Theism

• Derived from "theos," the Greek word for "god," theism is the belief that one or more gods exist. Theists generally believe that "god" has human-like qualities and can act, think and communicate. In most cases, they also believe that god or the gods interact with the universe and take interest in human affairs. Theism takes many forms. Polytheism is the belief in many different gods. Henotheism is worshiping one god while acknowledging the existence of others. Monotheism is the belief in only one almighty god.
  
  

Theistic Religions

• Most of the world's religions are theistic. Many ancient cultures such as the Greeks and Romans were polytheists and believed in human-like gods who controlled various aspects of nature. The ancients viewed the gods as imperfect beings who rarely, if ever, behaved with any moral consistency. Some branches of Hinduism are also considered polytheistic. Others are monotheistic and view the many gods of Hinduism as aspects of one almighty God. Some branches of Buddhism are polytheistic while others, such as Zen, see gods as an illusion. Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Sikhism are all monotheistic religions that believe in one all-knowing, all-powerful and moral God. These religions generally believe that God is an immaterial spirit and forbid idols or other representations of Him. Practitioners of these religions generally believe in a personal relationship with God and that treating others with respect is part of that relationship.
  
  

Deism

• The word deism is derived from deus, the Latin word for god. Deists believe in the existence of God. However, unlike theists such as Christians, Jews or Muslims, they believe that once God created the universe, He left it alone. Deists base their belief in God on rational observation of nature rather than prophets, holy scriptures or divine revelation. Deism was popular with European and American intellectuals in the 17th and 18th centuries but largely disappeared in the 19th century. It was revived in the late 20th century, however, according to the website Religious Tolerance, it is difficult to estimate the number of modern deists because many describe themselves as humanists, non-religious, agnostics or secularists rather than deists.
  
  

Famous Deists

• Famous deists include the French philosophers Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Voltaire, the English philosopher Anthony Collins and the English theologian Matthew Tindal. Many of the Founding Fathers of the United States were either deists or influenced by them. These include Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, James Madison and George Washington. Thomas Paine's "The Age of Reason" is considered on of the major works on deist philosophy. American deists added several elements to deism such as renouncing the idea that any one group were God's chosen people, denying the idea that Christ died for our sins and denouncing a need for a priesthood that mediated on man's behalf.