“Deism” is a name given to the only religion that is known to all human beings regardless of time and place. Deism is called “natural” religion because its principles are known from nature and human reasoning. In contrast to Deism (which is a universal religion), there are many “cultural” religions, such as Judaism, Islam, Trinitarian Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Shintoism, and […]
This essay is written in response to email asking “What do Christian Deists believe about hell?” “Hell” is often defined as a place where human souls are tortured forever by fire because these persons failed to accept some particular religion during their time on earth. The idea of “everlasting torment in hell” was well known in Zoroastrianism many centuries before
We do not know who wrote the “Gospels” of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John which are in the New Testament. When these books were written, it was a common practice for authors to attribute their writings to well-known persons to lend “authority” to the writings. Matthew and John were two of the original disciples of Jesus. Luke was a physician
The “gospel” according to Paul focused on the “crucifixion and resurrection” of Jesus. Paul believed that the crucifixion of Jesus represented a sacrifice of Jesus’ life to pay the death penalty which humankind had allegedly incurred because of disobedience to God, beginning with the “first man” Adam. So Paul viewed the cross as the symbol of “salvation” from sin and
This essay is written in response to readers who have asked me to write some more about the identity of Jesus, and the relationship between Jesus and God. It is understandable that there is confusion about this. In trinitarian Christian churches, the name “Jesus” is used interchangeably with the terms “Son of God” and “God” in sermons and hymns. Trinitarians
I view Jesus as a human being, like you and me, but living in a different time and place. Jesus was a Jew, almost 2,000 years ago, and he shared the Jewish belief that God intended for the descendants of Abraham (the Jews) to become a nation. (Genesis 12:2). The Jewish nation, known as the Kingdom of Israel, had a
Every church has a creed. A creed is a set of religious beliefs approved by a church. A creed usually consists of a brief written statement of beliefs. Some churches use written creeds that have a long history such as the “Nicene Creed.” Some churches claim to be “non-creedal” churches but this just means that there is no formal written creed that
What you usually hear about Jesus today in churches and on TV is an interpretation that comes from the writings of a man named Paul who called himself an “apostle” (messenger) but was not among Jesus’ “twelve” disciples who are also called “apostles.” Paul’s ideas about Jesus are found in letters which he wrote to churches and which were later
The word “Gospel” means “good news.” The good news is given through a message. In the New Testament, there are two different messages that are called “the gospel.” One is given by Jesus and one is given by Paul, a man who called himself an “apostle” (messenger) but was not among the original followers of Jesus. According to the book
The basic message from Jesus is, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:14). This message has two parts. The first part is what Jesus called the gospel: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.” The second part is the response to the gospel that Jesus
In the time of Jesus, the Jewish religion placed many obligations or requirements on the Jews. These obligations, or commandments, came from the Mosaic law and the teachings of the Hebrew prophets. Jesus tried to make religion simple and understandable by explaining that there were only two basic commandments from God. Jesus said that these two commandments were, “You shall
Each of us came into existence through no decision or action of our own. So each of us may wonder, “Why do I exist?” and “How shall I live the life I have?” These are the questions that “religions” attempt to answer. The word “religion” comes from the Latin word “religio” which has a meaning influenced by the verb “religare” to
The word “theology” comes from two Greek words, “theos” meaning “god,” and “logos” meaning “word.” Taken together we have the concept of “words about God” or “knowledge about God.” Some organized religions claim to have special knowledge about God that has been revealed only to a specific individual or exclusive group in some supernatural way. On the other hand, “natural
The very fact that we are alive leads each of us upon a quest for meaning. Each of us tries to “make sense” out of life — our own personal life and the world in which we live.We seek some understanding of life so we can have an overall framework through which we can evaluate our life experiences and respond
Deism is a name given to “natural” religion beginning in the 17th century CE (Common Era or Christian Era). Deism is based on the premise that the world and humankind are governed by natural laws, and that truth can be discovered through human observation, experience, and reasoning. The name “Deism” comes from the Latin word “Deus” which means “God.” Deists
See all of Brother John’s essays on Christian Deism on this page: Christian Deism In remembrance of a Godly brother Taken from his own site via Internet Web Archive This is my personal story. You can skip it, if you choose, and go directly to my essays concerning deism, and its historical and theological background. But I feel that an author