== Origins ==
In ancient times, [[Aristotle]] was a deist as is evident from his arguments for a ''prime mover'' in his writing, ''Metaphysics''. Even though the word ''deism'' was not yet coined, he still believed what deists believe: that God exists and is knowable through natural reason. <ref>http://www.logicmuseum.com/ontological/aristotleontological.htm</ref>
The founder of the offshoot of that found a place in [[England]] during the [[Reformation]] and reached the colonies was [[Lord Herbert of Cherbury]]. <ref>http://www.theologicalstudies.org/what_is_deism.html</ref> He came up with 5 essentials of Deism which are "(1) a belief in the existence of the Deity, (2) the obligation to reverence such a power, (3) the identification of worship with practical morality, (4) the obligation to repent of sin and to abandon it, and, (5) divine recompense in this world and the next".<ref>http://www.iep.utm.edu/d/deismeng.htm</ref>. This was a rather odd variant mixing in many Christian virtues without Jesus, and rather foreign to traditional Deism.
Dictionaries' definitions of '''deism''' include:
==George Washington==
The leading Founder of the United States, George Washington, has been claimed as a deist during the past forty years, despite written evidence to the contrary, both in Washington's writings as well as the writings of his contemporaries. An Episcopalian, Washington rented church pews in various cities and acted as usher; the pew Washington rented at St. Paul's Chapel in New York City is still preserved.<ref>http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g60763-d105055-i36367014-St_Paul_s_Chapel-New_York_City_New_York.html</ref>. The tenents of his church during the 18th and 19th centuries were such that outward displays of [[piety ]] and religiosity were avoided,<ref>Novak, pg 12</ref>, in keeping with the Christian practice of Matthew 6:5: ''"And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward."'' (King James Version). Anglican manners seek a "middle ground", which for all intents and purposes was a path that would find the least devisiveness, to avoid or give offense, to keep the peace, and yet to keep space open for shared ideas.<ref>Novak, pg. 12</ref>. The rules for a "gentleman" stated that a "devout" man kept his devotion restrained in public; Washington himself was described by witnesses and biographers as such a man, one who kept his religion and beliefs private.
But when Washington did speak of religion and his faith, he strongly indicated which faith he was talking about. In May, 1789, he sent a letter to the General Assembly of Presbyterian Churches:
*Novak, Michael, and Novak, Jana. ''Washington's God: Religion, Liberty, and the Father of Our Country;'' Basic Books, New York (2006)
==See Alsoalso==
*[[Protagoras]]
*[[Greek Philosophy]]
*[http://thedcl.org/christia/s/stephwill/agodeieg/agodeieg.html An Account of the Growth of Deism in England] by William Stephens.
*[httphttps://books.google.com/books?id=LanKhFle9BUC ''America's God: From Jonathan Edwards to Abraham Lincoln''], Mark A. Noll, 3rd Ed.,Oxford University Press, 2002, ISBN 0195151119, 9780195151114
[[Category:Types of Theism]]