American Religious Liberalism (Deism)
Paine – the only true deist –
- There
is a God, but orthodox Christianity is not the truth.
- God is
impersonal, no definite attributes.
- God is
the god of nature.
- Human
reason allows for the teleological argument, but there is no evidence or
talk of specific attributes.
- Strict
separation of Christian doctrine and Christian ethics – even an atheist
can be moral.
- General
rejection of the trinity, divinity of Jesus, Virgin birth, Bible as
literal, predestination, hell, and Satan.
- Separation
of Church and State – no ‘God’ or ‘Christianity’ in U.S. Constitution.
- Religious
toleration – to be free even of religion
- Rejection
of human depravity, celebration of human greatness
Paine’s view as rational theology:
- Not
atheistic
- Infidelity
is claiming to believe what you don’t believe
- Revelation
is not justifiable
- No
story is more absurd and contrary to god’s power than that of Jesus and
the Crucifixion – this is a story in which the transgressor triumphs and
the mighty falls.
- More
than ˝ of scripture is filled with cruelty.
- How
can there be two testaments (wills) of god?
- There
is no special status for Jesus.
Philanthropy was his greatest trait.
- The
church system is the opposite of the person deified. Redemption is explained through
pecuniary justice/ moral = innocent for the guilty. The Christian lives a life of
contradiction.
- Human
reason is not to be disparaged.
Prayer is ridiculous. To
pray is to say that you know better than God what should be. The word of God is the creation
itself. Creation speaks a
universal language.
- The
sciences are not a human invention and the principles of science are
discoverable. Reason discovers all
truth.