Spiritual Deism

There are times when we have to take a stand—when we must be on the side of right, good, and justice. There are times to stand up and speak out.

The problem is that we always want someone else to do it. But if it isn’t you, then tell me: who? And if it isn’t now, then tell me: when? The only thing that’s needed for evil to prevail is for good people to do nothing.

Of course, we have to use discernment and wisdom. Not every cause is a just cause; not every mission is the right mission for us. We have to weigh the strength of our own character, talents, and vocation.

Sometimes we must lead the resistance, and sometimes we have to follow. That depends on the situation, the people, the times, and a number of other factors. That’s why we need wisdom. We need to see things from God’s perspective. We need to see things, as the Stoics say, from above.

Happiness deals with positive emotion. It is beyond our control, and therefore it should be none of our concern. Do not pursue happiness, or it will never find you. The harder you pursue happiness, the further it is from you.

Rather, we should pursue flourishing. Flourishing is about personal growth, engagement, finding meaning in life, developing positive relationships, and making important accomplishments in your life. These are within our control.

Once we understand that flourishing is about becoming more and more like Ultimate Reality, we begin to understand why it’s important.

Flourishing is about personal development, self-actualization, and evolving our consciousness to better connect with Ultimate Reality. It’s a process that we have to be committed to. It’s something we have to daily cultivate by mindfulness and contemplation. It is not something that happens to us; it’s something that happens within us. It’s a choice we have to make every day.

The strange thing about pursuing flourishing instead of happiness is that happiness shows up unexpected. It is by pursuing personal development rather than happiness that we find inner peace. By not pursuing it, we find it. One of the many paradoxes of life.

The first four presidents—George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison—were deists. Historians generally agree that all four were religiously unorthodox when compared with traditional Trinitarian Christianity.

Thomas Jefferson is the clearest case. He rejected miracles, the Trinity, Christ’s divinity, and biblical revelation while retaining a belief in God and moral teachings.

John Adams was a Unitarian, which at that time could be characterized as **deistic Christianity**. He rejected the Trinity and Christ’s divinity but believed in God, morality, and providence.

James Madison is often classified as a deist, particularly because of his emphasis on natural religion and freedom of conscience. However, his private religious beliefs are less explicitly documented than Jefferson’s.

George Washington is the most disputed case. His refusal to take Communion, kneel during prayer in church, or be confirmed in the Anglican Church supports the deist interpretation. So does his preference for terms such as “Providence” and “the Supreme Being,” along with his avoidance of explicitly Christian language. Moreover, one of his pastors reportedly described him as a deist, which seems to provide particularly clear evidence.

An important lesson is that change is inevitable. You cannot stop it from coming, and you cannot stop things from leaving. Everything changes—this is a fact you must accept.

On the negative side, it means all good things come to an end. There are no exceptions. It is the truth of life. Good times are followed by bad times, as sunset follows sunrise.

One reason we suffer is that we cling to what is changing and fleeting. We try to hold on to the good and avoid the bad, and suffer as a result.

On the positive side, all bad things also come to an end. This too is inevitable. There are no exceptions. There is nothing in your life that will not eventually pass. Suffering will end—even if only at death. Things will change.

The key to contentment is non-attachment. Since everything changes, do not cling to anything or anyone. It is the path to freedom from suffering—an enduring truth, and the key to liberation.

There are actually only three possible options regarding the question or claim of God’s existence.

Once we define God as Ultimate Reality, the claim that “Ultimate Reality exists” results in only three possible choices.

We can accept the claim that Ultimate Reality exists, reject the claim that Ultimate Reality exists, or suspend judgment about the claim that Ultimate Reality exists.

The atheist rejects the claim that Ultimate Reality exists. The deist and theist accept the claim that Ultimate Reality exists, while the agnostic suspends judgment about it.

It has become popular for atheists to claim that they withhold belief in God due to a lack of evidence. But this position is not atheism; it is agnosticism. Their zeal against anyone who believes in God shows that they actually reject the claim that God exists. But they cannot defend that claim, so they redefine their position to avoid the glaring irrationality.

The reason for suffering is that we need resistance in order to build character. Without resistance, you cannot build muscle; without temptation, you cannot build character.

We must understand the importance of suffering. We must recognize that we cannot be brought into Ultimate Reality until we have fully matured. We must become like Ultimate Reality.

Consider the egg. If you help a chick break free and prevent it from struggling, you will kill the bird. It needs that struggle to develop the strength required to survive. We are no different.

Or consider the caterpillar. It forms a chrysalis, and within that confinement it becomes a butterfly. If you break the chrysalis and release it too soon, it will die. We are the same.

We do not like struggle. We do not like suffering or temptation. Yet these are necessary for the formation of character, and character determines destiny. We must become like God, like Ultimate Reality, and the only way to do so is through suffering.