mikkel_the_dane
My own religion
No, even the answer, "No, everything is not natural", appears natural.
-
Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.
Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:- Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
- Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
- Access to private conversations with other members.
We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!
Unknown
- Thread starter Jimmy
- Start date
No, even the answer, "No, everything is not natural", appears natural.
mikkel_the_dane
My own religion
Okay, then explain the following. Humans come from nature and are in nature as parts of nature. Then how come what we do, become not nature?
How does that work as cause and effect? How can we as natural cause something to the effect of being not natural?
Last edited:
I suppose one could argue that, since humans are a product of nature, everything that humans do or create is just as much a product of nature as any rock formation or forest. Is a human-built dam any less natural than one built by beavers? Is a human-built home less natural than a bird's nest?
So man is somehow separate from nature, since man-made products aren't 'natural?'
What is polyester made from? Petroleum. Is petroleum not natural? Or is it unnatural because it doesn't evolve?
mikkel_the_dane
My own religion
God magic.
Sorry...I couldn't resist.
This one even has a name of sorts. It is called folk dualism. We are so special that we are not in nature.
I have never said that so it's a product of your own imagination.
However natural man can produce unnatural things. Plutonium for example does not occur naturally.
It doesn't matter what polyester is made from, polyester itself is not a naturally occurring product.
mikkel_the_dane
My own religion
But they are made naturally using natural processes, so they are natural, even if manmade.
I asked a question. You assumed an implication.
Does uranium-238? Does man? Does oil? As I see it, two or more natural occurring things cannot produce and unnatural thing.
Man is part of nature too. So whatever we do is natural.
That is a philosophical view and not really related to plutonium which is not natural
A question made up in your own mind. Nothing to do with what i wrote.
If telecommunications satellites were natural there would be no need to manufacture them
The definition of natural that i use.
Not existing in nature; artificial
You may use something different.
Last edited:
Where else would one make up questions?
So anything manufactured is unnatural?
Aren't babies manufactured with a sperm and an egg?
So to you, artificial and unnatural are synonymous?
I've always understood the antonym to 'artificial' to be 'genuine,' not 'natural.'
Sheesh. Anything that cannot exist in naturally
Last edited:
Couldn't it be said that if something exists at all, it exists in nature? Humans might build things using the building blocks provided by nature, just as birds build nests and beavers build dams. Is that not a natural process at work?
I view "unnatural" as being more in the realm of magic or the "supernatural." If someone waved their hand and a communications satellite just appeared out of thin air, that would be unnatural. But if humans used their natural skills and figured out how to build it on their own, and did so using conventional means, then it would be natural, wouldn't it?
After manufacturer it (whatever) exist in nature, that does not make plutonium a natural element, or polyester a natural fibre. They have to be manufactured or they wouldn't exist. It's a distinction i make based on the definition i accept, other people are welcome to their own views.
I can see that. I've known some who hold the view that something in its "natural state" would be something untouched by humans. It's the idea that humans are separate from nature and that anything created by humans would not be "natural." "Natural" can sometimes be conflated with "made by God," which also differentiates from anything "made by man." "Man vs. Nature" is also a well-known literary conflict which clearly implies that humanity is something to be viewed as separate and distinct from nature.
It's not that humans are separate from nature but that humans can can modify nature. My house for example is constructed of natural sand stone and oak both natural materials but could my house built itself naturally? No.