Deists develop a belief in God based on the foundation and the application of our ability to use Reason. Through the use of Reason, the individual is able to develop a belief in God based on the observation of the order and complexity found in the nature coupled with our personal life experiences of the world we inhabit. Interestingly enough, there are many misunderstandings about what Reason actually is. Generally, Deists consider Reason to be the ability to use intuitive and rational thought coupled with knowledge to develop logical inferences based on degrees of evidence (empirical and circumstantial). It is made up of a balance between logic, intuition, knowledge and inference and this balance must be maintained for proper Reason to flourish.

Reason is the foundation with Nature and Experience being the basis for a belief in God. Many religions base their belief in God on prophets, holy books and revelations. Deists are tolerant of these alternative viewpoints but base their beliefs on other factors and have come to different conclusions. Deism views nature as the metaphorical “word of God” and can be seen as the holy book of the Deist. Unlike these other methods, nature is not limited but is a vast expanse of knowledge and discovery for the Deist that can continue for life. God’s fingerprints can be seen in the structure of a leaf, the complexity of DNA, the beauty of life and the elegance of the known universe. All of nature is open to the Deist for contemplation, inspiration and reverence from the mundane to the spectacular.

The application of Reason as the foundation of Deism causes this philosophy to view the world from a different vantage point than most religions. An example is that science is not seen as an enemy but one of many tools that Deists can learn and grow from. In fact, Deism as a belief system thrives on diversity of thought. Modern Deism incorporates the latest interpretations found in the areas of physics/quantum physics, biology, evolution, philosophy, theology, psychology, mathematics and many other fields in the arts and sciences. However, the modern Deist movement is a dynamic concept in that it integrates classical and modern viewpoints with the wisdom of the past and the discoveries of the present.

Classical Deism has tended to define God as separate from his creation (only transcendent); however, Modern Deism does not define God. This is because Reason is limited in its ability to fully comprehend and define God, which produces different views on what individuals believe the nature of God to be. Some Deists see design in nature and through this design they also see purpose in the universe (and in their lives). Others see God and the universe in a co-creative process. While others see God as a subtle and persuasive spirit. Of course, there are many other views as well. However, the overall view of Deism is to use Reason as the foundation and Experience and Nature as the basis of belief. As can be seen, some Deists are classical while others are not but each is respected and finds a home in Modern Deism.