Though John Witherspoon, the only clergyman to have signed the Declaration of Independence, worked alongside deists such as Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, and John Adams because he shared the ideal of civil liberty, and he believed the new republic would bring that. However, he very much disagreed with his Continental Congress colleagues about Christianity. In fact, as the president of Princeton University, he counseled his students not to bother even reading the works of these and other deists, because he "
saw deism as more of a threat than atheism, a true wolf in sheep's clothing." He rigorously taught about the revealed nature of Christianity, its rationality, the fact of miracles, and most importantly the divinity of Jesus.
As I read about John Witherspoon in the book, Jesus Made in America: A Cultural History from the Puritans to The Passion of the Christ, the underlined quote above stood out. Do you believe that? Is deism or atheism more of a threat to Christianity?
Comments (30)
People always see beliefs that are closer to their own, but different, as more of a threat purely because the train of thought from one to the other is so small that they believe that one of their own could easily succumb to it. Like in the case of most religious wars.
I'd say that pseudo-Christianity is a greater threat than either.
Nothing is a threat to Christianity.
Jesus came, he died he rose again.
Nothing stopped him then, nothing will stop him now.
History as show that many things/people have tried to stop it's spread, but the truth is still the truth.
Jesus will return.
x
@ChrisRusso@xanga - Word!
I think that more Christians lapse into a state of deism-lite than will go to straight atheism... but I'm not sure if I would label either a "threat."
So why does one of them have to be considered a threat? That's exactly why the two groups can't seem to coexist! Atheists see theists/deists as a threat, theists/deists see atheists as a threat.
I think it's kind of scary that he encouraged his students not to read works by deist authors. To me, that's no different than theists telling people not to read works by atheistic authors. Shouldn't the mark of a well-educated, intelligent mind be that you can be aware of other viewpoints without necessarily having to agree with them? Did he not trust his students to be able to read a work and think, "Interesting idea, but I don't agree with it?" If they couldn't do that, what kind of students did he think they were?
Honestly, the only people I see as a threat are those who try to limit what ideas we are exposed to, whether they believe in on god, no gods, many gods, a universal force, or whatever else might be out there.
The only threat to Christianity, I think, would be those who practice it. No one else, other than a religion's followers, can make or break the belief system.
Well.... the question pits the two against each other as if there are no greater threats-- I believe that half-hearted attempts at christianity would be more realistically the greater threat; however, in the case above, sure? I think it depends on the individual-- which is more appealing to them personally.
The greatest threat is whichever disuades your faith from Christ. As I said above, I think feux-faith in Christ is more of threat because it reaches more people, it still boils down to what will get you to turn away?
As many people have already commented, I don't think any outside belief is a threat to Christianity as a whole.
However, I do think it is possible that other belief systems could be a hindrance to one's faith on a personal level, and I could see how deism may pose more of a "threat" in that sense.
But ultimately, lack of Christ is what poses the only valid threat to one's spiritual well-being, whether it be through deism, atheism or christianity.
@wherever_we_go@xanga - Refreshing comment!
should one not read anything that might threaten one's beliefs? that sounds like what mr. witherspoon is advocating.
@EccentricSiren@xanga - wonderful comment!
@ChrisRusso@xanga - agreeed!
It could be, considering deists are more determined to find answers than to prove their side right.
If Deism believes that God set things in motion, then stepped back, it is already not a Christian idea. Christians believe that God is with us, guiding us, now. The Father sent his word -- this says God wants to be with us.
@EgoOverdose@xanga - agreed.
deism
seems to be that if Christianity is the one true faith, there's no such conceivable thing as a threat to it...
Nothing should be a threat to your beliefs, no matter what they are. The only time you would feel threatened, is if you knew you were wrong to begin with.
The theological indifference of churches who proclaim themselves as 'Christian.' The biggest threat to the church is within the church herself.
Religion is the biggest threat on the entire human race, when mixed with human nature. Christianity isnt bad in theory but people use it to push their own agendas and justify their own bullshit. I'm an athiest and I'm a more moral, peaceful person than any churchgoing bible thumpers i know.
@EccentricSiren@xanga - spot on.
i hate when i go on xanga, and someone is making christianity out to be the angry, intolerant mob so many people have come to associate with the religion. all these blogs manage to do is proclaim that we are different and better, rather than looking for common ground with the rest of the world. i mean "which is the bigger threat"? really? this blog is a bigger threat than both of those belief systems. we're not all this closed off to the world, i promise.
As a deist, I'm both intrigued and amused that there are people out there who consider my beliefs to be a threat to their religion as they know it. Insecure about your beliefs much? No religion is a threat to any religion. It's those douchebags that run the religions that are a threat to each other.
I have no interest whatsoever in striking down any religion. I respect any and all religions, from Christianity to Islam to Buddhism. It's those practioners of religious intolerance with whom I've got a bone to pick.
Individuals will always pose the greatest threat to anything in existence. Ideas are inert.
It was what you do with them that causes harm.
"Greatest threat"? That's pretty ignorant...it's not as if one of the most followed religions in the world has any enemies or anything.