I think it is time that we come to face a fact. Deists really love to say that eventually, Deism will supplant all other religions and be heralded as the true theology. I hold that this cannot happen. Deism is not for everyone. People take many different paths in order to get to the religion they believe in. Deism cannot be the end of all those paths. Perhaps it is at many of those paths, but it can never be at all of the. Humanity is to complex and individual for that to ever be true.
Most Deists come to Deism because of their sense of reason. Deism has always been an intellectual religion. It requires hard thought to understand. While the basic principles are easy to know, they difficult to truly understand. Many people, rightly or wrongly, just do not care enough to think hard about religion. For me, that is okay, as long as they are intellectually honest with themselves. Deism is not for this kind of person.
There are some who place more value on the emotions they gain from religion that from the religion itself. They use traditional religion, not because it seems logical, but because it feels right. While this variety exists (and is welcome) in Deism, a single theology cannot hope to provide all that they may need. In addition, there are those who let there emotions tell them what religion to believe in. Bitterness and anger can lead one towards Atheism. The frustrations with life can lead one towards Christianity. We cannot hope to be able to satisfy any of these people. And it is probably for the best. If Deism doesn't match them, then they are not obligated to believe.
There is still use in promoting Deism. Just as there are roads that Deism cannot fill, there are those that ONLY Deism can fulfill. But because of Deism's obscurity, people just find a dead end. All Deists must work together to help build the roadway that will lead many people to religious fulfillment. It is our obligation to help the people who ARE right for Deism find it, so that they are not forced to take a side they cannot truly agree with. What all of us have found in Deism can be found by others if we work to get Deism known. We may never be the one true religion, but we can help people, which I think is a more noble goal.
Most Deists come to Deism because of their sense of reason. Deism has always been an intellectual religion. It requires hard thought to understand. While the basic principles are easy to know, they difficult to truly understand. Many people, rightly or wrongly, just do not care enough to think hard about religion. For me, that is okay, as long as they are intellectually honest with themselves. Deism is not for this kind of person.
There are some who place more value on the emotions they gain from religion that from the religion itself. They use traditional religion, not because it seems logical, but because it feels right. While this variety exists (and is welcome) in Deism, a single theology cannot hope to provide all that they may need. In addition, there are those who let there emotions tell them what religion to believe in. Bitterness and anger can lead one towards Atheism. The frustrations with life can lead one towards Christianity. We cannot hope to be able to satisfy any of these people. And it is probably for the best. If Deism doesn't match them, then they are not obligated to believe.
There is still use in promoting Deism. Just as there are roads that Deism cannot fill, there are those that ONLY Deism can fulfill. But because of Deism's obscurity, people just find a dead end. All Deists must work together to help build the roadway that will lead many people to religious fulfillment. It is our obligation to help the people who ARE right for Deism find it, so that they are not forced to take a side they cannot truly agree with. What all of us have found in Deism can be found by others if we work to get Deism known. We may never be the one true religion, but we can help people, which I think is a more noble goal.
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