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Is Deism avoda zara? It would seem that deists, like Muslims, fall into the category of righteous gentiles, Noahidism. Like Islam, Deism only accepts that there is but one God. Famous American founding father and deist Tom Paine explains the tenets of Deism:

I believe in one God, and no more; and I hope for happiness beyond this life. I believe the equality of man, and I believe that religious duties consist in doing justice, loving mercy, and endeavoring to make our fellow-creatures happy... That the only true religion is deism, by which I then meant and now mean the belief of one God, and an imitation of his moral character, or the practice of what are called moral virtues;⁠—and that it was upon this only (so far as religion is concerned) that I rested all my hopes of happiness hereafter. So say I now⁠—and so help me God.

Tom Paine's formulation of a deist is someone who believes in one God and no more. They rest at God and do not go further in positing a revelation from God. Based on this formulation, are they Noahides?

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  • I don't think that quote accurately represents the tenets of Deism. Deism is a belief in a supreme entity that doesn't intervene in the proceedings of the world.
    – Harel13
    Commented Dec 25, 2022 at 16:24
  • @Harel13 Are you saying Tom Paine wasn't a deist?
    – Shmuel
    Commented Dec 25, 2022 at 16:29
  • As said above, deism believes that there is a god but that He doesn’t intervene in the world. This is obviously a counter view of Judaism
    – Curious Yid
    Commented Dec 25, 2022 at 16:29
  • @Shmuel no, I'm saying that this particular quote doesn't accurately define Deism. Any member of any religion or school of thought can happen to explain that religion or school of thought poorly. Moreover, I do not know where you took that quote from, so I don't know in what context he said that. Therefore, I cannot make a good judgement of his relation to this statement.
    – Harel13
    Commented Dec 25, 2022 at 16:36
  • 1
    Okay, edit that into your question.
    – Harel13
    Commented Dec 25, 2022 at 17:10

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You are missing a fundamental distinction between Islam and Deism, that Islam is also trying to worship the one G-d of the universe, just they are doing it in the wrong way. The stories of Islam and Judaism are very much intertwined, and they split of by Yitzchak and Yishmael. In fact, (I heard that) Rav Moshe Shapiro said that one has to treat a praying Muslim like a Jew davening shemonah esrei (in regards to not being able to walk within 4 amos of them) - because they are praying to the one true G-d of the universe, Hashem, the G-d of Avraham avinu - however, there religion is not true, and they are not serving him in the correct way.

That being said, it does not appear that Deism is idolatry, as it does not worship idols - it is just a fake, untrue religion, and total kefira.

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  • Why is it a fake religion? Deism is more true than Islam. Deist stops at the one God of the universe and does not go further. Islam does go further by adding a Quran. Would you say Sikhs are Naohides? They worship one God. Do Sikhs believe in the one true God?
    – Shmuel
    Commented Dec 25, 2022 at 17:21
  • @Shmuel Rav Tovia Singer says that muslims are benei noach, it's a very interesting question
    – Rabbi Kaii
    Commented Dec 25, 2022 at 17:24
  • @RabbiKaii I know, yes. Rabbi Asher Meza says Christians are Noahides for Christians. But what about deist or Sikhs? A friend of mine who is a rabbi says Sikhs are ok.
    – Shmuel
    Commented Dec 25, 2022 at 17:26
  • The Rambam has a whole list of beliefs and how they qualify. Deism, like atheism, is not "avodah zarah", but it is heresy for Jews. If your question is how Judaism views deist non-Jews, please refine that and ask it separately.
    – Shalom
    Commented Dec 25, 2022 at 18:34
  • @Shmuel Deism isn't more true then Islam - they are both sheker. By saying 'fake' I meant that the religion, which is what their understanding of G-d is and how they relate to Him and worship him - is fake. It may not be the exact correct verbiage, though.
    – Kovy Jacob
    Commented Dec 27, 2022 at 5:00

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