Recently the American Religious Identification Survey(ARIS)showed that 12% of Americans identify themselves as believing in God, but not from one of the "revealed" religions. Deist Robert Johnson spells it out well in an article he wrote for Strike the Root. You can read his article here http://www.strike-the-root.com/91/johnson/johnson5.html. I would like to compliment his article with one of my own.
Deism, or Natural Religion, as it was once called, is an Enlightenment religion and philosophy of belief in a Divine Creator, but not the one of the "revealed" religions of Christianity, Islam or Judaism. Deism is a religion of reason and rationality. It shows men the way to God is not through ancient books and fables, but through using their own God given reason to attain truth. Deism, outside of a belief in a Divine Creator, has no dogmas, priesthood,or "holy" books to consult. Deism shows the way to God is through your senses and examing his wonderous creation. The Earth and all of it's animal and plant life are intricately organized, the solar system with it's heliocentric organization,and the vastness of the Universe all point to a Divine Architect. Some Deists believe in Pantheism, holding the view that the Universe itself is alive and sacred.
Deism is also a religion of liberty and rejects fear based religions like Christianity. Many of our Founders and other revolutionaries were Deists. Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, John Adams,and the great Thomas Paine were all either Deists, or Unitarians. All were for the most part, freethinkers. Most Deists believed in religious liberty, republicanism, freethought, and and the end of state sponsered religion. Most also believed in reforming society by abolishing slavery, monarchy, and establishing democratic republics. This threatened the status quo of monarchy, state churches, nobility, and domination by the wealthy classes. In both the American and French Revolutions, Deists took prominent roles. Thomas Paine participated in both revolutions.
I support the right of all people to believe in any God they wish or no God at all. Civil government should have absolutely nothing to do with religion. Religion is a personal private matter, and when wedded to government it becomes coercive, violent, and seeks to dominate and surpress all religions that are different. Fear based religions destroy liberty and indoctrinate their followers with passivity,deference to authority, and a slave mindset. That being said, I would encourage people to investigate Deism and see for yourself. Robert Johnson's website is by far the best I have found. It is one of the links on this page. Check it out and let's see if we can liberate mankind, mind, body and soul.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
The American Revolution-The Most Radical
In this essay, I will reiterate a truth that I have written about previously. This truth is that the American Revolution was the most radical of the modern revolutions. Yes, forget the propaganda of the consensus school of American historians. Their interpretation is pure fiction. The American Revolution was a libertarian revolution, something statists historians have obscured from most people.
Murray Rothbard's "Conceived in Liberty" four volume set on the American Revolution exposes it's true radicalism. The American Revolution was one of three great revolutions in modern history. First the radical English Revolution of the 17th century, then the American Revolution and finally, the French Revolution. Rothbard points out that all three of these revolutions "blasted loose the Old Order" and paved the way for the "Industrial Revolution". All three in one way or another promoted "separation of church and state",private property,freedom of commerce, and promotion of human freedom
That being said, the American Revolution was by far the most radical of all three. Thomas Paine, the great libertarian, and defender of the both the American and French Revolutions, believed the American Revolution MORE radical than the French, and he actively participated in both in America and France
The American Revolution was born in the radicalism of the English Levellers of the English Revolution of the mid 17th century.Radicals like John Milton, James Harrington, Henry Marten, Richard Rumbold, and John Liliburne led the way for libertarian philosophy. Later, freethinkers like John Locke, John Toland, Matthew Tindal and other freethinkers and deists led the battle in Britain against state-sponsored religion, and led the fight for civil liberty. Conservative, these men were not. Defenders of reason, liberty, freedom of person, and conscience, they led the fight also against monarchy and oligarchy.
We must regain this radical tradition. This tradition led the way to modernity and the improvement of man's lives. Let's not let it die in modern America.
Murray Rothbard's "Conceived in Liberty" four volume set on the American Revolution exposes it's true radicalism. The American Revolution was one of three great revolutions in modern history. First the radical English Revolution of the 17th century, then the American Revolution and finally, the French Revolution. Rothbard points out that all three of these revolutions "blasted loose the Old Order" and paved the way for the "Industrial Revolution". All three in one way or another promoted "separation of church and state",private property,freedom of commerce, and promotion of human freedom
That being said, the American Revolution was by far the most radical of all three. Thomas Paine, the great libertarian, and defender of the both the American and French Revolutions, believed the American Revolution MORE radical than the French, and he actively participated in both in America and France
The American Revolution was born in the radicalism of the English Levellers of the English Revolution of the mid 17th century.Radicals like John Milton, James Harrington, Henry Marten, Richard Rumbold, and John Liliburne led the way for libertarian philosophy. Later, freethinkers like John Locke, John Toland, Matthew Tindal and other freethinkers and deists led the battle in Britain against state-sponsored religion, and led the fight for civil liberty. Conservative, these men were not. Defenders of reason, liberty, freedom of person, and conscience, they led the fight also against monarchy and oligarchy.
We must regain this radical tradition. This tradition led the way to modernity and the improvement of man's lives. Let's not let it die in modern America.
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