Friday, December 23, 2005

The nature of nature.

Looking up into the depth of the sky I am forced to reminisce my own childhood. To my young and developing consciousness the sky was always a sight of beauty and majesty. The piercing blue of the sky the billowing puffy white clouds rolling overhead, shape shifting; the random flock of birds flying in an effortless phalanx, the sense of something wonderful, powerful, and majestic; the sense of nature.
I have always sensed the power and majesty of nature. I have never sensed super-nature as the theists claim. You can see nature, you can feel it, taste it, smell it, and revere it. Super-nature is unseen, not felt, tasteless, odorless, and unbelievable.
As a child nature is seen as something outside of comprehension, it eludes the child. The child asks, “Why is the sky blue?” “What are clouds?” “What is beyond the sky?” “What is space?” The child is a natural philosopher using the scientific method and inquiring into the nature of existence. The child is the epitome of scientific reductionism, they ask “What is a cloud?” when they receive the answer in some degree they ask “Why?” The child, like me, is attempting to understand the nature of nature, what is the nature of nature and why is the nature of nature.
The only difference between me, a child, and a theist would be in what way we conduct our inquiry into these matters. The child utilizes elder authority and knowledge, I utilize the scientific method and the various scientific fields, and the theist utilizes religious doctrines and dogma. I inquiry into the nature of nature through nature, using nature to help explain itself, the theist intercedes super-nature to explain nature. They compound the questions, “What is super-nature?” “Why is super-nature?” The theist is misguided and confused, the nature of nature isn’t super-nature it is nature.
Why is the sky blue? Because of nature. What are clouds? Nature. What is beyond the sky? Nature.
When looking at nature, its mysteries, and its complexities do not heed the urge to swallow easy, hollow answers. Do not fall for the theist’s magic trick; fight the ‘transcendental temptation’. When attempting to understand nature use nature, then and only then will the true beauty, wonder, and majesty be revealed to you; only then will you be able to comprehend the nature of nature.

7 comments:

Stardust said...

If people would just accept the ways of nature instead of fighting against them, then no one would have a psychological reason for relgious crutches.
What a beautifully true and simple answer to a child's questions..."nature."

JDHURF said...

I completely agree. Why should we accept the supernatural as a gratuitously interfering answer while the truth is all around us? nature. Hey thanks for stopping by and commenting.

JDHURF said...

“I guess beauty is not anything transcendent...It is just chemicals and matter in motion.” – Chase

Exactly, see it isn’t that hard to understand. You don’t have to agree with someone to understand what they believe.

“Funny how you naturalists can't be consistent. You just can't seem to stay within you own worldview.” – Chase

What? Lol!! How is claiming that there is no supernatural forces and then saying that one sees the beauty and majesty of the natural not consistent. It seems, by definition, to be as consistent as one could be.

“Why? Because deep down everyone is a theist. Huh...beauty!” – Chase

Wow, what a well thought out and developed stance, lol!! I can say the same thing in reverse, Why are theists never consistent – because deep down everyone is a naturalist. Huh…beauty!!
But thanks for stopping by and commenting, appreciate it.

Sadie Lou said...

My post on prayer is up. I invite you to ask questions...

Rusko Elvenwood said...

One can enjoy the beauty and wonder of matter and chemicals in motion in a transcendent way. Just because you can't understand the phenomenon doesn't mean it's something supernatural. Just enjoy it for what it is existentially while asking what the truth is about your existence. In stead of explaining your reason for being away in mythology and wishful thinking, you should not hesitate to question your information and verify all sources.
Good luck with that prayer thing sadie lou.

JDHURF said...

Good post Rusko, I completely agree with you. I really like this line: “One can enjoy the beauty and wonder of matter and chemicals in motion in a transcendent way.” – Exxxxactly, good post man.

Stardust said...

Chase wrote: “Funny how you naturalists can't be consistent. You just can't seem to stay within you own worldview.”

If you want to talk about inconsistency, just go to any church, any denomination! Also, check out the Skeptic's Annotated Bible site at http://www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/contra/by_name.html
People at SAB have done a lot of research to put together a whole gigantic list of inconsistencies and contradictions in the bible.

I bet the christians will say "it's not for us to question god's inconsistency!" (Or we could say christians are consistent in their contradictions and hypocrisy.)