Chapter Three: Other Religions Agree with the Nature Revelation
ALL TEXT AND PHOTOS © 2024 Marlene A. Condon
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| In Hinduism, believers see God in all of creation, and thus consider every animal, even a snake (such as this Black Rat Snake), as sacred. |
By way of the Bible, I have shown
that nature is a gift from God to humanity, which people are supposed to care for
properly, not only out of respect for God’s property, but also for their own
welfare. Additionally, I employed the Bible to show that nature proves the
existence of God. I made extensive use of the Bible because it contains the
Word of God in the Christian and Jewish faiths, the two religions with which I
am most familiar.
However, I would be remiss if I did
not discuss, to some extent, Islam and Hinduism—the two religions that, along
with Christianity, comprise almost 70% of religious adherents in the world. If
God truly exists, and He expects people to take care of His creation (the
natural world), then we should find the same proof of these truths in the holy
books that are akin to the Bible for each religion.
(It is not necessary for the purposes
of this treatise to consider the remaining 30% of people who are either nonreligious
or whose religious affiliations comprise several different religions.)
Those who practice Islam (“submission
to the will of God”) worship the same God (“Allah”) as does a Christian and a
Jew. However, to a Moslem (the word means “one who submits”), God’s word was
incompletely expressed in the earlier scriptures of the Bible and fulfilled
only by the Koran (or Qur’an, the Romanized form of Quran, “the reading” or
“the recitation”).
The Koran, then, is the one sacred
scripture of Islam. It consists of writings that convey revelations from God,
delivered to Mohammed by the angel, Gabriel. However, Mohammed (unlike Jesus) claimed
no divinity, insisting that he was only a man chosen to be the spokesman of God.
Like the Bible, the Koran discusses
nature, which should not be surprising. It was written later than the Bible, in
609 AD (“Anno Domini”, “in the year of our Lord”, referring to the year of
Christ’s birth) or CE (“Common Era”, referring to the date in the most commonly
used calendar system, the Gregorian). Mohammed was not only familiar with the
Scriptures of the Jews and the Christians, he testified to the truthfulness of
them.
The Koran mentions nature numerous
times, but there is no need to go into the amount of detail that I went into
for the Bible. Verse 164 from the second Surah (chapter) entitled, “The Cow”,
conveys the essence of Romans 1:19-20 (from the Bible) that nature (the
creation) proves God’s existence, which supports my thesis.
Romans 1:19-20:
For what can be known about God is
plain to them, because God has shown it to them. Ever since the creation of the
world his invisible nature, namely, his eternal power and deity, has been
clearly perceived in the things that have been made.
Surah 2:164:
(To guide) those who use their reason
(to this Truth [of Allah’s sovereignty]) there are many Signs in the structure
of the heavens and the earth, in the constant alternation of night and day, in
the vessels which speed across the sea carrying goods that are of profit to
people, in the water which Allah sends down from the sky and thereby quickens
the earth after it was dead, and disperse over it all manner of animals, and in
the changing courses of the winds and the clouds pressed into service between heaven
and earth.
Surah 2:162:
If a man were to observe the constant
operation of this universe, reflect on it in a manner befitting a rational
being, and think about it without either stubbornness or bias, he would find
sufficient signs to convince him that this gigantic system is absolutely
subservient to the will of the Omnipotent and Wise Being, Who alone wields all
power and authority.
[http://islamicstudies.info/tafheem.php?sura=2&verse=164&to=167]
Of course, the many signs [of Allah’s
sovereignty] for those who “use their reason” are only discernible to those who
possess an accurate knowledge of how the natural world works and how it relates
to the lives of humans. As specified in Surah 162, people “must reflect on [the
constant operation of this universe] in a manner befitting a rational being,
and think about it without either stubbornness or bias”. In other words, only
those who observe objectively (without
personal feelings or opinions) the workings of nature can recognize the natural
order of life and the usefulness (value) to their own existence of everything that
surrounds them. This knowledge in particular points the way to the definitive
proof of God’s existence, as revealed in Chapter Two.
Also mentioned in the Koran, just as
in the Bible, Allah made the Sun and the Moon, the entire celestial sky, all
beings on the earth, the day and the night, the rivers, and whatever is in the
earth “subjected” to man. As with the Bible, the meaning in the original
language of the Koran (Classical Arabic, “tasxir”—“subjection”) implies that
these things exist alongside humans to sustain them. Humans were not to utilize
them as if man owned and could do with them whatsoever he wished.
[https://www.al-islam.org/enlightening-commentary-light-holy-quran-vol-8/section-1-signs-allah-nature]
As pointed out in Surah 162: “Moreover,
this system seems to be such as to rule out all possibility of any interference
from others whether independent of the Creator of the universe or in
partnership with Him. Since this One True God is the Lord of all creation and
none else is in possession of any power or authority, none is entitled to any share in His godhead or overlordship [emphasis
mine]”.
[http://islamicstudies.info/tafheem.php?sura=2&verse=164&to=167]
Nowadays, many people often
misinterpret the word, “dominion”, in the Bible, to mean they do have the
authority to treat the Earth howsoever they wish. Yet such an interpretation of
the Bible or the Koran is senseless; God would never suggest that people take
actions that would destroy the environment He created especially to feed,
clothe, and shelter them.
Nor does it make sense that God would
allow the suffering of creatures at the hands of man. What kind of example
would that set for the way people should behave? It is well known that people
who mistreat animals are highly likely to mistreat their fellow human beings.
As humanitarian Dr. Albert Schweitzer
wrote, “Anyone who has accustomed himself to regard the life of any living
creature as worthless is in danger of arriving also at the idea of worthless
human lives.” Robert K. Resslar, an FBI agent and author who developed
psychological profiles of serial killers, wrote that “Murderers…very often
start out by killing and torturing animals as kids.”
In Hinduism, on the other hand, every
creature—even an ant—is sacred because believers see God in all of creation, as
indeed everyone should, regardless of religious affiliation. Such reverence,
demonstrated by nonviolence to animals as well as humans, is in sharp contrast
to the manner in which many people in modern American and European society tend
to treat their fellow inhabitants of the planet.
Consider snakes. It is obvious from
popular culture that many, perhaps even a majority of, Americans greatly fear
and despise these animals, and that they kill them on sight. This attitude surprised
an Indian rheumatologist who treated my rheumatoid arthritis for a few years. Knowing
that I was a nature writer, he wondered why Americans were so afraid of snakes.
He told me how, in India, people revered these serpents because of the
environmental role they play in helping to limit rodent numbers. And therein
lies the crux of the matter.
In India, where people view wildlife
as being of God, and where they comprehend the importance of wildlife to their
own existence, they tend not to be afraid of nature. But, in America, most
folks are so removed from the natural world that they usually hardly notice it,
and they consider nature as possessing no, or very little, value to their lives.
Only when wildlife interferes with
their existence do folks give it much thought, and then only to get it removed because
they fear it, or find its presence inconvenient. Such views, of course, are
only possible if one does not understand the natural world—or God.
Shri Ramakrishna, said to be India’s
most influential religious reformer, spent his life (1836 to 1886)
contemplating God. Having practiced the spiritual disciplines of many different
religions, he concluded that all of them
were true and led to the same goal of communion with the same God [emphasis
mine]. He therefore saw all religions as harmonious, each providing us with
representations of one truth, with the differences between religions being due
simply to viewing the truth from a variety of perspectives.
The fact that the major religions of
the world reached the identical conclusions—that there is but one God, and that
nature is of great significance to human lives—furnishes the ultimate
validation of my thesis that a true (accurate) knowledge of nature reveals that
God exists.
Lastly, the people who best
understand the natural world—because their survival depends upon it—are
aboriginal groups living close to the land, as the American Indian once did. A
sampling of quotes from Native Americans illustrates their belief in one god whom
nature revealed.
Native American Wisdom
Edward S. Curtis, the photographer
renowned for his twenty-volume magnum opus completed in 1930, The North
American Indian, included text with his photographs that described folk
stories, religious rites, tribal histories, and songs. In 1994, Running Press
published a very small book (3.25 by 2.5 inches) called Native American
Wisdom, with some of Curtis’ photos and text that quotes “statements of
cultural value, beliefs, and attitudes from a number of Native Americans who
lived and experienced tribal life in the years between the Civil War and 1930.”
The inside cover of my pre-owned copy
of Native American Wisdom holds a birthday inscription from “Pop”, who
wrote, “There is much wisdom in this little book.” And so, I found, there
certainly is. Herewith, Native American quotes that fall right in line with the
idea of one God whose existence is obvious by way of the natural world.
From Eagle Chief [Letakots-Lesa] who lived in the late 19th
century and was a member of the Pawnee: In the beginning of all things, wisdom
and knowledge were with the animals, for Tirawa [the Pawnee tribe’s “father”
spirit], the One Above, did not speak directly to man. He sent certain
animals to tell men that he showed himself through the beasts, and that from
them, and from the stars and the sun and the moon should man learn…all things
tell of Tirawa [emphasis mine].
From Brave Buffalo (late 19th century), a Teton
Sioux medicine man: I have noticed in my life that all men have a liking for
some special animal, tree, plant, or spot of earth. If men would pay more
attention to these preferences and seek what is best to do in order to make
themselves worthy of that toward which they are so attracted, they might have
dreams which would purify their lives. Let a man decide upon his favorite
animal and make a study of it, learning its innocent ways. Let him learn to
understand its sounds and motions. The animals want to communicate with man,
but Wakantanka [the “great spirit” of the Dakota Indian tribe] does not
intend they shall do so directly—man must do the greater part in securing an
understanding [emphasis mine]. NOTE: This comment especially struck
a chord with me the moment I read it, as it describes exactly what led
me to my nature revelation.
From Lone Man [Isna la-wica] (late 19th century)
of the Teton Sioux—advice he received from a medicine man: If a man is to
succeed on the hunt or on the warpath, he must not be governed by his
inclination, but an understanding of the ways of animals and of his natural
surroundings, gained through close observation. The earth is large,
and on it live many animals. The earth is under the protection of something
which at times becomes visible to the eye [as it did to me].
From Chased-by-Bears (1843-1915) of the Santee-Yanktonai
Sioux: When a man does a piece of work which is admired by all we say that it
is wonderful; but when we see the changes of day and night, the sun, the moon,
and the stars in the sky, and the changing seasons upon the earth, with their
ripening fruits, anyone must realize that it is the work of someone more
powerful than man.
From Luther Standing Bear (1868?-1939), an Oglala Sioux chief:
Out of the Indian approach to life came a great freedom—an intense and
absorbing love of nature; a respect for life; enriching faith in a Supreme
Power [emphasis mine]; and principles of truth, honesty, generosity,
equity, and brotherhood as a guide to mundane relations.
From Gertrude Simmons Bonnin [Zitkala-Sa] (1876-1938) of the
Dakota Sioux: … the voice of the Great Spirit is heard in the twittering of
birds, the rippling of mighty waters, and the sweet breathing of flowers. If
this is Paganism, then at present, at least, I am a Pagan.
From Big Thunder [Bedagi], a Wabanaki Algonquin who lived in
the late 19th century: The Great Spirit is in all things; he is in
the air we breathe. The Great Spirit is our Father, but the earth is our
mother. She nourishes us; that which we put into the ground she returns to us…
From Mourning Dove [Christine Quintasket] (1888-1936), a
member of the Salish: …everything on the earth has a purpose, every disease an
herb to cure it, and every person a mission. This is the Indian theory of
existence.
From Wooden Leg (late 19th century) of the
Cheyenne: The old Indian teaching was that it is wrong to tear loose from its
place on the earth anything that may be growing there. It may be cut off, but
it should not be uprooted. The trees and the grass have spirits. Whatever one
of such growths may be destroyed by some good Indian, his act is done in
sadness and with a prayer for forgiveness because of his necessities…
From Luther Standing Bear (1868?-1939), an Oglala Sioux chief:
I am going to venture that the man who sat on the ground in his tipi meditating
on life and its meaning, accepting the kinship of all creatures, and
acknowledging unity with the universe of things was infusing into his being the
true essence of civilization [emphasis mine].
From Toohoohoolzote (mid-19th century), a Nez
Perce chief: When I shot any kind of bird, when I killed, I saw that the life
went out with its blood. This taught me for what purpose I am here. I came into
this world to die. My body is only to hold a spirit life [emphasis mine;
it’s how I felt when my mother died, which I’ve written about in the Epilogue].
From Seattle [Seatlh] (1786-1866), a Suquamish chief: There
is no death. Only a change of worlds.
From Chased-by-Bears (1843-1915) of the Santee-Yanktonai
Sioux: It is the general belief of the Indians that after a man dies his spirit
is somewhere on earth or in the sky, we do not know exactly where, but we are
sure that his spirit still lives…So it is with Wakantanka [the “great spirit”
of the Dakota Indian tribe]. We believe that he is everywhere, yet he is to us
as the spirits of our friends, whose voices we cannot hear.
From Black Elk, a Wichasha [Holy Man] of the Oglala Lakota:
We should understand that all things are the work of the Great Spirit. We
should know the Great Spirit is within all things: the trees, the grasses, the
rivers, the mountains, and the four-legged and winged peoples…When we understand
all this deeply in our hearts, we will love and know the Great Spirit, and then
we will be and act and live as the Great Spirit intends.
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| “Walk tall as the trees, live strong as the mountains, be gentle as the spring winds, keep the warmth of the summer sun in your heart and the Great Spirit will always be with you.” [Native American proverb] |
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