Deism can also be the belief that God created the universe and might secretly and subtly tinker around with it occasionally. I believe in the latter, so did Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Paine–two of the most intelligent and famous Deists who ever lived.
Below are pairs of quotations from Franklin and Paine. The first quotation in each pair proves that the individual in question considered himself a Deist, and the second quotation proves that he also believed that God is active in the universe even after God created it.
I. Benjamin Franklin (1706 - 1790)
A. “Some books against Deism fell into my hands; they were said to be the substance of sermons preached at Boyle’s lectures. It happened that they wrought an effect on me quite contrary to what was intended by them; for the arguments of the Deists, which were quoted to be refuted, appeared to me much stronger than the refutations; in short, I soon became a thorough Deist” (“Deism.” Wikipedia. 22 June 2011. 28 June 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deism>.).
B. “My dear friend, do not imagine that I am vain enough to ascribe our success [in the American Revolution] to any superiority . . . . If it had not been for the justice of our cause, and the consequent interposition of Providence, in which we had faith, we must have been ruined. If I had ever before been an atheist, I should now have been convinced of the being and government of a Deity!”
- In a letter to William Strahan, August 19, 1784
(http://thescroogereport.wordpress.com/2008/07/04/benjaminfranklincreditsgodforamericasindependence/)
II. Thomas Paine (January 29, 1737 - June 8, 1809)
A. “The opinions I have advanced . . . are the effect of the most clear and long-established conviction that the Bible and the Testament are impositions upon the world, that the fall of man, the account of Jesus Christ being the Son of God, and of his dying to appease the wrath of God, and of salvation, by that strange means, are all fabulous inventions, dishonorable to the wisdom and power of the Almighty; that the only true religion is Deism, by which I then meant, and mean now, the belief of one God, and an imitation of his moral character, or the practice of what are called moral virtues—and that it was upon this only (so far as religion is concerned) that I rested all my hopes of happiness hereafter. So say I now—and so help me God” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Thomas Paine).
B. “God almighty will not give up a people to military destruction, or leave them unsupportedly to perish, who had so earnestly and so repeatedly sought to avoid the calamities of war, by every decent method which wisdom could invent”
(http://www.let.rug.nl/usa/essays/before1800/thomaspainesthecrisisnumberone1776richarddestefano.php).
Q: What do I think might be some attractions that Deism might offer to people who are not/no longer interested in this or that religion and also do not want to be atheists or agnostics?
A: Deism can be a completely honest position. It allows me to embrace what I honestly believe is true in every belief system, and it allows me to reject what I honestly disbelieve is false in every belief system. Like Atheists and Agnostics, I believe that reason is the best way for us mortal humans to know truth. And, like Christians and Muslims, I believe that God exists, is completely good, and will justly reward and punish all people after they die.
For the record, I do not believe in eternal damnation and I believe that eventually all beings–every human, animal, fungus, plant, etcetera–will go to Heaven. Relatively evil beings will be disciplined a little first until they truly repent, though. I believe these things partly because I believe that God is completely good, and that is what a completely good God would do. God is the parent of all creatures, and a good parent would not let his, her, or its child be obliterated or tortured forever. Besides, all life and personalities are precious. They are worth preserving and perfecting.
Q: Today, in large parts of the world, there are growing numbers of people who refer to themselves as spiritual but not religious. What relevance could the philosophy of Deism have for them?
A: It is easy to be spiritual but not religious, and a Deist. I suppose that most Deists are spiritual but not religious.
Q: Do you think a term like ‘God-centrism’ might be more appropriate than the term ‘Deism’ for people who want to believe in God but not in religion and who might not resonate with the term ‘Deism’ on account of thinking it to be yet another ism?
A: I believe that the God-given goal of human life is to always be as sane, good, and happy as possible. Whatever name or belief system best helps one accomplish that goal is the name or belief system one should use. If “God-centrism” works for you, use it. “Deism” works for me.
Q: Do you think Deists should have missionaries like in the case of various missionary-oriented religions?
A: Every Deist should do what she or he thinks is best. I do a little missionizing for Deism. Some Deists do more, and other Deists do less. That’s fine, as long as each Deist is honestly doing what he or she believes is best. Bob Johnson, the founder and Director of the WUD, might be the Saint Paul of Deism. He has dedicated his whole life to teaching humanity about Deism, so there is a Deist missionary for you. Good job, Bob!
Q: What are some of the things you feel could and should be done to make Deism and the liberative potentials that it holds out to humanity better known? What do you think needs to be done to make Deism a more attractive spiritual as well as intellectual option as a philosophy of life for people?
A: People should educate themselves about what Deism is and is not, and Deists need to communicate Deism to humanity through more writings, lectures, podcasts, and individual conversations. I hope that, one day, Deism will have more of such things than any other belief system.
Q: Do you see Deists participating actively in ‘mainstream’ society seeking to share their beliefs?
A: Yes, at least as much as Atheists and Agnostics do.
Q: Today, interfaith groups have emerged across much of the world and are a good means for people to share their theological views with others. Do you see Deists also participating in interfaith forums?
A: I think it would be a great way to learn and teach. Deists should learn more about belief systems, especially their own, and Deists should help non-Deists understand Deism better. The best way to learn something well is to teach it well.
Q: In what ways do you think Deism is of particular relevance and importance in today’s global scenario? Are there any particular issues of contemporary global salience where you think Deism can have a unique contribution to make? In the context of the enormous violence, hate, misogyny, ignorance superstition, exploitation etc. that continues to be fomented by religion or in the name of religion, what redeeming/liberative role do you think the philosophy of Deism can play in combating these evils produced by religion or in its name? In this context, in what way(s) do you think Deism might be an ‘evangel’ or ‘Good News’?
A: Honesty is the key to embracing the truth. It opens us up to, and helps us understand, the truth as much possible. Honesty causes people to admit that they are far more ignorant than knowledgeable. Thus, it is easy for people to believe something false. Probably all people who have lived long enough to believe anything have believed at least one false thing. That is just one reason why we should not persecute each other because of our beliefs. Deism and honesty should go together like hand and glove.
Honesty tells me that violence is often the wrong solution to a problem; that I should not hate anyone because we are all imperfect and part of the same family (God being the parent of everyone); that we are all ignorant and prone to superstition; and that we should help, rather than exploit, each other. Honesty tells me that I should believe everything that is probably true and disbelieve whatever is false, regardless of its source. Honesty tells me that God created fallible humans, and fallible humans create different religions. Deism is easily the honest foundation of the personal philosophy of billions of people, at least potentially. The good news of Deism is that you can have both reason and God. You don’t have to believe nonsense to believe in and trust God. The true God wants you to fully use your reason!
Q: Do you think we are moving towards a post-religious world? If so, do you welcome it? If so, why? And, what role do you think Deism and Deists could play in facilitating the emergence of such a world?
A: No. I already defined religion as the system of beliefs that is most important to one. Thus, everyone has a religion. To that, I will add that everyone will always have a religion. Hopefully, belief in mythologies and superstitions will continually decrease, while trust in reason and science will continually increase.
Freethinkers are people who base their beliefs on their own reason, rather than the opinion or manipulation of someone else. All true Deists, Agnostics, and Atheists are Freethinkers. Freethought, compassion, and hope are the keys to continuously improving human belief systems.
Q: Could you please share something about your literary efforts in seeking to popularize Deism and also, any writing projects in this regard that you might be presently engaged in or considering to take up in the future?
A: I have self-published seven books on amazon.com. They are listed under my pen name, Jayson X. (I write with a pen name because I say controversial things about religion and don’t want anything I say to negatively impact my career.) All seven books are described and shown below. As for current writing projects, I am always working on two anthologies–one for my short non-fiction writings, and the other for my short fiction writings. I hope to publish these anthologies shortly before I die so that they will be basically complete.
Deism is a simple philosophy that, as I mentioned earlier, teaches just two things: 1) One should base all of one’s beliefs on reason, and 2) reason leads one to conclude that God (the being or beings who purposefully created the universe) exists or at least probably exists. Sounds good, doesn’t it? It is, but it is only the beginning of an adequate personal philosophy. Using reason, compassion, and hope, I have expanded Deism to help people be as sane, good, and happy as possible. You want to know the purpose of life and how to best live it? Then The Book of Expanded Deism is for you! You can read it for free at btl201.wixsite.com/expandeddeism.
A theology is a system of beliefs about God, and perhaps every human has a theology. We need to have a theology to construct an adequate personal philosophy to deal with reality and live wisely. The better our theology, the better our personal philosophy. But what is the best theology? What Is the Best Theology?: Fourth Edition answers this question in a very user-friendly way. Spoiler Alert! The answer is “Deism”! Read this book to learn why.
Many people complain about how various nations acted throughout history. Among other things, they say that nations should not have been absolute monarchies that were scientifically illiterate and un-egalitarian, enslaved foreigners, started unjust wars, and committed genocide of indigenous people. That is easy to say. What is not easy to say is what exactly a European nation should have done from the year 1000 C.E. unto the present, and that is what Jasonia: How a Nation Could and Should Be does. This book is an entertaining and edifying alternate history of the world from the perspective of the make-believe nation of Jasonia. Jasonia did not exist, but something like it should have. Hopefully, this book will help Jasonia-like nations develop throughout the world in the near future.
I used to be a devout Christian, and, as such, I was convinced that every assertion in the Bible was somehow true. It might not be literally true, but it was at least figuratively or allegorically true. Then I came to the conclusion that the Bible is probably a flawed book. I did this to embrace the truth and free my mind from the childish trust I had in the Bible. In other words, I wanted to completely break the spell that kept me from thinking honestly and freely. I am now sharing what I learned with others to help them think honestly and freely too. Read Bible Problems: Contradictions, Factual Errors, and Evil Moral Teachings in the Bible to educate yourself and free your mind!
I have been the Deputy Director of the World Union of Deists since 2007. As such, I have answered countless emails from around the planet. Deist Emails: Answers from a 21st Century Deist on a Variety of Subjects is basically a collection of 167 of my best answers on a vast range of topics. Practically every popular topic of philosophy, religion, politics, and economics is covered in this magnum opus.
In most science fiction stories with genetic engineering, those doing the genetic engineering are the bad guys and those opposing them are the good guys. But what would happen if good, smart people did genetic engineering the right way? With humor, action, and drama, Journey to Perfection provides a believable answer while still taking the reader on a mind-expanding sci-fi journey.
The Book of Happyism is a very practical guide for maximizing happiness for all beings. It teaches much about morality and theology. We should base all our actions and philosophical beliefs on reason, compassion, and hope; and we should believe that God exists and is completely good. I made this book for my own devotional reading. It is like a more experimental Book of Expanded Deism.
Many of Jayson X’s writings are available on www.jaysonx.com
For more details about Deism, see the website of the World Union of Deists: www.deism.com
Comments