The distinction between God’s natural and supernatural knowledge and between grace and nature has been the subject of intense debate among Catholic theologians. Many believe that where God is, there is no place for wildlife and scientific knowledge; it can be known only through faith. However, after analyzing the literature on this topic, the conclusion arises that the presence of God is mediated by nature.
The first proof of the connection between God and nature is that its creator is necessary for the universe to exist, and it is not enough to create matter out of nothing. The process of its development is also subject to certain laws. Without natural laws, matter at creation would be in a state of chaos; its particles would float in black outer space without any electrical or chemical connection between themselves. However, even after creation, the universe exists in an orderly and organized manner, and this must have a basis on the corresponding mathematical equations discovered by scientists, where numerical values reflect their exact strength when planning all matter in the Universe.
A little more gravity would lead to the instability of stars like our Sun — those of them that are 1.4 times the mass of the Sun, they would burn up too quickly. But if the force of attraction were a little less, then only a small luminary would be formed, weighing only 0.8 of the mass of our Sun, which would exclude the existence of heavy elements necessary for the origin of life. But even without going into such complex examples, it is enough for the reader to know that the Universe is based on precise mathematical laws, not on accidents, and the structure of the Universe provides additional scientific evidence of the Creator’s reality.
In a broad sense, Catholicism’s interpretation of ecology and the natural environment coincides with the generally accepted one. Ecology is the doctrine of the “home”, which is the world; since man develops this science for the sake of man, it should have as its subject the diverse and necessary conditions of human existence in this “home”. According to the modern Catholic concept, the “house” is given to man by the Creator and given to him for further civilizational activities for the reasonable transformation of the natural environment. Unfortunately, man caused a lot of negative consequences with his civilizational activity. Enriching the natural environment with many things that do not exist in nature, he simultaneously deprived it of its original harmony and primordial elements necessary for life: clean water, clean air, uninfected soil, etc. These “elements” determine a person’s normal life as a species, the quality of his existence on Earth.
Thomas Aquinas, an indisputable authority for modern Catholic philosophers, interpreted all the laws of the world as specific manifestations of one divine law in the work Summa theology. He acts as the will of God and is eternal and unchangeable, just like God himself. All created beings obey this law or right. However, man’s attitude to eternal law is quite special. As a rational being, he must first know what the divine right requires of him and act in accordance with its requirements. Due to the presence of consciousness and the ability to cognize, a person “reads” the eternal right of God written in his nature (St. Thomas Aquinas, chapters 1-9). Actually, this right, objective but conscious and perceived by the subject, acts as a natural right – the God-given order of existence and development of the material world and man.
Moreover, the creation of nature by the Creator is described in detail in the scriptures themselves. Thus, God first created the sky and the earth, then saw the light and created darkness. Consequently, it became known as day and night, and there was a changeability of the time of day. Man is the only creature on earth that God has desired for his own sake. Of all material beings, only man can know and love his Creator. Man is called by knowledge and loves to participate in the life of God. He was created for this purpose, and this is the basis of his dignity (Old Testament). Consequently, man is created as a part of nature, proving the continuous connection between reality and the Creator.
Moreover, human nature has some divine qualities: example, compassion, kindness, love, mercy, the desire to help your neighbor, and sacrifice. The Bible teaches us that we must preserve and, if possible, multiply our positive character traits to become closer to God. Our qualities responsible for conscience, morality, and morality are given primarily by God. Furthermore, all these qualities are inextricably linked with human nature. Therefore, we can conclude that God has a direct relationship with nature and reality.
It is known that Jesus had the ability to heal other people. The Gospel of Matthew describes in detail how Jesus performs miracles of healing and gives people food for survival. Therefore, God is aware of the problems of mortal people, thirst, hunger, and diseases (An Overview of Matthew). This is another proof of God’s involvement in human nature and reality and recognizes the Almighty as the creator of all processes on planet Earth, including the work of the human body.
By way of conclusion, it is important to note once again that various religious teachings describe the continuous connection of nature with God. Moreover, the divine principle is in every person since all people are created in the divine image and likeness. Examples provide proof of this statement from the Gospel of Matthew, the Old Testament, and the work of Thomas Aquinas.
References
Old Testament. Genesis 1-4. The Creation of the World. St. Thomas Aquinas. Summa Contra Gentiles. An Overview of Matthew. The Bible Project.