GurnBlanston

The women in that story practice magik (something akin to wiccan).

fyi: Deism is not a religion. It's an attitude toward religion and was replaced by the more fanatical theism.

btw: your comment about "getting more Sun" is rude and racist. I and my fellow Irishman will forgive you this one time.

Environment Man

You're probably right about it being a little racist. I apologize for expressing my arguably racist preference for some color in the skin tone. But I do not think it is rude for many white guys have told me they do not like extremely pale looking women. They told me they think they look like cadavers. Are they racist and rude?

Deism is essentially a religion in that its adherents believe that God got things going then sat back and let it run. That is religious belief and a religious explanation that people like you live by.

GurnBlanston

I prefer pale skin and brunette hair (black Irish). Very sexy.

Theism is a philosophy enforced first by the Byzantines then by the Roman Catholics. The Apostolic Church never implied Theism and all the archeological records show that the Apostolic Church was very much a Gnostic institution (before there was a distinction: Gnostic vs. Canonic [vs. Coptic, etc], Theism vs. Deism). The scriptures aren't very clear about the distinction, therefore it is upon the person reading (interpretting) the scripture what it's value to him is.
History cannot show that the Apostolic church revered Jesus as a God. Erego theism cannot be assumed.

Environment Man

Right. So Deism is a religion. It is simply a false religion.

nroberts

You and I must have very different definitions of the word "theism". Mine is fairly well reflected in the wiki article on the subject: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theism

GurnBlanston

The definitive difference is theism is based on irrational ideals which are mandated by some form of scriptural Law, to believe such as the Creation story, Noah, Jonah, et al. Deism is simply the belief in God with a modicum of reason. An expectation of Reasonability with a sense of wonder and amazement. The most notable difference is the belief that God created the Universe but doesn't get directly involved in human's lives. And our charge is to be stewards of this place and seek out God through his mysteries that are waiting for us to unravel. Whereas theism maintains everything goes according to a plan (implying there are no real "choices").
Most of the famous Deists are the ones that have making nearly all the important discoveries in science over the last 2000 years.

That page even says the same thing:

A taxonomy of beliefs about deities
It is possible to categorize views about deities in a variety of ways. One common procedure is to classify views about the existence of deities. This classification system categorizes view about deities as:

Theism — The belief that gods or deities exist and interact with the universe. [2]
Atheism — A lack of belief that gods exist. [3]
Deism — The belief that a god or gods exists, but does not interact with the universe. [4]

Environment Man

Gurn's Deist God is pretty much useless since the Big Bang. That of course means no resurrection and no prospect for future life. So his Deism is just as well to be atheism, buddhism, paganism, hinduism or any other ism that excludes God in the ongoing affairs of man, angels, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and of courese the Father of Dearth, Satan.

His is a sad and hopeless religion, though he prefers to call it a philosophy, a bastardized form of religion.

GurnBlanston

A lot of the early Church leaders were Deist.
I believe in exactly the same God as you, I just don't delude myself into believing that he is going to help me pass a math test or miraculously save my life by divine intervention. I believe he set this system up so that chance favors the prepared mind not the blindly devout.

Environment Man

But what about the prospect for future life?

GurnBlanston

You mean afterlife? I believe all are saved but we will have to "pay" or repair the damage sin has done to our spirits somehow. Maybe it's a time on Earth as a lowly creature or maybe there is a place of determinable torment. All of which carry the distinct idea of purging or renewal. Really I don't worry about it because I know it was a system put into place by the Great Architect of the Universe. I just try to work on my time here by being as much a relief to my fellow man as I can. Of course there in lies the problem as I do not always want to help. I think that's the journey. Learning to surrender your selfishness for the benefit of others.