David Mendes: A Rational-Deist Critique of Christian Moral Teaching
Compiled from guest contributions by David Mendes (2011–2012)
David Mendes, a guest contributor to this site, consistently argued from a rational-Deist and pro-Judaic standpoint that classical Deism finds its strongest historical and ethical foundation in Judaism, and that traditional Christian moral teaching contains elements that undermine personal responsibility, social justice, and human flourishing.
Core Themes in Mendes’ Writing
- Judaism as the original monotheism of truth and justice — Abraham’s rejection of imperial idolatry and the Jewish mission to be “a light to the nations” (Isaiah 42:6).
- Christian moral teaching as fostering passivity and guilt — Passages such as “turn the other cheek” and “do not resist evil” (Matthew 5:38–42) interpreted as promoting submission rather than active ethical resistance.
- Doctrines of original sin and vicarious atonement — Seen as morally corrosive because they relieve individuals of full accountability for their actions.
- Deism’s need for the Jewish ethical tradition — Enlightenment Deism, while intellectually rational, lacked the depth of moral commitment preserved in Judaism.
Selected Key Statements (verbatim)
- “The Torah presents man as becoming human when conscious of justice… Only afterwards were religions formed, and they were formed to fight monotheistic truth.”
- “Christian morals are sophism and hypocrisy… Everything is set in impracticable terms, leaving the good ones frustrated, while the sophisticated lot rule and exploit.”
- “The doctrine that Jesus paid for mankind’s sins is immoral because it glosses over the faults and leads to more sin.”
- “Success for Deism can only be attained by rational and wide criticism of Christianity… Natural theology has to be developed, on the basis of Judaism.”
Mendes maintained that a mature, ethically robust Deism must reclaim the Jewish emphasis on justice, personal moral agency, and the possibility of a righteous society in this world — without supernatural metaphysics or doctrines that diminish human responsibility.
Note from site owner Lewis Loflin: The views expressed are those of David Mendes and do not necessarily reflect my own.
