While there are different ways to define and look at Natural Religion, I like the version where “Natural Religion embodies the belief that religion is an innate, built-in feature of being human” (Strenski 10). Since religions are so diverse around the world, this tends to translate into an inherent ethical system and belief in the divine. In general, religions have an ethical system: stealing is bad; murder is bad; adultery is generally frowned upon. There are a few exceptions around the world, but speaking in a broad way religions carry rules of right and wrong that agree. (Versions of “the Golden Rule” and “the Silver Rule” have been found in religions since they have been written down.) Being an eternal optimist, I immediately latched on to this idea. If people can inherently know what is right and wrong then there is some hope in a world where we face evil in every headline and dark alley. The Catholic in me liked the idea that we are born knowing that there is some sort of force that is beyond us, something in us that wants to believe.
This idea is backed up by
the Catechism of the Catholic Church, something I will be referencing frequently in this blog. “In many ways, throughout history down to the present day, men have given expression to their quest for God in their religious beliefs and behavior: in their prayers, sacrifices, rituals, meditations, and so forth. These forms of religious expression, despite the ambiguities they often bring with them, are so universal that one may well call man a religious being” (CCC 28). Sound familiar?
This section is nearly the same as the idea of Natural Religion, only more specific. We are born with a knowledge of the existence of God. We inherently know right from wrong. What the theorists of Natural Religion talked about in more vague terms the Church speaks of very specifically. So what does this mean for us? How does this apply to our lives? Stay posted for Part II.
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