A Comparison of Deism and Christianity

Here at Progressive Deism my goal is to express my views on Deism and related topics. However, education is always a good thing so every once in awhile I like to educate others about Deism. One of the ways to accomplish education of anything is to compare it to something that is along the same lines and in this case that would be comparing Deism to other religions.

So, a simple and effective way of learning about what Deism is and what the basic beliefs are is to compare it to something else that is well-known and in this case the best choice would be Christianity for obvious reasons. Here is a list of basic beliefs held by Deists as they compare to the basic beliefs of Christianity.

Please note that this is not a faith vs faith comparison but a way of showing similarities and differences.

Belief in God:
Christianity = Yes
Deism = Yes

Nature of God:
Christianity = Transcendent/Non-Evolving
Deism = Transcendent/Evolving

Characteristics of God:
Christianity = Omnipotent
Deism = Incomprehensible (beyond human understanding)

Relationship with Humanity:
Christianity = Personal/Individual
Deism = Transpersonal/Overall Humanity

Actions/Involvement:
Christianity = Direct/Visible Signs
Deism = Abstract/Subtle Signs

Foundation of Faith:
Christianity = Revelation
Deism = Reason

Basis for Morality:
Christianity = Commandments/Golden Rule
Deism = Golden Rule

Inspiration/Guidance:
Christianity = Holy Bible
Deism = Nature

Afterlife:
Christianity = Heaven
Deism = Unknown (but hope for one)

Innate Sin:
Christianity = Yes
Deism = No

Innate Potential (also called original blessing):
Christianity = No
Deism = Yes

Free Agency:
Christianity = Yes
Deism = Yes

Acceptance of Supernatural Events:
Christianity = Yes
Deism = No

Compatible with Science:
Christianity = Varied (dependent on sect)
Deism = Yes

I hope that this list helps those trying to understand Deism and new posts will be made that discusses each point in more detail. If you have any questions just let me know.