Deism facts for kids

Thomas Paine was a famous deist who wrote The Age of Reason

Deism is the belief that a higher being (like the Christian God) exists, but that the only revelation of God is in nature and reason, not in sacred books or prophets. Deism says that people should rely on logic and reason, and not traditions of a religion that is based on a holy book. People who follow deism are called deists.

Deists believe that a Higher Power created the world. They do not believe that the creation of the universe happened because of a spontaneous event. They usually reject supernatural events like miracles, and believe that God has set up natural laws, which govern how the universe works and how people should act, and does not interfere with these laws. Most deists also see holy books, such as the Bible and Qur'an, as writings made by people, rather than the writings of God.

Famous deists from history include American political leader and inventor Benjamin Franklin, French conqueror Napoleon Bonaparte, French philosopher Voltaire, British philosopher Thomas Paine, and French revolutionary leader Maximilien de Robespierre. Neil Armstrong called himself a "deist" on a 1950s application to be a Boy Scout leader. Many historians think Thomas Jefferson was a deist, though he didn't say so.

Images for kids

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  Lord Herbert of Cherbury, portrayed by Isaac Oliver (1560–1617)

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  David Hume

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  Thomas Paine

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  Voltaire at age 24, portrayed by Nicolas de Largillière

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  On positive German God-belief (1939)

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  Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founding father of the Republic of Turkey, serving as its first president from 1923 until his death in 1938. He undertook sweeping progressive reforms, which modernized Turkey into a secular, industrializing nation.

See also

In Spanish: Deísmo para niños