--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't endorse deism or interventionist…" description: "\"I don't endorse deism or interventionist theism. My point is just that evolutionary biology is logically compatible with the former and with some versi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a73/elliott-sober-13087_biology_i-don-t-endorse-deism-or-interventionist_1160701.jpg" --- # I don't endorse deism or interventionist theism. My point… ![“I don't endorse deism or interventionist theism. My point is just that evolutionary biology is logically compatible with the former and with some versions of the latter.” quote by Elliott Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a73/elliott-sober-13087_biology_i-don-t-endorse-deism-or-interventionist_1160701.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a73/elliott-sober-13087_biology_i-don-t-endorse-deism-or-interventionist_1160701.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a73/elliott-sober-13087_biology_i-don-t-endorse-deism-or-interventionist_1160701.jpg) > “I don't endorse deism or interventionist theism. My point is just that evolutionary biology is logically compatible with the former and with some versions of the latter.” [Elliott Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Evolutionary biology can be consistent with both deistic and certain theistic worldviews, showing that science and belief need not conflict. **In simple terms:** Science and belief can coexist. Key Takeaway Explore compatible belief systems. Themes philosophy science religion compatibility Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - academic debates - personal faith discussions - interfaith dialogues Key Concepts epistemology theology naturalism Questions to Reflect On - How can you reconcile scientific evidence with personal belief? - What limits exist in aligning faith and science? A Different Perspective Compatibility may be limited by literal interpretations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Biology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biology/) [Deism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deism/) [Evolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolution/) [Evolutionary biology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolutionary-biology/) [Theism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theism/) ## Related quotes > [This is not to deny that there are versions of theism that do conflict with evolutionary biology. Young Earth Creationism is an example; it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-sober/this-is-not-to-deny-that-there-are-versions-of-theism-that-do/) [Elliott Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/) > [A few years ago the Deists denied the inspiration of the Bible on account of its cruelty. At the same time they worshiped what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-few-years-ago-the-deists-denied-the-inspiration-of-the-bible-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Nothing in our politics is any longer driven or designed by individual humans who have a name and a face; we have sunk from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-smith/nothing-in-our-politics-is-any-longer-driven-or-designed-by/) [Kenny Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-smith/) > [“Mr. Dawkins' assertions are self-refuting- ie. Actual infinity vs. potential infinity easily makes the most reasonable argument for theism and a Deity. Now, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-alan-woods/mr-dawkins-assertions-are-self-refuting-ie-actual-infinity-vs/) [R. Alan Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-alan-woods/) > [Question with boldness even the existence of a god.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/question-with-boldness-even-the-existence-of-a-god/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Pantheism is sexed-up atheism. Deism is watered-down theism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/pantheism-is-sexed-up-atheism-deism-is-watered-down-theism/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“I'm always talking to God about whether or not he exists - that's how I know I'm a theist.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/i-m-always-talking-to-god-about-whether-or-not-he-exists-that-s-how-i/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [“What I should have said is that he thinks that there is a conflict between evolutionary biology and theism. Dennett thinks that evolutionary theory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-sober/what-i-should-have-said-is-that-he-thinks-that-there-is-a-conflict/) [Elliott Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/) > [I disagree with those who argue that evolutionary biology and the existence of God are incompatible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-sober/i-disagree-with-those-who-argue-that-evolutionary-biology-and-the/) [Elliott Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/) > ["Methodological naturalism" and "metaphysical naturalism" are terms that often surface in the continuing battle between evolutionary biology and creationism/intelligent design. The methodological thesis says…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-sober/methodological-naturalism-and-metaphysical-naturalism-are-terms-that/) [Elliott Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/) > [The big picture, I think, is that common ancestry is evidentially prior to natural selection in Darwin's theory and in contemporary evolutionary biology as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-sober/the-big-picture-i-think-is-that-common-ancestry-is-evidentially-prior/) [Elliott Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/) > ["Tiger is a natural kind" and "Tiger is a historical particular" are incompatible with each other, and evolutionary biology provides a reason for favoring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-sober/tiger-is-a-natural-kind-and-tiger-is-a-historical-particular-are/) [Elliott Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/) > [Deism is logically compatible with evolutionary theory for the simple reason that the theory says nothing about the origin of the universe or of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-sober/deism-is-logically-compatible-with-evolutionary-theory-for-the-simple/) [Elliott Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/) > [Deism claims that God creates the universe and the laws of nature and then is hands-off, with everything that subsequently happens in nature being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-sober/deism-claims-that-god-creates-the-universe-and-the-laws-of-nature-and/) [Elliott Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/) > [Deism is compatible with evolutionary theory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-sober/deism-is-compatible-with-evolutionary-theory/) [Elliott Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/) ## More by Elliott Sober > [From the fact that E is evidence for T and the fact that T entails M, it doesn't follow that E is evidence for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-sober/from-the-fact-that-e-is-evidence-for-t-and-the-fact-that-t-entails-m/) [Elliott Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/) > [Evolutionary game theory was originally developed as an alternative to the hypothesis of group selection; now it is clear that game theory models postulate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-sober/evolutionary-game-theory-was-originally-developed-as-an-alternative/) [Elliott Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/) > [Earlier attempts to show that simpler theories always have higher prior probabilities have failed, but there is a restricted circumstance in which the claim…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-sober/earlier-attempts-to-show-that-simpler-theories-always-have-higher/) [Elliott Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/) > ["Methodological naturalism" and "metaphysical naturalism" are terms that often surface in the continuing battle between evolutionary biology and creationism/intelligent design. The methodological thesis says…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-sober/methodological-naturalism-and-metaphysical-naturalism-are-terms-that/) [Elliott Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/) > [The big picture, I think, is that common ancestry is evidentially prior to natural selection in Darwin's theory and in contemporary evolutionary biology as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-sober/the-big-picture-i-think-is-that-common-ancestry-is-evidentially-prior/) [Elliott Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/) > [This is not to deny that there are versions of theism that do conflict with evolutionary biology. Young Earth Creationism is an example; it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-sober/this-is-not-to-deny-that-there-are-versions-of-theism-that-do/) [Elliott Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/) > [Some philosophical arguments (e.g., in connection with the mind/body problem) look pretty good, while others (e.g., those that criticize moral realism) do not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-sober/some-philosophical-arguments-e-g-in-connection-with-the-mind-body/) [Elliott Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/) > [I have spent a lot of time arguing that the theory of group selection is not the stupid, pernicious doctrine that many biologists once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-sober/i-have-spent-a-lot-of-time-arguing-that-the-theory-of-group-selection/) [Elliott Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/) > [Deism is compatible with evolutionary theory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-sober/deism-is-compatible-with-evolutionary-theory/) [Elliott Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/) > ["Simpler is always better" is an overstatement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-sober/simpler-is-always-better-is-an-overstatement/) [Elliott Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/) > [Group selection and individual selection are just two of the selection processes that have played important roles in evolution. There also is selection within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-sober/group-selection-and-individual-selection-are-just-two-of-the/) [Elliott Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/) > [Instead of thinking of the question of race genealogically, and leaving it open whether vernacular races are genealogical units, the interest in biomedicine has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-sober/instead-of-thinking-of-the-question-of-race-genealogically-and/) [Elliott Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/) > [If the organisms in a species now have trait T, and this trait now helps those organisms to survive and reproduce because the trait…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-sober/if-the-organisms-in-a-species-now-have-trait-t-and-this-trait-now/) [Elliott Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/) > [Another way to test hypotheses about adaptation is to consider trait variation across a group of species instead of focusing on the trait of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-sober/another-way-to-test-hypotheses-about-adaptation-is-to-consider-trait/) [Elliott Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/) > [Evolutionary theory, properly understood, does not conflict with the idea that God occasionally intervenes in nature - for example, by once or twice causing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-sober/evolutionary-theory-properly-understood-does-not-conflict-with-the/) [Elliott Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/) [Explore all 52 Elliott Sober quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/) ## More Biology quotes > [In the fight between biology and morality, biology has commonly won in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/semir-zeki/in-the-fight-between-biology-and-morality-biology-has-commonly-won-in/) [Semir Zeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/semir-zeki/) > [“Genetics is a science full of gods, Mr. Sanchez.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valeria-luiselli/genetics-is-a-science-full-of-gods-mr-sanchez/) [Valeria Luiselli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valeria-luiselli/) > [We became Homo sapiens not that long ago, from the scientific perspective, and we've retained a lot of our beast nature. We've done all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangechi-mutu/we-became-homo-sapiens-not-that-long-ago-from-the-scientific/) [Wangechi Mutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangechi-mutu/) > [Evolution happens in jumps, very rapidly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-ferguson/evolution-happens-in-jumps-very-rapidly/) [Marilyn Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-ferguson/) > [“Toshiaki learned that all living organisms were governed by their DNA. He was impressed by perfection of this system.Why did existence have the ability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hideaki-sena/toshiaki-learned-that-all-living-organisms-were-governed-by-their-dna/) Hideaki Sena > [I'm all about evolution. I'm the first person to judge myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-weeknd/i-m-all-about-evolution-i-m-the-first-person-to-judge-myself/) [The Weeknd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-weeknd/) > [We are somehow the children of the planet, we are somehow its finest hour; we bind time, we bind the past, we anticipate the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/we-are-somehow-the-children-of-the-planet-we-are-somehow-its-finest/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [I think the ethics and morals of genetic engineering are very complicated. It intrigues me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-spottiswoode/i-think-the-ethics-and-morals-of-genetic-engineering-are-very/) [Roger Spottiswoode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-spottiswoode/) > [Biochemists and biologists who adhere blindly to the Darwinism theory search for results that will be in agreement with their theories and consequently orient…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-paul-grasse/biochemists-and-biologists-who-adhere-blindly-to-the-darwinism-theory/) [Pierre-Paul Grasse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-paul-grasse/) > [“A note of caution: epigenetics is also on the verge of transforming into a dangerous idea. Epigenetic modifications of genes can potentially superpose historical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/a-note-of-caution-epigenetics-is-also-on-the-verge-of-transforming/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [Natural history is not taught in seminary. This is curious, as most people in pastoral ministry are about 567 times more likely to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-maitland/natural-history-is-not-taught-in-seminary-this-is-curious-as-most/) [Sara Maitland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-maitland/) > [We are coming to a place where the road ends. From here on out, we will be making the road as we walk it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-atlee/we-are-coming-to-a-place-where-the-road-ends-from-here-on-out-we-will/) Tom Atlee > [I've always been interested in medicine and was pleased when my brother became a doctor. But after thinking seriously about that field, I realized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-lowry/i-ve-always-been-interested-in-medicine-and-was-pleased-when-my/) [Lois Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-lowry/) > [Evolution... is the most powerful and the most comprehensive idea that has ever arisen on Earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-huxley/evolution-is-the-most-powerful-and-the-most-comprehensive-idea-that/) [Julian Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-huxley/) > [History employs evolution to structure biological events in time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/history-employs-evolution-to-structure-biological-events-in-time/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) [Browse all 3,034 Biology quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biology/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I don't endorse deism or interventionist theism. 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