Comments Elsewhere

Shiva,

I look forward to the article on Obama!

“Natural religion” was a movement that was became increasingly popular in the 18th century (as part of the broader Enlightenment movement), which aimed for religion based on reason alone. Proponents of natural religion generally believed that the existence of a supreme God, and the creation of the world by God, could be demonstrated on philosophical grounds, but they rejected most of the rituals, doctrines, and claims of miracles in “revealed religions” such as Christianity or Islam, which they regarded as unfounded superstitions at best, and often as frauds perpetrated in the interests of worldly power. (Many but not all of the advocates for “natural religion” were Deists; many others, including Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, believed in a caring and providential God, but still rejected most of Christian dogma about the specifics of God’s nature and activities.)

So the “Confederacy of Atheists and Divines” are those who reject natural religion either because (1) they reject all forms of religion, or (2) because they are invested in revealed religion, and reject the adequacy of natural reason.

Hope this helps.