BBC Focus - 04.2020_

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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...

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