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NATURAL
ALANLEVINOVITZ
£20, PROFILE BOOKS, OUT NOW
Asfearsaboutcoronavirusand
climatechangeintensify,it’seasy
tofeellikewearebeingpunished
bynatureforourunnatural
activities.Denseurbancentres,
aninterconnectedglobe,high
population,overconsumption...
isn’ttheproblemthatweare
driftingtoofarfrom how nature
wantsustolive?
Butframingourproblems,and
theirsolutions,asnaturalvs
unnaturalis counterproductive
anddangerous,justasit has
alwaysbeen.InNatural, readers
willseehowthisapproachis
religious,notscientific,by
substitutingnatureforGod and
‘natural’for‘holy’.The
anti-vaccinationmovement,
condemnationofunnatural
sexuality,deadlypursuitof
naturalcancercures,thebelief
thata raceora gendercanbe
naturally inferior – all are
justifiedbyappealingtoMother
Nature’scommandments.
Nowmorethanever,weneed
toliveinharmonywiththe
naturalworld,preservingand
protectingit.Yetwemustdoso
withoutgivingintothisdisguised
fanaticism.Fortunately,it is
possibletolovenaturewithout
worshippingit.Ona journeythat
takesreadersfromtherainforest
toa naturalbodybuilding
competition,Naturalshowsus
thedangersofthisreligionin
disguise,andwhy we must
abandon it.
byALAN
LEVINOVITZ
(@AlanLevinovitz)
Ascholarofreligion,Alanteachesat
JamesMadisonUniversityandhas
writtenforWired,Vox and others.
WRITERS’ CIRCLE
Authorstelluswhytheirbookshouldbe at the
top of your reading list this month...
EDITOR’S
CHOICE