Deism is the belief in a God who created the universe but does not intervene in its ongoing workings. Deists believe God is like a watchmaker who designed and built a complex clock, then set it in motion and allowed it to run according to its own natural laws. This God is not seen as involved in everyday life, answering prayers, or performing miracles. The universe, according to deistic thought, operates according to principles discoverable through reason and observation, not through divine revelation or religious texts. Deism emphasizes the use of reason and natural law to understand the world, rather than relying on faith or organized religion.