An Analysis on the Possibility of Revelation in the Context of God's Attributes Against Deism's Claim to Reject Revelation

Abstract

The understanding of God in deism is very different from that in religions based on revelation, especially regarding God's intervention in the world. Deism acknowledges the existence of a deity, but in deism, God is believed to have organized everything in the universe according to certain laws and has endowed human reason with the capability to understand both God's will and the universe. Therefore, there is no need for God to send prophets, revelation, or miracles to help humans understand His existence or the universe. In contrast, religions based on revelation accept the existence of a single God who, after creating the universe, continues to maintain its order through His will and power. Since humans are given limited intellect, this God sends prophets and revelation to provide guidance, and continues to send miracles to reinforce belief in Him and assist His creation. This fundamental difference in belief constitutes the most significant distinction between the deistic and the theistic conceptions of God. This study aims to assess the claims of deism rationally to determine whether these claims have a logical basis, and to discuss whether the possibility of revelation, prophecy, and miracles is reasonable. Ultimately, the study concludes that, within the context of both deism and theism, the possibility of revelation, prophecy, and miracles is feasible in relation to the attributes of God. One of the major reasons for the emergence of deism is historically known to be the repressive and anti-intellectual attitudes of the medieval church. Therefore, the emergence of deism should be considered not only in terms of religious reasons but also in terms of social, political, and even psychological factors. Advocates of deism, with their belief that God does not intervene in the world, sought to challenge the church’s claim to have the right to intervene in human affairs, thereby negating the church's sanctity. It appears that deists constructed a conception of God who endowed the world with universal laws and provided humanity with the rational capability to understand and explain these laws and divine principles. It is important to remember that deism was most influential in England. Starting in the 17th century, deism spread throughout Europe, especially in England, as a belief system held by those who, while believing in God and the afterlife, doubted the truth of sacred texts and the claims of religious authorities. During this period, works such as Christianity Not Mysterious and Christianity as Old as the Creation, which were considered "the deists' holy book," helped explain and propagate deist ideas. Deist supporters argued that, similar to how a watchmaker creates a watch and then steps aside, God created the world according to certain laws and order and then withdrew from it. If we trace deist ideas further back, we find that they have their roots in ancient philosophy, from Aristotle's "unmoved mover" to Parmenides' concept of the unchanging and motionless One. Deism is a belief system that acknowledges the existence of God and the creation of the universe, but asserts that God ceased to interact with the universe after its creation. It also posits that knowledge of God can be attained solely through reason, making revelation, unnecessary. In contrast, the theistic understanding of revelation holds that, in addition to reason's role in knowing and understanding God, revelation and miracles are considered manifestations and graces of God's attributes, given to humanity. This study addresses the possibility of revelation in the context of God's attributes, such as being wholly good, just, and possessing absolute power and knowledge, despite deism's claims that reject the continuity of revelation, prophecy, and God's relationship with the world. The study also explores the reasons behind the emergence of deism and the justifications for its core claims, discussing the historical background of deism. It examines the differences in deist claims, their inadequacies in answering questions posed to other religions, and their disregard for human emotions such as the need for prayer, gratitude, and refuge by denying the God-world relationship. Additionally, it discusses the compatibility of scientific data with revelation, historical data from other theistic beliefs, and the God-human relationship, all within the context of God's attributes and the possibility of revelation. This article explains the rational behind deism's rejection of revelation and discusses the possibility of revelation and miracles, which are central to the distinction between deism and theism. The differences between the claims of deists and proponents of revelation are examined in the context of God's attributes, and examples of counterarguments presented by theists against deism are provided. The article also defines the concepts of revelation and miracles to clarify the types of concepts involved in deist claims. It addresses the nature of deism's rejection of prophecy, revelation, miracles, and God's intervention in the world, analyzing these issues within the framework of God's attributes. Through inductive reasoning, it is argued that revelation is a manifestation and grace of God's absolute will, power, knowledge, justice, and goodness. The alignment of God's attributes with revelation, the compatibility of natural evidence with revelation, and the consistency of historical and sacred texts are examined to demonstrate the inconsistency of deism's claims. The article also explores how philosophers and theistic views reconcile revelation with God's attributes, analyzing the possibility of revelation and miracles in relation to God's attributes.