What is religious naturalism?
Naturalism is the view that every law and every force operating in the universe is natural rather than spiritual, or supernatural. Naturalism is inherently anti-theistic, rejecting the concept of the existence of a personal God. Its basic presupposition is the rejection of everything supernatural.
As is contained in its name, religious naturalism has two central aspects:
One is a naturalist view of how things happen in the world – in which the natural world is all there is and that nothing other than natural, including an active personal God, may cause events in the world. The other is appreciation of religion, with a view that Nature can be a focus of religious attention.
Philosophical naturalism, is one of the most popular religions in the world today, although most people don’t recognize it as such because it has no obvious worship centers, clergy or holy book. It has adherents in every country and dominates many countries, especially among the intellectual elites in the culture.
Naturalism is known by other names: atheism, scientific materialism, and secular humanism. Atheists, secular humanists, and other advocates of naturalism will protest that their view is a religion, but would say it is the opposite of religion. So we need to begin by defining “religion.”
One definition of religion is “the service and worship of God or the supernatural.” That obviously doesn’t apply to atheism. But another given by that dictionary certainly does apply: “a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith.” Many people who hold to naturalism are just as passionate about their belief as the most convinced Christians, Muslims, Hindus, or adherents of any other religion.
Naturalism is the view that every law and every force operating in the universe is natural rather than spiritual, or supernatural. Naturalism is inherently anti-theistic, rejecting the concept of the existence of a personal God. Its basic presupposition is the rejection of everything supernatural.
As is contained in its name, religious naturalism has two central aspects:
One is a naturalist view of how things happen in the world – in which the natural world is all there is and that nothing other than natural, including an active personal God, may cause events in the world. The other is appreciation of religion, with a view that Nature can be a focus of religious attention.
Philosophical naturalism, is one of the most popular religions in the world today, although most people don’t recognize it as such because it has no obvious worship centers, clergy or holy book. It has adherents in every country and dominates many countries, especially among the intellectual elites in the culture.
Naturalism is known by other names: atheism, scientific materialism, and secular humanism. Atheists, secular humanists, and other advocates of naturalism will protest that their view is a religion, but would say it is the opposite of religion. So we need to begin by defining “religion.”
One definition of religion is “the service and worship of God or the supernatural.” That obviously doesn’t apply to atheism. But another given by that dictionary certainly does apply: “a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith.” Many people who hold to naturalism are just as passionate about their belief as the most convinced Christians, Muslims, Hindus, or adherents of any other religion.
Can we worship or pray to nature?
Religion of Nature does not expect us to worship or pray to nature. Worship is appropriate only for a personal being, and nature is not a personal being. And while meditation and prayer have an important place in the outlook and practice of Religion of Nature, they are focused on nature but not addressed to nature as if it were personal. There can be prayers of gratitude for nature’s magnificence and our place as humans within nature. There can be expressions of commitment to serving the well-being of nature and its creatures, including its human creatures. There can be meditations on the mysteries and wonders of nature. There can be confessions of failure to live up to the ideals of Religion of Nature. And so on. But petitionary prayers, as one type of prayer, can be addressed only to a personal religious ultimate, not to nature. We cannot entreat a non-personal nature to help us. But rituals of various sorts, both public and private, can be created and celebrated in Religion of Nature.
Religion of Nature does not expect us to worship or pray to nature. Worship is appropriate only for a personal being, and nature is not a personal being. And while meditation and prayer have an important place in the outlook and practice of Religion of Nature, they are focused on nature but not addressed to nature as if it were personal. There can be prayers of gratitude for nature’s magnificence and our place as humans within nature. There can be expressions of commitment to serving the well-being of nature and its creatures, including its human creatures. There can be meditations on the mysteries and wonders of nature. There can be confessions of failure to live up to the ideals of Religion of Nature. And so on. But petitionary prayers, as one type of prayer, can be addressed only to a personal religious ultimate, not to nature. We cannot entreat a non-personal nature to help us. But rituals of various sorts, both public and private, can be created and celebrated in Religion of Nature.
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