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Positive Deism Store We have a paperback version of Modern Age of Reason available for purchase at our Positive Deism Store HERE. From the back cover: "Thomas  Paine, who was one of the founding fathers of the United States of America, held to a religious philosophy called 'Deism'. 'Age of Reason' was the book he wrote to share his reason-based theological beliefs with the world. The book was written in the 18th century, so we have paraphrased Mr. Paine's classic work into modern English in order to make it more accessible to modern-day readers." Purchase of this paperback, and other items in the store, will help support the Positive Deism website.

Why Deism? 1. A medley of perspectives from a joint effort of the members of Positive Deism.

Who benefits from being a Deist? The Deist? If the answer to that question is "yes", does Deism then have relevance in society? If the answer to that question is "no", then why Deism? What behaviors and actions should one expect to observe in those who call themselves Deists? What difference does Deism make? These are the questions we ask ourselves. We do not wish to become bogged in the mire of destructive criticism and boring supposition. Instead, let us follow the example of great leaders of our past who have inspired us as thinkers, doers, and constructionists. We should remember that many of these great leaders were Deists.

Today, because of the Internet, Deism is enjoying a slow revival. There are many potential Deists out there ready to follow, but that is not enough for Deism to progress. What we need is for like-minded thinkers to help lay the groundwork and to build a solid foundation. In other words, we need more free-thinkers and discussions, lots more and good ones, before we can countenance any evangelical message for the masses. We have a long way to go, and progress must be made slowly and with unanimity. If we can find something that we all agree on, then we will have something to evangelize. That is why this site and its discussion forums exist.

Why Deism? Some of us believe it is closer to The Truth than other paradigms. Deism can and should make a tremendous amount of difference. How we live our lives as Deists, and how we arrive at our beliefs are ultimately more important than the individual conclusions we reach. What unites us is the way we think, not any canonical list of beliefs.

So, even if we cannot yet devise a common statement of beliefs or core values, perhaps we then, as Deists, agree on one thing: above all, we are free-thinkers. Not all Deists can aver without hesitation that there is one Creator (sometimes referred to as "God"). Many, but not all Deists, accept the strong probability this Creator is responsible for all things that exist anywhere and everywhere. Many Deists believe that we have neither the knowledge nor the capability to understand this Creative force (or God) beyond that which we observe in the natural world. Yet other Deists would disagree that we are incapable of knowing anything about God beyond our observation in nature. Some believe that God is Spirit and we, as God's offspring, are also spirit in our essential being, so it should be possible for us to know God as Spirit through "spiritual" means. But irrespective of which of these beliefs they might share, most Deists would add the caveat that they continue to study, to search and to question, so whatever their current beliefs, these are subject to change upon evidence to the contrary.

Continued study and observation is very important and perhaps in time more knowledge of our Creator will be revealed, but we must be on guard to examine experience, to question unfounded claims, to trust to good judgment based upon sound reason and to fully consider natural law. These are key principles upon which Deism is based, and they underscore how Deists think and believe in relationship to that which we call "spiritual".

Probably all Deists agree with the quote from Thomas Jefferson: "Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason than that of blind-folded fear..."

To question is the key to discovery. To look towards the heavens on a starlit night and to marvel at the vastness before our eyes is humbling and sacred. "How can this be? How can this vast universe exist?" we ask. For some the answer is simple. The Creator created, and before us we behold the nature given us to enjoy.

In the quest for truth, the ideal is to have incontrovertible evidence to support our beliefs, and that is the ultimate goal of the ardent Deist. We all look to science and the scientific method to provide this evidence, but so far the evidence is only circumstantial, and in Deist thought processes we can devise various theories that we can regard as reasonable answers to the question of ultimate truth. Deists are individualists. Some are quite content to leave the ultimate questions to posterity and get on with everyday living, rarely taking any time out to ponder. At the other extreme, some Deists are so passionate in their search for answers that the quest takes up a substantial part of every day. In between these two extremes lies every other Deist, and no one is more worthy of being called a Deist than another. We are all indulging in our pursuit for our own personal reasons. We come together here to indulge in those pursuits.

Deism is an evolutionary step for society, and history will judge whether it is a step forward, a step back or a dead end. Many Deists spend their energies arguing against various other religions. This may or may not be wise. Some consider it to be counter-productive. But we should bear in mind that not all steps in our evolution have been steps forward. We are still very much a primitive species overall. Still, we struggle in the direction we believe to be forward.

Deism is not confined to one particular mindset. Across the broad spectrum of Deists we find those with somewhat theistic leanings, purely rational Deism, Agnostic resignation and even some with strong Atheistic sentiment. We see from the breadth of this spectrum that we still lack concrete evidence to guide our beliefs, and we should note that a single, individual Deist may swing across this spectrum as his or her thinking broadens and becomes freer. Thus, the truly open mind can become somewhat frustrating for the owner. In case of such frustration it is beneficial to ponder the advantages of patience and take time out to relax, switch off and enjoy the sensations of being alive. The quest for truth should only be a pleasurable journey. Welcome. Come join us in our journey.