What are the differences and similarites if any at all between Theism and Deism?

Question

what are the differences in terms of beliefs if any at all? what are the similarites in beliefs if any at all? as much information as possible that's accurate gets the best answer

Answer 1

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 — roughly, the opinion that gods or deities exist
atheism — roughly, an absence of belief in any gods or deities
deism — roughly, the belief that a god or gods exist, but do not interact with events at the scale of human beings
agnosticism — roughly, the opinion that it is not possible to know whether gods or deities exist, or the opinion that one does not know.
Some classifications group atheism and agnosticism together under the classification of non-theism — absence of clearly identified belief in any deity.
The main subcategories of theism are:

polytheism — roughly, the opinion that multiple gods or deities exist
monotheism — roughly, the opinion that only one god exists.
This taxonomy is based on opinions about the existence of god or gods. Other taxonomies are possible. For example, a different taxonomy is based on opinions about the nature or characteristics (rather than the existence) of God or the gods. Examples include:

pantheism — roughly, the opinion that God and the universe are equivalent[1]
panentheism — roughly, the opinion that the universe is part of God
eutheism and dystheism are more recently coined terms of this sort.
Other categories of belief include:

Animism: The belief that everything is alive; that spirits are in all things, or that all things have souls.
Monolatry: The belief that there may be more than one deity, but only one should be worshipped.
Henotheism: The belief that there may be more than one deity, but one is supreme.
Kathenotheism: The belief that there is more than one deity, but only one deity at a time should be worshipped. Each is supreme in turn.

[edit] Relationship to religion
Some theistic religions are: Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Zoroastrianism, Saivism, Vaishnavism, Bahá'í, and Sikhism.
Some atheistic religions are: Taoism, Confucianism, and Zen Buddhism.
There are (or were) other religions which are polytheistic (see below).

[edit] Theism

[edit] Polytheism
Polytheism is the belief that there is more than one deity. In practice, polytheism is not just the belief that there are multiple gods; it usually includes belief in the existence of a specific pantheon of distinct deities.

Within polytheism there are hard and soft varieties.

Hard polytheism views the gods as being distinct and separate beings; an example of this would be ancient Greek Mythology.
Soft polytheism views the gods as being subsumed into a greater whole. Most forms of Hinduism serve as examples of soft polytheism.

[edit] Monotheism
Monotheism is the belief that there is only one deity. There are many forms of monotheism.

Inclusive monotheism: The belief that there is only one deity, and that all other claimed deities are just different names for it. The Hindu denomination of Smartism is an example of inclusive monotheism.
Exclusive monotheism: The belief that there is only one deity, and that all other claimed deities are distinct from it and false — either invented, demonic, or simply incorrect. Most Abrahamic religions, and the Hindu denomination of Vaishnavism (which regards the worship of anyone other than Vishnu as incorrect) are examples of exclusive monotheism.
Pantheism: The view that the universe is identical to a deity.
Theism (second definition): The doctrine that God (or Gods) is (or are) immanent in the world, yet transcends (transcend) it.
Panentheism: The belief that the universe is entirely contained within a deity that is greater than just the universe.

[edit] Deism
Deism is the belief in the existence of a god which, having set up the universe initially, plays no further part in the running of the universe. Deism typically rejects supernatural events (prophecy, miracles) and divine revelation prominent in organized religion, along with holy books and revealed religions that assert the existence of such things. Instead, deism holds that religious beliefs must be founded on human reason and observed features of the natural world, and that these sources reveal the existence of a supreme being as creator. [2]


[edit] Atheism
Atheism is an absence of belief in the existence of gods or deities. The word atheism is derived from the Greek word atheos, from the negative prefix a- (without) and the word theos (θεóς, god), meaning literally 'without god.' [3] There are two distinct forms of atheism: weak and strong atheism.


[edit] Agnosticism
The word "agnostic" was coined by T. H. Huxley, "Darwin's Bulldog", around 1869. Since then, the word has been used in a variety of ways, as follows.

In one sense of the word, agnosticism is the position that it is not possible to know whether gods exist. Agnosticism in this sense is an epistemological position about the limits of possible knowledge. It holds that it is not possible to determine whether gods exist. Specifically, it holds that the question of the existence of gods is beyond the scope of science — that it is a question that cannot be answered by science. This position is epistemological agnosticism or strong agnosticism.[4]

In another, more popular sense, of the word, agnosticism is a personal position. When a person describes himself as an agnostic he usually means one of the following:

he takes no position, pro or con, on the existence of gods.
he has considered the question of the existence of gods, and has not yet been able to decide whether he believes in the existence of gods or not.
This position is personal agnosticism or weak agnosticism.[5]


[edit] References
^ http://www.philosophypages.com/dy/p.htm#pant
^ Webster's New International Dictionary of the English Language (G. & C. Merriam, 1924) defines deism as belief in the existence of a personal God, with disbelief in Christian teaching, or with a purely rationalistic interpretation of Scripture...
^ Webster's New International Dictionary of the English Language (2nd ed., 1959, G. & C. Merriam Company, Springfield, Mass.) defines atheism as Disbelief in, or denial of, the existence of a God, or supreme intelligent being; disbelief in theism.
^ "agnosticism". A Companion to Epistemology: p. 10. (1992). Blackwell Publishing.
^ "agnosticism". A Companion to Epistemology: p. 10. (1992). Blackwell Publishing.

Answer 2

Theism in the broadest sense just means the belief in a or multiple god/s, so you could think of deism as a form of theism. However, theism is more commonly used today to describe a more specific belief: the belief in a personal god who interacts with humans and creation. Deism is contrary to this because deism postulates a creation god that set events in motion but does not interfere with creation in any way.

Answer 3

Deism is a particular form of theism. It's a theism which does not recognize supernatural revelation, that is, a theism which relies on philosophical inquiry to investigate God's nature.

Some deists deny that God is a personal, purposive reality, or that God is related to the cosmos in an ongoing way; but by no means all deists believe this.

Answer 4

3 major differences ...

Reason Instead of Faith. Only believe things that are "proven."

Impersonal God Instead of a personal God.

Self-Reliance Instead of Co-Dependency or relationship with the Father.

To go a step further the only difference between deists and atheists is their answer to the question on whether the universe was made or just happened.

Answer 5

Deists do not believe in a personal god that watches or even cares what humankind does.

Answer 6

from my readings it is as follows:

Deists is as the first poster says.
Theists believe in a personal God--that answers prayers. But don't believe in any one religion as the 'truth'.

The God Delusion
http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Dawkins
http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_God_Delusion

The End of Faith
http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_End_of_Faith
http://www.en/wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Harris
http://www.en/wikipedia.org/wiki/Letter_to_a_Christian_Nation