I actually learned the term Deism at a fairly young age. I had an English teacher in high school who took it upon herself to educate us in the history of art and philosophy. Among the many other things we learned, Deism was a focal point during our exploration of the Renaissance and Romantic periods. We learned a great deal about Voltaire and Locke. She believed strongly that our roots as a society and our government could be found in the pages of their works. I would not be surprised to find out that she considered herself a Deist. Only the separation of church and state prevented her from saying so.
Even with an early understanding of Deism, I continued to consider myself an agnostic. I knew the teachings of the Christian faith were immoral and illogical, but I also believed all other religions to be of equal terms. Religion has created so much strife, discontent, and death over the future of mankind, that I was determined that the only course of action was to dismantle and abandon all religious beliefs.
However, this last spring, I went on a business trip to Japan. For the first time I saw a society that could function properly and in a more peaceful manner and still have religious beliefs and faiths. I remembered my high school teachings well. I did a Google search for Deism and Deism.com was the first result. Throughout my time in Japan I read some of the essays posted on the site, while at the same time I visited the ancient Buddhist temples. From that point on, doors of my mind have continued to open and not only do I wish to continue advancing my knowledge of Deism, but that of other religions also. I believe that through understanding one another we can all learn the true nature of God and through our use of his greatest gift (reason) we can discover his glorious designs.
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