What do atheists think of deism?

Question

I know everyones beliefs are different, but do people really think we're merely balls of organisms having chemical reactions?

Answer 1

It's actually possible and not really all that far from atheism anyway (and may actually be a stage to atheism).

I still think it unnecessary to postulate a god to create the universe but a god that just creates the universe and then leaves it to run on its own is a lot less unreasonable than one that is constantly interfering in the affairs of such lowly creatures as us humans.

Deists also tend not to kill people over their beliefs and have much the same view as the average atheist on religion.

I think it's still probably wrong but it isn't as wrong as conventional theism nor is it likely to cause the same kind of social problems as religion, a world that is about half deist and half atheist (which seems to be where we're headed) would be much better than what we've got now.

Deism probably will lose out to atheism in the long term as people take the doubting of a personal god further and begin to doubt even an impersonal one.

Answer 2

Your question shifts midstream. What do atheists think of deism? You know, being an atheist does not require any reaching up into the air for answers: no demons, devils, saints, satans, angels, gods, etc., etc. An atheist simply believes no gods et al. exist, including the invisible sky god which stirs passion among persons of Islamic, Christian, and Judaism beliefs. That's it, nothing complicated there, eh?

Answer 3

I may not understand deism well enough to make a call, but I don't see why a creator would then step back and have nothing to do with his/her creations after that point.

Knowing the mechanisms that make our lives, our relationships and our emotions possible wouldn't cheapen any of those for me.

Answer 4

I think it's more elegant than theism, but still fundamentally flawed. Deist derive the existance of god from personal experience and basically say that god doesn't interfere in the affairs of man. It's still very presumptuous. I still need proof that there is a god in the first place before I pretend to know what his affairs are.

Answer 5

To your question, i give one big shrug. Personally, i don't really care about whether you (anyone) believe in a god or gods, what god(s) you believe, why you believe in god(s), or even what concept of god you believe in. Yes, i do find belief in a god itself as silly sometimes, but i'm generally accepting of others' beliefs, so i don't really mind. As long as it doesn't impinge directly on my life, that is.

To your additional details, yes. That is what i believe.

and, i feel the same way about deism as i do about theism.

Answer 6

I think it makes more sense than theism. I have never seen any evidence of a supernatural or god like force at work in this world.

Answer 7

there is no evidence that any gods exist