"Nature's God", successor to "Age of Reason&q

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ThePainefulTruth
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"Nature's God", successor to "Age of Reason&q

Post #1

Post by ThePainefulTruth »

I've only just started reading this, Nature's God, but if the author, Matthew Stewart, keeps up the pace, it'll be a just successor to Paine's Age of Reason. In just 50-odd pages I've covered much fertile ground, at least for me. Like for instance, in reference to "Nature's God", there's this from the text: "The Declaration of Independence--precisely where it superficially seems to invoke the blessing of the established religion--really stands for an emancipation of the political order from God." "It tells us we are and always have been the source of our own authority." After all, the authors of the DoI were deists (Franklin and Jefferson) and a freethinker (Adams).

But those and other more well know prominent founders and deists appear to have been a second, larger tier than the first grass roots (in modern parlance) examples like the much lesser known (often through intent) like Dr. Thomas Young, Ethan Allen, Charles Blount, Joel Barlow, Philip Freneau, Joseph Priestly, and the more difficult to obscure Thomas Paine, that were most influential in the 15 years prior to the Revolution...and also the most vociferous. That latter quality is apparently what caused the subsequent founders to temper their deism in public. I call it the country's second Original Sin, after slavery, but it's impossible for me to judge them on it from my perspective this many years hence.

Stewart has a lot of fresh evidence (for me anyway) on their subdued deism which is extensive. I recommend the book for deists and anyone with an open mind, and will be coming here with more posts when necessary, or to contribute to any discussion that may develop out here in the red-headed orphan hinterlands of the forums.

Freethinker43
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Re: "Nature's God", successor to "Age of Reas

Post #2

Post by Freethinker43 »

ThePainefulTruth wrote: I've only just started reading this, Nature's God, but if the author, Matthew Stewart, keeps up the pace, it'll be a just successor to Paine's Age of Reason. In just 50-odd pages I've covered much fertile ground, at least for me. Like for instance, in reference to "Nature's God", there's this from the text: "The Declaration of Independence--precisely where it superficially seems to invoke the blessing of the established religion--really stands for an emancipation of the political order from God." "It tells us we are and always have been the source of our own authority." After all, the authors of the DoI were deists (Franklin and Jefferson) and a freethinker (Adams).

But those and other more well know prominent founders and deists appear to have been a second, larger tier than the first grass roots (in modern parlance) examples like the much lesser known (often through intent) like Dr. Thomas Young, Ethan Allen, Charles Blount, Joel Barlow, Philip Freneau, Joseph Priestly, and the more difficult to obscure Thomas Paine, that were most influential in the 15 years prior to the Revolution...and also the most vociferous. That latter quality is apparently what caused the subsequent founders to temper their deism in public. I call it the country's second Original Sin, after slavery, but it's impossible for me to judge them on it from my perspective this many years hence.

Stewart has a lot of fresh evidence (for me anyway) on their subdued deism which is extensive. I recommend the book for deists and anyone with an open mind, and will be coming here with more posts when necessary, or to contribute to any discussion that may develop out here in the red-headed orphan hinterlands of the forums.
I'm hoping to get a copy of that book before too long myself. I've recently developed an interest in deism as promoted by Thomas Paine and America's Founding Fathers.

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