Deism as a religious movement failed in general.  It didn’t have the appeal of revealed religions.  The classic Deists were reasonists, arguing their positions with psuedo-intellectualisms, and arguing to other psuedo-intellectuals.  The classic Deists didn’t have a lot of appeal to the common man and woman.  Is it any wonder the religion of Deism died from a lack popular appeal?

As I write about the new Natural Religion, I keep that in mind.  What would appeal to real, everyday people?  Complex reasonings won’t appeal to most people. People are only partially rational.  Most of our mental makeup is passion, learned behavior (experience and culture), and instincts.  Religion that does not appeal to the whole of the individual, especially the passionate side, is doomed from the start.  It will go nowhere.

I read web sites where people try to start a religion of Deism, with an emphasis on reason.  I know that they are going nowhere, so I don’t spend time or resources helping them with their pursuits.

When I write about natural religion I want to find and write to the religious side of human nature, not the psuedo-intellectual side.

Natural religion is kannagara.  It comes from the side of human nature that is naturally religious.  Intellectualism is only religion to hardcore geeks, sorry geeks.

The other problem of classic Deism is the fact that it attacked Christianity.  Christianity of course had to defend itself.

Between Deism’s unappealing intellectualism, and attacks by Christian apologists, Deism had to fail as religion.

Where Deism was successful was as a social contract.  We accept socially an idea of God that is not associated with a particular religion.  In this way, Deism allows people of diverse religions to get along better.  The best example of this is the Deism found in the values in the Declaration of Independence.

Stumble it!