I was a Deist without knowing it. I thought I must be at least agnostic or atheist.
At the age of 69 I had been a Catholic, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Church of God, Baptist, and probably many others I don't remember.
Attending an Episcopal church, I had a conversation with the priest. He told me that based on my beliefs I was a Deist. A quick trip to the internet using the services of Google confirmed what he told me.
At last I found what makes sense. I think man has a need to believe there is a creator. My objection to organized religion has been that it is so obvious that people like to make up their kind of deity and then they KNOW or BELIEVE every aspect of what someone else has claimed. I find it astounding that people actually buy this stuff without question. I find it so arrogant!
An earth that is 2 billion years old and only in the last several thousand years have humans evolved, yet some believe beyond doubt that the earth is 6000 years old. And they regard any other religion as a superstition without realizing that all organized religions are based on superstition.
I still don't know if there is an afterlife. I am influenced by stories of near death experiences and yes, ghosts. I hope there is something after life and like many, I find the complications of the universe so complex as to doubt that it all just happened, so here I am, a Deist!