Natural Religion vs. Revealed Religion: Core Differences
Natural Religion vs. Revealed Religion
Religion: Revealed and Natural
Revelation is a divine manifestation; God reveals and communicates hidden and sacred truths to humans. God establishes the Decalogue, which is a behavior taken by the divinity that reveals his will for man. All religions based on some kind of revelation are called “Revealed Religions” (RR), such as Islam and Christianity.
Rousseau states that traits about RR are:
- They emphasize particularism, an inherent element in any expression of revealed religion. Particularism is the opposite of the universality pursued by Natural Religion (NR). It stresses the importance of ceremonial and folk elements, making virtue and happiness impossible for those who do not belong to that culture.
- As Rousseau confirms, individuals would condemn ignorance, which is involuntary and not attributable to the subject who suffers it.
Particularism is linked to a certain intellectual conception of virtue. Furthermore, particularism includes ethnocentrism, bigotry, and intolerance.
- Ethnocentrism involves taking one’s own culture as a vantage point, unquestionable in any consideration. This emphasizes purely ceremonial aspects, elaborating on the differences over the common elements of the various revelations.
- This explains the strong link between different RRs and bigoted, intolerant attitudes. The opposing elements make all RRs consider themselves custodians of an absolute and unquestionable truth, and other heresies are condemned and prosecuted.
Tolerance underlines everything that might be common among different faiths. It can only be reached when we question the proper attitude of the fanatic, which is accepting all dogmas of religion anarchically.
Clearly, the fanatic’s attitude is behind all religious conflicts. Monotheisms have been characterized as far more inclined to fanaticism than any pagan religion.
RR is a form of religion that depends on a given supernatural revelation and is expressed in sacred books. NR intends to overcome the intolerance that is a direct consequence of the fanatical interpretation of RR, rescuing several common elements that lead to contrary notions. These notions are the universe, cultural relativism, and tolerance.
Rousseau’s View on Universal Worship
When Rousseau points to uniform worship, he relates to a universal religion. This cult removes all types of intermediaries between man and God. It counters the fundamentalist perspective that considers all the special aspects of the doctrine, even affirming the need to pray aloud to talk with God. NR stresses the autonomy of conscience against slavery and arbitrary revealed rituals.
If we seek elements common to various disclosures, it is necessary to dispense with those aspects linked to the cultural field. Only if we make an effort to find those common elements can we build bridges between different RRs. NR provides the essence of religion; it is something we can identify with specific cultural and circumstantial elements.
Cultural Relativism vs. Moral Relativism
The fact that Rousseau is a cultural relativist should not make us think he is also a moral relativist. Moral relativism holds that there can be nothing like a universal code of conduct applicable to all men. This downplays the importance that Rousseau may have for cultural heritage, but he says this is not enough for moral values. With this last expression, he refers to the fact that Rousseau believes consciousness is capable of challenging even the principles we have been taught since childhood. Conscience is a principle that goes beyond one’s own culture.
Moral Universalism and the Sacred Books
The moral universalism of NR intercepts the common element of RR as a code of conduct applicable to all men. Sacred books should not be designed primarily for theoretical exhibitions that serve as a source for an interpretation and explanation of the world. In reality, it is essential to transmit a series of provisions that ensure virtue and happiness.
Consequences for Religious Coexistence
This has the immediate consequence of peaceful and tolerant coexistence between different religious confessions, assuming a clear separation between church and state.
NR as a Universal Form of Religion
NR is a universal form of religion, common to all human beings, that accepts the existence of a God who has made us able to be virtuous and happy. Its foundations are in consciousness and inner feeling. It is required to maintain a universal religion.