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 ½ 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.