Why should we believe in something that only adds an immaterial layer to the scientific view, and which takes away the profound, revelatory nature of religion?

I’ve set out in earlier blog posts what my evidence is for believing there is a Deist, non-interventionist God. There is enough evidence, in my opinion, to assume that some higher authority created the universe, but little evidence that it is involved in day-to-day affairs. But why would you want, or need, to believe in a God that is rejected by science and disbelieved by religion? What is the point believing in something that seems to have no involvement in our daily lives?

Why does the universe exist?

God brings elegant and persuasive power to the reason why our universe exists, which science has no answer for. Believing in God implies there is a power greater than us, and that everything around us is an aspect of a greater, natural design that is slowly being revealed by science. The very notion that you are part of an intentional, vast creation, affects your world view. It is like being an orphan and finding out information about your biological parents, or tracing your family tree and finding out about your ancestors. It is very powerful knowledge, and it affects how you view everything else. It tells you who you are and where you come from. In this way, God brings focus and meaning to our existence.

Where do we find purpose?

Although we can assume that a higher power must have created the universe, we cannot say why. This is because, according to science, God cannot exist within it, or else it would be subject to our laws of time and space. Frustratingly then, the purpose and meaning of the universe is ineffable, and always will be. However, this need not be a cause for despair. Ancient Chinese and Indian cultures were saying the same thing nearly three thousand years ago and they left a beautiful legacy of texts that help us rationalise this mystery. 

The true purpose of our own existence, however, is ours to find. Mostly, our purpose is revealed in the loving bonds and relationships we share, the memories we have, or in satisfying careers, things we have created or helped shape, people we have influenced, goals we have achieved, or milestones we have met. Purpose is ours to define then, but I think it has some deeper roots too, that clarify it and give it form.

Should we be wary of our natural instincts?

As I’ve written in the past, there is a natural order to all of life. Sometimes, this can seem cruel and harsh to us in the civilised world, yet this order is the way life has evolved and prevailed. But, despite what some Tik-Tokers would have us believe, it would be wrong for us to revert back to a survival of the fittest mentality in our modern societies. This is because we have developed ways of living together in large groups that negate the need behave in this way. We don’t need to be selfish and unkind, as nature often is. We share, we cooperate, we heal the sick, and support the infirm, for example. We attempt to rise above some of our basic natural instincts, and we try to teach our children to do the same. When we fail, when we revert to mass violence and war, we fall back into primitive ways that can only do us harm. Yes, we have to be strong, yes we have to be resilient, but we shouldn’t have to live in the shadow of oppression and cruelty either. To counter the survival-of-the-fittest force that’s at play, there is another more positive one that heavily influences aspects of our behaviour. 

What is virtue?

Virtue has many synonyms: goodness, kindness, righteousness, honour, decency, trustworthiness, and even strength and power. Virtue is the quality of excellence in morality, behaviour and intellect. It is the foundational principle of being, and is the pillar upon which many great empires and religions were built. Virtue helps our spirit grow positively, the absence of virtue hinders it, and causes us to suffer. This is common sense as much as anything. We can see these effects with our own eyes. Anger, hate, vengeance, war, oppression, cruelty; all these things and more, make us sick, twisted and bitter. We cannot thrive while we are in these states. Only by abandoning these vices and adopting love, peace, strength, calmness, generosity and kindness can we feel true happiness and contentment. Great religious figures and political leaders have all preached this simple loving message since the beginning of recorded history. We teach it to our children, and when they learn it they are happier. Human happiness is inextricably linked with being good and virtuous, and the opposite (vice) is also true. These are natural, inherent states of body and mind. When our body and mind are in harmony, we become at one with the natural order that God created.

(The spirit is defined as our living essence, which is seen as being greater than consciousness alone. In this way, the spirit exists as the bioelectric life force within us, and is shaped and formed as we grow. )

Should we fear God?

A Deist does not believe in a Revelatory God. They believe that God exists outside of the universe, that the will of God is manifest in its creation, and that natural systems in the universe govern our behaviour. Believing that God has not revealed itself in religious texts does not mean we should abandon sacred texts completely however. They remain of profound importance as moral and spiritual guides. If worship and prayer help you connect with God, then that’s good, but there is no need to worship Him, or fear Him, or obey His word. There is no punishment or ‘wrath’ for disbelievers, because the natural order is such that behaving in unnatural ways will naturally lead to your own unhappiness and despair. Even when people behave badly, seemingly without remorse, they eventually suffer, or society punishes them.

Are life’s forces blind, or deliberate?

I hope I’ve persuaded you that Deism, rather than being an empty, vacuous thing to believe, is an umbrella under which all human beings can unite. Deism is useful, in that it offers a simple, common sense framework for understanding and living in a contemporary world. Deism isn’t a religion, but it agrees with the fundamental, moral principles of religion. Deism does not hinder scientific progress, or interfere in its operation, but it adds a useful layer of context to it.

Suddenly, we aren’t attributing everything to blind forces happening upon fortuitous innovations, we can say they are acting within a predetermined plan, much like David Latimer’s closed terrarium jar. We are the result of known cycles, forces and interactions, carefully manipulated to evolve and grow. Of course, you might easily argue that none of this proves God exists, but I think the evidence is manifest everywhere in the natural theology all around us.

God is the wind and the trees, it is the sun on the flowers, and the rain in your hair. God is nature. God is evolution. God is revealed through science. God is the art you have created, or the goal you have achieved. God is a nebula erupting in the cosmos, or the black hole swallowing time and gravity. God is the delicious food you had for breakfast and the plants, animals, flowers and insects that brought you it. God is the bioelectric force of life itself. From the fundamental particles of matter, to the elemental, evolutionary forces that bind everything together. God is everything.