What is the difference between Christianity and Deism?

[BeHereNow]

What is the difference between Deism and Christianity?

I don’t want to get into the detailed definition of what it means to be a “real” or “true” Christian or Deist. I merely want to point out what separates one from the other, as at times they might be similar.

As I see it, it comes down to this: Christianity holds to divine revelation, Deism does not. This is the difference in a nutshell.
Specifically, Christianity believes we might know the will of God through the divine revelation of the Bible and that God manifested himself in the body of Jesus. Deists do not accept this.

Certain Deists may completely reject these revelations, not only as revelations, but as having any notable moral worth. Others may think they are splendid examples of the effort of man to point the path to a moral life (Jesus was a great teacher, and the Bible was his guide book).

Certain Deists may believe they have an understanding of God by looking at the world around them, much like an art critic may feel he knows the artist through the art. Others may feel the presence of God is so far removed from the current physical world that nothing can be inferred by observation or reflection.

Part and parcel of no divine revelation is the denial of true miracles or the supernatural, those occurrences which defy natural possibility. There might of course be occurrences for which there is currently no natural explanation, but the Deist believes one is available with enough knowledge of nature.

I would also say that some Deists see the creation of the universe by God as a natural phenomenon. God may be a supernatural being, but his actions are not necessarily. This type of God might be behind supposed “miracles” such as close calls that save our life [‘It’s a miracle, if I had been on that plane I would be dead now!’]. If God causes a natural event, is this a supernatural occurrence? I don’t see it that way. If the Deist believes there are no supernatural manifestations, then this occurrence is not seen as proof of God through divine intervention. The providence of God occurs on a completely natural level.
If God created the universe through natural means, is this a supernatural occurrence?
Although I don’t speak for all Deists, the God I envision is very impersonal. Words like “consciousness” and “personality” have no meaning in reference to God. To say a being had the expressed goal of creating the universe may or may not be true.

As Deists go, I am probably at one extreme end. I hadn’t thought of myself as a Deist until I joined this forum. The being of God wasn’t important to my spiritual life, as strange as that sounds. I feel rational conclusions, by both rational and irrational means (reasoning and an intuitive understanding) will give me the “meaning of life” I seek. When I say spiritual, I do not use it in the more common usage of supernatural. No spirits, ghosts, or supernatural. By my usage even atheists have a “spiritual” nature. Their worldview and the thought processes that guide their moral behavior is their spiritual side.

Similarly we might list the range of beliefs present in Christianity concerning the nature and expectation of the revealed God. Original sin, the Trinity, salvation, and many other aspects of Christianity have various interpretations and understandings.

Can there be any Christian who does not accept the divinity of Jesus and the divine influence of the Bible, as well as some of the supernatural occurrences described (such as the virgin birth and resurrection)?

[Logomachist]

I see Christinaity as the belief in Jesus Christ as messiah.

I consider Deism to be religion pared down to its fundimental assertion that God exists. From this basic stance you can derive any other religion by adding further assertions. This makes every other religion a subset of Deism.

Combine the two beliefs, and then add the further assertion that Jesus IS God and you have the general, unspecific sort of Christinaity practiced by many Americians.