Deists are a relatively small bunch compared to major world religions. Notwithstanding the claim that there are many Deists out there who simply just do not know it yet, Deists often struggle to find numbers anywhere. It is hard to meet Deists online, and almost impossible to find Deists in-person. There is a lot to lament about this. A world in which there are more Deists than less is preferable.
Regardless, there are some overlooked benefits of being “obscure”. There is far more room for individuality within Deism, and within other less popular worldviews than there is within religions. People may disagree with you, severely at times, but no one can point to any sort of dogma simply because none exists. One need not accept beliefs simply to fit into a pre-existing worldview. Rather, each belief can be evaluated individually on its own merits.
Deists also do not have the drawback of having to conform their beliefs to fit in with their community. There is no tangible benefit to being a Deist. For the most part, Deists affiliate with Deism because they believe it is the truth. This is in stark contrast with having to hold beliefs to avoid excommunication, torture, death or other such punishments that are prevalent in some parts of the world. Unfortunately, not everyone is free to be a Deist if they may be punished for it. This is a state of affairs that hopefully will continue to change into the future.
There are fewer reasons apart from a commitment to metaphysical truth for someone to associate with Deism. Thus, it is also more likely for someone within Deism to have a profound desire to seek the truth. I wrote this in a previous article:
“In all my time in several Deist communities, I've never come across someone who has believed in Deism solely because their parents, or their community did. There simply aren't enough of us for that to happen yet. We can lament this, but it has it's positives. Truth-seeking behavior is highly encouraged and debates are highly productive because discourse consists of individuals who are readily open to that. This is often not the case in many other places where truth-seeking is discouraged and conformity is valued. A true belief is not always useful, and tradeoffs do exist where individuals have to pick between choosing how to act.”
There is no necessary relationship between Deism becoming popular and the philosophical quality of Deists decreasing. However, we should appreciate the opportunity to reason freely, independent of the constraints that plague adherents of religion or other contentious stances. It is reasonable to lament our obscurity, but it ought not to come at the cost of what really matters. Come for the truth, and stay for the truth. Those who cannot commit to the latter often leave for “relevance”. I would prefer if more people found out about Deism. I would also hope that it would never come at the cost of what Deism has now. If that sacrifice is required for popularity in the current day, then popularity is not preferable.