Why do we like Nature? Is it a Conspiracy?

No, it is not a conspiracy.

Do you know why we like nature? Have you ever wondered why? People often say all the time that they like animals more than people. But do they every really think about why that is? The easy answer is that animals are not evil, and we know this instinctively. We might fear nature, and even many animals, but we still like it. In fact we even love nature, we just don't say it like that. We say, “I love my dog or cat.” Or we might say, “Wow, I just love growing roses, bird watching, or some other nature related activity. Even psychologists recommend that we get away sometimes to a park or the beach to “clear our minds” or to “center ourselves”. Well, their close to the truth, but they have still missed a lot.

It's not a mystery why we all like nature. It's also not a mystery why doctors say that being in a natural environment is a good thing. and the reason that we do is because it is good. That's right, nature is good, just as God said it is. He made the entire world and then said, “It is good”, and that is exactly what it is, and that is exactly why we like it.

When people take vacations it is often to go to the beach, snow skiing, or camping. We want to get away to nature, or somewhere close to it. The ideal “living spot” in almost any culture is to have a home with a view, somewhere in some natural, exotic environment.

But there is more to this desire of ours than most people understand. They don't know why we like nature so much, not the real reason anyway. It is quiet they might say, or, I like the sounds of the waves or the birds. But is that really it? Of course not. We like, crave, and even need nature because it is from God and we know that it is good. What is it that we are getting away from, when we go to nature on vacation? It is other people, that's what. And why do we feel the need to get away from them? It is because they are evil. It is no wonder that the people who most often want to “get away” to nature are often the ones who are slap dab in the middle of places that are surrounded by evil people. Big business, law enforcement, hospitals, large retail, are filled with evil doers, and so, many of the people who work in these environments constantly want to “get away” to nature. They often have those other once a month type hobbies of fishing, camping, or boating, on the weekends as well.

We want to get away from evil and we want to go towards what is good. This is why we like nature. This is why we have pets. We are made in the image of God and we like what he has made that is good. We like this because it brings us closer to God. This is what “centering yourself” is all about, even those who practice this often don't realize it themselves. “Centering” is just a new age term for “getting close to God” without using his name. Otherwise anything could be called centering if God were not the goal. I could claim that eating a jelly doughnut is “centering myself” if what I was after was the jelly center of the doughnut. But no, I'm sorry, I don't think eating a jelly doughnut brings you any closer to God.

So yes, we like nature because we are made in the image of God and God made the world. We like nature because it makes us feel closer to God being surrounded by his “Good creations.”

[edit on 28-1-2010 by Hot_Wings]

reply to post by Hot_Wings


Yes! Good luck with this thread - it will not appeal to the warmongers or the boys.

You have spoken the truth.

Very insightful....I actually like nature because I loathe most humans. You made it sound more pretty though. Star for you.

Yeah i kind of agree with you...

I think that it’s more of a case that we just long to be back to that which is most natural... We are packed in to concrete jungles of tall buildings, constant noise, and bright lights even at night when our natural body clock is telling us to sleep.

Sensory overload and claustrophobia is something that all those in a city suffer from to one degree or another.

Being with nature certainly does make me feel closer to God... and I suppose that City’s are inherently evil places full of corruption, crime, drug etc... But city’s also have good points... The hospitals that you mention have nurses, working for next to nothing, saving lives and helping people... Firemen who risk their lives everyday... Teachers... carpenters... care workers etc...

There are many good people who live and work in the city... they are not all evil

But i know what you mean... I do not like city life and am currently trying to escape it!


[edit on 28-1-2010 by Muckster]

Originally posted by learningtofly
reply to post by Hot_Wings

 

Yes! Good luck with this thread - it will not appeal to the warmongers or the boys.

You have spoken the truth.

Uhm,because the "boys" are...?lol wow...


To the OP:
I wont go as far as mentioning God or whatever.I'll just tell you my personal thoughts.
I have no idea about that "centering" thing but i agree with what you've said.
I want to describe nature with one word,innocence.That's it.

Now,about us and our connection with nature...i'm not so sure.It's more like,we're semi-connected with it.We want it and not,we love it and destroy it,we admire it and still,there's a very,very small minority of people on this planet who maybe even loath it...!
I don't know,it's just seems to me that just the half of ourselves belong to it and i'm not trying to turn this in anything metaphysical.I don't mean anything like that.
I guess i'm just pointing out what i see.I don't know.

I love nature, even though I know next to nothing about it. Every new bird I see, every different flower, fruit, etc., amazes me and fills me with wonderment at God's creation. I have the good fortune to live near some hilly areas, and every chance I get, I go out hiking. It is like having a gallery open to you, with the most amazing art ever .


I really don't get some religious groups' subtle abhorrence for nature. They make the excuse "God has planned everything and created everything, so it is going against God's will to try and 'save' nature. This just makes no sense to me. If pushed, I might say it is a reactionary element to more 'nature' based religions.

We like nature because we are part of it (animals) and totally dependent on it for our survival. Nothing to do with God, just the interconnected nature of life and its survival.

This is why I love nature

I don't like nature and I don't like vacations. Then again, since I have a family, I have to take them somewhere out of the country every now and then like in Europe, Japan, anywhere as long as it's a modern city just for the sake of taking a "vacation/trip". I definitely don't want to go camping, go to beaches, or anything that's nature oriented. It's an alienating and messy place for me.

My nature is the city.

reply to post by Unregistered


Well i think you will find you are in the minority... although i would say that minority is growing.

I know someone who is actually scared of birds!!! Can you believe that!!!

City dwellers are such a bunch of soft pampered naturephobes



Seriously... find a local forest and go for a walk... doesn’t matter what time of year it is... it’s a beautiful sight.

As long as you are prepared and have the correct clothing for the time of year nature can be enjoyed by all

Originally posted by ventian
Very insightful....I actually like nature because I loathe most humans. You made it sound more pretty though. Star for you.

star! I couldnt agree more. I would love to have a cabin in the woods where I could go without seeing anyone for a few months each year.

I used to think I was a misanthrope but now thanks to this thread I know that its natural!

reply to post by Muckster


Birds? Maybe it's because of the movie called "Birds" or something. It's old. Maybe nobody here remembers it anymore.

I guess you can call me a "naturephobe".

Unfortunately, it's way too late for me to venture in the great outdoors. I'm old. Modern society is successful in making me perpetually dependent to it. In other words - I can't live without it. I guess I just got used to all the hustle and bustle of life that I actually feel uncomfortable when I'm away from all the chaos except when it's sleep-time of course.

reply to post by Unregistered


I remember Birds... Hitchcock classic

Fair enough though... if it’s not for you, its not for you

Final attempt... What about a local park that’s in the city?? Would that not be a nice compromise to start you off??

You’re never too old my friend!!


[edit on 28-1-2010 by Muckster]

reply to post by Unregistered


That is one of the saddest things I've ever heard unregistered. You are in denial of the very thing that gave you life. So. let me get this right - you don't like birdsongs or sunsets or snowstorms? You see no grace in a deer running or the hand of God in the growth of a flower? If true, then I would have to ask - are a christian dominionist?

I have to admit I admire your honesty about this. We both know many people would give you a hard time about it.

[edit on 28-1-2010 by Asktheanimals]

It is other people, that's what. And why do we feel the need to get away from them? It is because they are evil.

We are made in the image of God and we like what he has made that is good.

So, God is evil? I mean, if we are evil...and we are made in his image and all....

Maybe we simply like nature because we are, for all of our constructs and advances, still living, breathing animals, conditioned to like surroundings that are most beneficial to our bodies?

reply to post by Hot_Wings


We were given authority over animals which are a major part of nature if not the essence of nature itself.

Understanding the beauty in nature is understanding the beauty that God sees in us. Nature can be both good and bad in many ways, the difference between us and animals is that we have a choice in how we act. We can use that choice to influence other people as well as nature itself hence why we control nature yet we struggle to control ourselves.

You speak as if running off to nature is getting away from it all, taking care of nature is returning to a part of it all.

The world is full of lies that have become accepted as truth.

A lot of what you say is true yet many will not accept it and if they do it is rarely for the right reasons.

[edit on 28-1-2010 by XXXN3O]

reply to post by Muckster


Your right, not all people are evil. I was wrong not to state this. And I appreciate that you and many others agree with my sentiments. They are very common.

To Unregistered,

I understand your sentiments. There are many who loath the outdoors and nature. However, if many of them are pressed further, as you have been, then they will eventually admit, as you have, a fear of nature and the outdoors. They often mention the fact that nature is unforgiving, ruthless, and cruel. The often point to the insects of this world and endeavor to demonstrate that many creatures of this sort cannot be domesticated as dogs and cats can be.

But this fear of nature is also related to God. For what we fear, above all, is death, and those who truly fear nature fear it so because of the increased possibility of death. I do not mean to say that we should be foolish with our lives, of course not. Steve Erwin was foolish to the Nth degree with nature and he paid the ultimate price for it. We are not to be this way. But to be the opposite, fearful of nature and avoiding any contact with what it good is also wrong.

As Dr. Charles Stanley states, “The command, Fear Not, appears in the Bible more frequently than any other command.” This is because fear is such a crippling and debilitating negative force in our lives. If you fear nature, bodily harm, and death, then most certainly you are only human. But if you fear these things such that you will not go and do or live what is good, then you are traveling down the path of darkness and not the path of light. If you wish to combat this fear then one thing above all will help you, and that is getting closer to God.

When you become closer to God then you become farther away from the world. You will fear the world less because you will love God more than you fear the world. Instead of fearing death, you will long for association with God and his chosen ones.

Death is inevitable. Life with God is a choice. I pray that we all make the right choice.