Does intuition favor God's existence?

[Psychophant]

And interestingly, the decrees of a god very often match the views of the ruling classes, practically never those of the little people.

The rise of a ruling class as people settled into permanent places would dovetail with the rise of a priestly class to justify and reinforce the rulers. 

[Psychophant]

Would theology be a better course for your purposes?

It might, I need to explore the options further! 

[odeon]

And interestingly, the decrees of a god very often match the views of the ruling classes, practically never those of the little people.

The rise of a ruling class as people settled into permanent places would dovetail with the rise of a priestly class to justify and reinforce the rulers.

It is quite a coincidence, isn't it?

[eris]

Short answer: Yes. But it is not a perfect, omnipotent being that wants to micromanage us. we are no longer connected to it.

The Standford Encyclopedia of Philosophy explains it better than I can.

In general, Deists prided themselves on free-thinking and logic and tended to reject any specific dogma, so it is difficult to define the beliefs of an individual Deist without referring to generalities. John Locke's mechanistic philosophy and Newtonian physics heavily influenced many Deists, so they saw the universe as a place ruled rationally by cause and effect. They tended to see God as an impersonal but intelligent force, a first cause that created the universe and set it in motion, who then allowed life and matter to proceed on its own without further need for divine intervention. The logic is that, if God is infallible, omniscient and omnipotent, logically he would pre-establish his design in the world in such a way that he would not need to tinker constantly with it or adjust it through supernatural intervention. (Such activity indicates an error, a change of mind, indecision, or some other sign of imperfection on God's part.)

Deists thought this divine being to be completely transcendent--separate from the creation rather than contained within it. Deistic writings often refer to the Deity using metaphors of the architect, the watchmaker, the mason, or some other skilled worker who measures out the universe with geometric and mechanical precision. Deist metaphor compares the universe to a perfectly designed watch or clock--a construct created with complex gears and moving parts, then wound up, and finally released since it can operate on its own without any more effort on the creator's part.  Deists rejected the belief that an infallible creator would need to intervene via miracles and individual revelation.


 

Interesting....I'm considering taking up philosophy in college.   

It's fun, but the only thing you can do with an undergraduate degree in philosophy is apply for a graduate program in philosophy.  The only thing you can do with a graduate degree in philosophy is teach philosophy. 

I have a BA in Philosophy from a very good school. It's pretty worthless, but it always looks good to employers to have a degree in *something*

In the future I will get a gradate degree, but I dont think I want to teach. I'll probably still be doing skilled labor.

[midlifeaspie]

And interestingly, the decrees of a god very often match the views of the ruling classes, practically never those of the little people.

The rise of a ruling class as people settled into permanent places would dovetail with the rise of a priestly class to justify and reinforce the rulers.

It is quite a coincidence, isn't it?

I thought you understood.  The reason they are the ruling class is because the god agrees with them and wanted them to be that way.  Same way we get presidents in the US.

[midlifeaspie]

Short answer: Yes. But it is not a perfect, omnipotent being that wants to micromanage us. we are no longer connected to it.

The Standford Encyclopedia of Philosophy explains it better than I can.

In general, Deists prided themselves on free-thinking and logic and tended to reject any specific dogma, so it is difficult to define the beliefs of an individual Deist without referring to generalities. John Locke's mechanistic philosophy and Newtonian physics heavily influenced many Deists, so they saw the universe as a place ruled rationally by cause and effect. They tended to see God as an impersonal but intelligent force, a first cause that created the universe and set it in motion, who then allowed life and matter to proceed on its own without further need for divine intervention. The logic is that, if God is infallible, omniscient and omnipotent, logically he would pre-establish his design in the world in such a way that he would not need to tinker constantly with it or adjust it through supernatural intervention. (Such activity indicates an error, a change of mind, indecision, or some other sign of imperfection on God's part.)

Deists thought this divine being to be completely transcendent--separate from the creation rather than contained within it. Deistic writings often refer to the Deity using metaphors of the architect, the watchmaker, the mason, or some other skilled worker who measures out the universe with geometric and mechanical precision. Deist metaphor compares the universe to a perfectly designed watch or clock--a construct created with complex gears and moving parts, then wound up, and finally released since it can operate on its own without any more effort on the creator's part.  Deists rejected the belief that an infallible creator would need to intervene via miracles and individual revelation.


 

Interesting....I'm considering taking up philosophy in college.   

It's fun, but the only thing you can do with an undergraduate degree in philosophy is apply for a graduate program in philosophy.  The only thing you can do with a graduate degree in philosophy is teach philosophy. 

I have a BA in Philosophy from a very good school. It's pretty worthless, but it always looks good to employers to have a degree in *something*

In the future I will get a gradate degree, but I dont think I want to teach. I'll probably still be doing skilled labor.

My degree in English Lit is almost as worthless, except that Law Schools are prizing them these days.

[Osensitive1]

Cavalera is a hardcore Christian for all I care. Just look at how much he discusses this shit.

You might be surprised by the number of non believers who find religion and interesting study.

[midlifeaspie]

Cavalera is a hardcore Christian for all I care. Just look at how much he discusses this shit.

You might be surprised by the number of non believers who find religion and interesting study.

That's true.  Though I think that you can't ever be hardcore about something, especially if you were raised to be that way, without it having affected you to the point that you are influenced by the belief whether consciously or not.

My wife was raised Catholic, and still calls herself Catholic despite the fact that she is anything but Catholic.  She doesn't believe in any of the dogma when discussing it logically, but there is a certain foundation that was laid when she was young that can''t be overcome regardless.  This is why religion starts them young.

[Calavera]

Cavalera is a hardcore Christian for all I care. Just look at how much he discusses this shit.

You might be surprised by the number of non believers who find religion and interesting study.

The funny thing is that we weren't even discussing Christianity here.

And to those still confused about the term "agnostic deist", think of this way. I believe because I choose to believe (therefore, without certainty) because, to me, it looks reasonable ... not because I'm strictly and purely led by logic and reasoning to do so (which implies certainty of faith).

[Osensitive1]

Cavalera is a hardcore Christian for all I care. Just look at how much he discusses this shit.

You might be surprised by the number of non believers who find religion and interesting study.

That's true.  Though I think that you can't ever be hardcore about something, especially if you were raised to be that way, without it having affected you to the point that you are influenced by the belief whether consciously or not.

My wife was raised Catholic, and still calls herself Catholic despite the fact that she is anything but Catholic.  She doesn't believe in any of the dogma when discussing it logically, but there is a certain foundation that was laid when she was young that can''t be overcome regardless.  This is why religion starts them young.

Never had the imprinting in youth; and a small amount of exposure in teens through friends and from books sought from personal interest. Not much of a study on religion as a whole but really do like the bible; though also like shakespeare for much the same reason.

['Butterflies']

Cavalera is a hardcore Christian for all I care. Just look at how much he discusses this shit.

You might be surprised by the number of non believers who find religion and interesting study.

That's true.  Though I think that you can't ever be hardcore about something, especially if you were raised to be that way, without it having affected you to the point that you are influenced by the belief whether consciously or not.

My wife was raised Catholic, and still calls herself Catholic despite the fact that she is anything but Catholic.  She doesn't believe in any of the dogma when discussing it logically, but there is a certain foundation that was laid when she was young that can''t be overcome regardless.  This is why religion starts them young.

That's the same situation as most of my friends. They were brought up "Catholic," and went to Catholic school. Only a few would call themselves atheist, but I don't think any of them really believe in God, and none of them follow Catholic doctrine.

[Calavera]

Cavalera is a hardcore Christian for all I care. Just look at how much he discusses this shit.

You might be surprised by the number of non believers who find religion and interesting study.

That's true.  Though I think that you can't ever be hardcore about something, especially if you were raised to be that way, without it having affected you to the point that you are influenced by the belief whether consciously or not.

My wife was raised Catholic, and still calls herself Catholic despite the fact that she is anything but Catholic.  She doesn't believe in any of the dogma when discussing it logically, but there is a certain foundation that was laid when she was young that can''t be overcome regardless.  This is why religion starts them young.

That's the same situation as most of my friends. They were brought up "Catholic," and went to Catholic school. Only a few would call themselves atheist, but I don't think any of them really believe in God, and none of them follow Catholic doctrine.

Most people raised in even a moderately religious family with no actual devotion to the concerned religion are like that. It's not easy to just blurt out "I'm an atheist" to the loved ones in such scenarios.

[earthboundmisfit]

My degree in English Lit is almost as worthless, except that Law Schools are prizing them these days.

Why is that?

[Psychophant]

And interestingly, the decrees of a god very often match the views of the ruling classes, practically never those of the little people.

The rise of a ruling class as people settled into permanent places would dovetail with the rise of a priestly class to justify and reinforce the rulers.

It is quite a coincidence, isn't it?

I thought you understood.  The reason they are the ruling class is because the god agrees with them and wanted them to be that way.  Same way we get presidents in the US.

This is going to a very interesting election year.   

[midlifeaspie]

My degree in English Lit is almost as worthless, except that Law Schools are prizing them these days.

Why is that?

They used to focus on crops of people with political science degrees but the data shows that English Lit students tend to have better outcomes.