In their book Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers, sociologists Christian Smith and Melissa Lundquist Denton coin the phrase Moral Therapeutic Deism (MTD). They have 5 points (click here for that), but I will explain it by using their three terms.
“Moral”
God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and by most world religions. People are born “good” (no doctrine of Original Sin) and “good” people go to Heaven when they die (based strictly on behaviour and not faith). Maybe the 10 Commandments are enough to follow but not much beyond that. Just treat others as you would want them to treat you! The heresy of Universalism.
“The moralism in the abundance of activist ideologies rampant in our hypocritical society–it might be ecological activism, sexual identity activism, political activism or woke activism, but in so many wearisome ways we have to endure the endless stream of propaganda, parades, postures and imposition of all the do-gooders with their slogans, their flags and their campaigns. This moralism is a form of counterfeit religion and they have not only invaded the Christian churches, they have taken over” (Fr. Dwight Longenecker).
“Therapeutic”
“‘Therapeutic’ concerns feelings and brings us closest to Gnosticism: we live in a therapeutic age, in which feelings dominate and now determine much in religion, culture, politics, and law” (Leroy Huizenga).
Christianity is offered as one “therapy” among a whole list of options to help achieve the central goal of life = to feel good about oneself and be happy.
“How many churches have you see advertising “Recovery” and “Rehab”? Plush preachers push a prosperity gospel combined with therapeutic seminars on “How to heal your ailing marriage” or “Parenting troublesome Teens”. or “Overcoming addiction” and on and on and on–turning Christianity into another episode of Oprah Winfrey and Doctor Phil” (Fr. Dwight Longenecker).
“Deism”
God made the world and then stepped away from it. God’s not intimately involved in people’s lives. You can try to go to God to help resolve some problems. But there is no real doctrine of Providence.
“Deism is basically atheism without guts. The god of the Deists may exist, but he doesn’t do anything. Therefore he might as well not exist. Deism was devised in the eighteenth century by philosophers who were too cowardly to rock the Christian boat with fully fledged atheism so Deism would do. I hate Deism. I’d prefer Ganesh the elephant god. At least he does something” (Fr. Dwight Longenecker).
Conclusion
Moral Therapeutic Deism is the standard worldview today. It’s a “fake Christianity” that asks little of its followers and provides comfort, convenience, and community.
This Moralistic Therapeutic Deism, like the Arianism of the fourth century, is an extremely attractive religion. What’s to hate about it? It helps people be nice, good, tolerant, compliant citizens. It helps them with their problems and makes them better, happier people and best of all, it allows for an easygoing spirituality in which one can have “spiritual” feelings about nature or your grandmother’s birthday or puppies and kittens, but you needn’t worry about a Father in Heaven who not only loves you but will also judge you one day. You needn’t worry about his revelation to humanity nor his moral and ethical demands.
With MTD, Jesus becomes (1) a great moral teacher. The miraculous and sacrificial aspects are stripped away. Christianity without the Cross. You don’t need the blood of the Cross because all people are good anyway; (2) a friend. He affirms our favourite causes and wants to comfort us; (3) a distant person – He is up there in Heaven and might help us if He feels like it.
Prodigal Catholic 