Christian deists consider themselves to be disciples, or students, of Jesus because Jesus taught the natural laws of God. But Christian deists believe that Jesus was only human.

Uh no

Where did you learn that

It’s literally their in the definition. Clearly your an atheist of course you wouldn’t know jack about religion if you can’t associate your self with it and see for your self the interpretations it has.

It doesn’t make sense to me that you are denying any religious involvement ever existed.

In the founding process.

Here is the definition of deism:

belief in the existence of a supreme being, specifically of a creator who does not intervene in the universe. The term is used chiefly of an intellectual movement of the 17th and 18th centuries that accepted the existence of a creator on the basis of reason but rejected belief in a supernatural deity who interacts with humankind.

So your definition is not “the literal definition”

Which is why I asked where you learned it

Christian deism is similar to that but believe in moral Christian values taught by Christ.

They didn’t believe Christ was supernatural they would say he was human instead.

That is not accurate

Where did you learn that?

You are using the word deism and not (Christian deism)

They are not the exact same they have different interpretations of the word deism.

not all governments are official christian tho

GG @3v6en8, you just advanced to level 2!

I know what they mean

Ok here’s what I found online.

Christian deism is a standpoint in the philosophy of religion, which branches from Christianity. It refers to a deist who believes in the moral teachings—but not divinity—of Jesus. Corbett and Corbett (1999) cite John Adams and Thomas Jefferson as exemplars.

Lovely Wikipedia quoting

So let’s accept your framework- which of the founding fathers were Christian deists

And how do you take it the further step to say that those moral beliefs informed the state they created

Because they, as part of their Christian deism, have already rejected the role of the divine in dictation of mortal law

We wouldn’t be a democracy if so they had Christian moral beliefs not a theocratic belief

It’s not sufficient to say “Thomas Jefferson played chess, therefore chess is an integral part of the foundation of the United States”

My point is not that they didn’t have any personal religious beliefs, it’s that they explicitly did not form the moral foundation of the US

We’ve got a lot of writings from the founding fathers. Where did one of them write, even once, some form of “we’re doing it this way because of the teachings of Jesus”

p.s. I’m not an atheist, I just know history

Not from Jesus but because they know Jesus taught the natural laws of God. I never said nor did they ever said they are doing this because of Jesus lol.

You literally did

“Christian deism is a standpoint in the philosophy of religion, which branches from Christianity. It refers to a deist who believes in the moral teachings—but not divinity—of Jesus. Corbett and Corbett (1999) cite John Adams and Thomas Jefferson as exemplars.”

That’s what you quoted

“Moral teachings of Jesus”

There is nothing in the definition of Christian deism that goes on to say that Jesus taught the natural laws of god. They explicitly denied the divinity of Jesus, that is also in the section you quoted

"from a very early part of my life". In an 1820 letter to his close friend William Short, Jefferson stated, "it is not to be understood that I am with him [Jesus] in all his doctrines. I am a Materialist; he takes the side of Spiritualism; he preaches the efficacy of repentance toward forgiveness of sin; I require a counterpoise of good works to redeem it."[26] In 1824, four years later, Jefferson had changed on his view of the "materialism" of Jesus, clarifying then that "... the founder of our religion, was unquestionably a materialist as to man."

Adams was raised a Congregationalist, but ultimately rejected many fundamental doctrines of conventional Christianity, such as the Trinity and the divinity of Jesus, becoming a Unitarian. In his youth, Adams' father urged him to become a minister, but Adams refused, considering the practice of law to be a more noble calling. Although he once referred to himself as a "church going animal," Adams' view of religion overall was rather ambivalent: He recognized the abuses, large and small, that religious belief lends itself to, but he also believed that religion could be a force for good in individual lives and in society at large. His extensive reading (especially in the classics), led him to believe that this view applied not only to Christianity, but to all religions.

"from a very early part of my life". In an 1820 letter to his close friend William Short, Jefferson stated, "it is not to be understood that I am with him [Jesus] in all his doctrines. I am a Materialist; he takes the side of Spiritualism; he preaches the efficacy of repentance toward forgiveness of sin; I require a counterpoise of good works to redeem it."[26] In 1824, four years later, Jefferson had changed on his view of the "materialism" of Jesus, clarifying then that "... the founder of our religion, was unquestionably a materialist as to man."

"from a very early part of my life". In an 1820 letter to his close friend William Short, Jefferson stated, "it is not to be understood that I am with him [Jesus] in all his doctrines. I am a Materialist; he takes the side of Spiritualism; he preaches the efficacy of repentance toward forgiveness of sin; I require a counterpoise of good works to redeem it."[26] In 1824, four years later, Jefferson had changed on his view of the "materialism" of Jesus, clarifying then that "... the founder of our religion, was unquestionably a materialist as to man."

"from a very early part of my life". In an 1820 letter to his close friend William Short, Jefferson stated, "it is not to be understood that I am with him [Jesus] in all his doctrines. I am a Materialist; he takes the side of Spiritualism; he preaches the efficacy of repentance toward forgiveness of sin; I require a counterpoise of good works to redeem it."[26] In 1824, four years later, Jefferson had changed on his view of the "materialism" of Jesus, clarifying then that "... the founder of our religion, was unquestionably a materialist as to man."