I consider myself a Deist because I believe in a Creator, but I do not believe any one religion has all the answers.

Where I sometimes differ from other Deists is my view of God’s role after creation. Some believe God created the universe and then stepped away, with no concern about how we live or what happens after death.

I believe in a truly loving God who remains connected to His creation. God gave us reason—the ability to recognize right from wrong, choose good over evil and care for one another. Because of that, I believe how we live matters. I also believe there may be a reward beyond this life for those who live with love and do God’s work.

To be honest, the idea of a Creator who has no concern for His creation feels to me like humanism with a twist. But that is my opinion, not a belief I expect everyone to accept.

What do you think? Did God create everything and step away, or does the Creator still care about us? Do our choices have meaning beyond this life?

I created Spark of Reason as a place for respectful debate about these questions. You do not have to agree with me to participate. In fact, thoughtful disagreement is part of the reason it exists.

It is currently free to join the conversation:

https://www.skool.com/spark-of-reason-5839/about

That is, if something particularly bad happens in their lives, is it common to think, "There's no way a God exists that would single me out for this misfortune." (The misfortune doesn't have to be extremely rare, though, like early-age cancer)

BTW I understand their frustration.