How is panentheism identical to deism?

Somebody told me I wasn't an atheist, and I was a deist that really did believe in God but didn't know it.

What do they mean?

Update:

I realize that would change some of your answers, but what you have written is cool. You don't have to edit.

Comments

  • 1) Panentheism (not to be confused with pantheism) and deism are NOT identical. Maybe it's possible to be both, but you can still can be a deist and still not believe that God is omnipresent, and you can be a panentheist who does believe that God plays some role in human affairs. Did you mean to ask how are they "similar"?

    2) What the person meant is that he or she is full of crap. Atheists don't "secretly" believe in God. That's just wishful thinking of some theists.

  • Means they're a pompous moron. Don't worry about it.

    If you don't believe any gods exist, you're an atheist. Pure and simple.

    A deist believes in a creator god but not a personal god. God created the universe and then retreated. He doesn't get involved. he doesn't need or want prayer. There are no miracles, etc. Deists know and acknowledge they have these beliefs. You can't be a deist and not know it.

    A panentheist believes in a god that is both one with the world and exists beyond the world.

    Deism and panentheism are totally different ideas, and neither has to do with you not believing in any gods.

  • They are not identical. Deism is the belief in a creator God that created the Universe then stayed out of the picture and just let it develop on its own. Pantheism is the belief that the Universe is God.

    So do you believe in a Superior being that created the Universe? If so you are a Deist. If not, you are not a Deist.

  • Said person needs to learn to use wiki.

    Panentheism is the universe as part of the greater emanation of God.

    Deism entails that God is necessarily separate from his creation.

    They are mutually exclusive ideas. A deistic God cannot be panentheistic without nullifying one of the definitions.

  • It is not. Deism has a God, that created and left. Pantheism is looking at the universe as a god. Pantheists are technically not an atheist

    . The first known use of the term pantheism was by English mathematician Joseph Raphson in his work De spatio reali, published in 1697 and written in Latin. He defined "pantheismus" as the belief that God is all-containing and all-penetrating

  • "we know something you don't"--Fireball, just a minute ago.

    "I was a deist that really did believe in God but didn't know it." --was as a past tense of is.

    Religion claims what "is" and what they "know"

    At what point can we assume an obvious lie is in fact malevolence for God?

    That's a material argument to possess resources NOT "faith" in any form whatsoever. And we already know organized religion is about money, certainly not "morality".

    We need more intolerance to the sociopaths who sell religion, or otherwise we just end up with a disaster: Two pointless wars (for oil) two terms for Bush43, bail outs for the rich at our expense, and millions of jobs outsourced. The party of God blew smoke up this country's butt and superstitious patsy's we,are, we took it. THAT is the power of prayer. It works (for them)...

    Its all about a social war for material resources. Faith means "don't look at what is actually real"!

    History will record theisms ultimately as a dishonest materialist scheme.

  • They are messing with your mind! That is what theists do instead of arguing in favor of their imaginary god! because they have no arguments for it they have to attack the messenger of the truth!

  • It means they are people who assume that knowledge of "God" is inherent in every person, an obvious falsehood.

  • Hah! Typo, you are human..... :)

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