Well, in the past few days I have stopped only reading this forum and trying to post more often in an effort to expand my knowledge of both religion and irreligion. As a result of what I feel is a confusion on my part, I don't feel I am really able to debate as well as I could.

What exactly is the difference between a deity and an impersonal god? Is it the idea that a deity is, on some level, concious and able to interact (be it directly or indirectly) with the universe?

For example, I personally believe in the Tao. Would this be considered atheistic or a form of pantheism?

I would say that taoism is a philosophy way more then it is a religion. I guess you could say that it is a pantheistic belief, in the sense that the tao is a universal supernatural force.

However my knowledge of taoism has eroded greatly in the years since I read about it. So take my post with a grain of salt.