Deist

/ˈdeɪ.ɪst/ noun

Definition

A person who believes in the existence of God based on reason and nature, but rejects organized religion and the idea that God performs miracles.

Etymology

From Latin 'deus' (god) with the agent suffix '-ist,' forming around the 17th century. The concept gained prominence during the Age of Enlightenment when philosophers sought rational alternatives to institutional religion.

Kelly Says

Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin were deists—they believed in God like a clockmaker who built the universe to run by itself, then stepped back to let physics do the work.

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