Belief in Nature's God is a Realistic Balm in Trying Times

by Raymond Fontaine, Ph.D. - February 2007

E-mail no. 202: To the World Union of Deists

Congratulations for your wonderful work to spread the word about Nature's God. To help you in this noble mission, I submit this humble article.

As far as I know, the first time that history recorded the expression "Nature's God" was in 1776. That's when the Founding Fathers approved the Declaration of Independence. They said that the thirteen united States of America were assuming, among the Powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitled them.

Believing in Nature's God, the Founding Fathers did not call upon the god mentioned in the Bible and described in different ways by various groups. The Founding Fathers agreed to put their trust in the God who is revealed in nature's laws and designs.

Thus united, the thirteen States of America declared war on Great Britain. They fought valiantly comforted in knowing that they were doing the rational and right thing.  Before long, they won the war and their liberty.

One hundred and ninety one years later, another struggle was taking place not between two nations but between two individuals. One was the Pope representing the Catholic Church and the other was myself a lowly priest. This story is brief: I declared my independence from the Pope and broke all ties with the Church, 

Ordained a priest and serving the Church during twenty-two years, I eventually questioned the teaching authority of the Church. After months of reflection, while doing missionary work in Africa, I no longer believed in the Church and its dogmas. The Pope was not infallible. He condemned all birth control. He also condemned the divorce of couples married in the Catholic Church. He declared masturbation a mortal sin worthy of hellfire. He imposed celibacy on his priests. He defined the assumption of Mary into heaven. None of these teachings made sense. In 1967, I left the Church abandoning all its supernatural teachings. 

Fortunately I still believed in the Creator of the world who is presupposed by the laws and designs of nature. I did not need the Pope to tell me this. So I left the Church and won my freedom from its tyranny. Knowing that Nature's God approved of my decision, I enjoyed complete peace of mind for the rest of my life.

Today another fierce struggle is taking place between Muslim terrorists and the countries attacked by them. On one side, the Jews quote the Bible where Jehovah reserves land for his favored people. On the other side, the Muslims believe that the Koran wants the Muslims to kill their enemies.

The war continues unabated. Everyday the death toll rises and the destruction mounts. What's the solution?

I can't help but think that if everyone believed in Nature's God instead of the God in the Bible and the Koran, the hostility between the two camps would soon decrease and eventually dissolve altogether. 

Until that happens, however, people who believe in Nature's God can find solace just knowing that He is aware of what's going on and approves every effort to end the conflict. One strategy is to spread the word about Nature's God who surely wants all  humans to help and not to kill one another. That's your goal and mine as well.  Ray

E-mail no. 203: Reply From the World Union of Deists

Thank you very much, Ray. I greatly appreciate your email and all you DO for Deism! You and your actions remind me of the Goethe quote: "Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do."

America's founders, such as Paine, Jefferson and Washington, loved Nature's God. Their love of Nature's God and appreciation for God's gift to us of reason was instrumental in their fight for liberty against the British government. Not since the days of the Roman Republic had a nation existed that wasn't shackled by the unreasonable idea that rulers rule by the desire of God. By being Deists, key founders of the American Republic were able to break this terrible misconception. When they wrote the Deistic document, the Declaration of Independence, they were letting the world know that we were entering a new age of reason based enlightenment that would have practical effects on daily life. No longer would people cower in the shadow of the un-Godly trinity of superstition, priests and kings! Nature's God is the cornerstone of the Declaration of Independence. It's really very beautiful!

I believe one major reason for the slow progress and evolution of humanity is the difficulty people have of admitting they are wrong. Instead of being thankful that they became aware of an error they were making and progressing from that point, it seems most people either refuse to admit their mistake or actually go out of their way in a futile tragically comic attempt to prove what's right to be wrong. A good example of the latter is Christian apologetics. It takes a true love of truth and altruism that is bigger than ego to admit an error, especially an error as big as a life long religious belief. I am so grateful that you were able to admit you were wrong in your religious beliefs and in your profession as a Catholic Priest! And to not only admit your error, but to take positive action by becoming an active Deist! Your book and your continued work for Nature's God through Deism is an invaluable example and way of reaching people with the FACT that religion and God are two very distinct things! Too many people are under the delusion that you can't believe in God without believing in their particular "revealed" religion. Your life teaches the truth - you can have a much more meaningful belief in God without the man-made "revelations" of the various "revealed" religions through your God-given reason and Deism!

When reason prevails Deism will become the majority religious belief around the world. When that happens, the current religious wars will end. Priests, rabbis, mullahs and all clergy of the "revealed" religions, whether out of ignorance or selfishness, want people to believe God's will can only be found in their various respective "holy books". Once Deism is established in the majority of minds and hearts, the world will know that God's will can only be known through our God-given reason. The power of superstition and the "revealed" religions will then be broken and with it the unreasonable causes of the religious wars and violence!

I can't agree with you more regarding finding solace in spreading Deism! It's a profound reason-friendly realistic solace that only Deism offers. It's so refreshing to know we are part of the creation and designs of Nature's God and that nothing unreasonable is demanded of us! Thank you for all you do to see that our common goal is realized!

Robert L. Johnson
www.deism.com  

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