DEISM -- God created an orderly world to operate on its own.
In the 17th century, the progress of science and technology gave birth to a philosophy that stressed the value of human reason over revelation. Great champions of this philosophy were John Locke and Voltaire. Sir Isaac Newton's law of physics also led to a view that some have called "the clockwork universe." Deism holds that an intelligent Creator set up the world to operate on its own without divine interference.
Many Americans honor the founding fathers of the United States as Christians in faith and practice. But some of its finest minds, such as Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin, were deists. As a philosophy, deism derives its understanding of God from reason and personal experience - not revelation. Jefferson, like other deists, rejected miracles and asserted instead that God does not interfere with human affairs or with the laws of the universe.
To become more familiar with the history and beliefs of contemporary deism, see The Ontario Consultants On Religious Tolerance at www.religioustolerance.org/deism.htm.
(Excerpt from Windows on the World: A Comparison of Major Worldviews published by RBC Ministries)
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