Natural Religion and Revealed Religion

Digging once again into the topic of origins, particularly as mankind is concerned, found myself contemplating the dichotomy of religion today. With so many of us (including myself) having grown up or simply "lived within" a culture formed or at least framed by a "revealed" religion, it might be important, to consider the alternative(s) as well as some historical perspective.

To start with, here is Thomas Paine on the matter of revealed religion:

The most detestable wickedness, the most horrid cruelties, and the greatest
miseries, that have afflicted the human race have had their origin in this thing
called revelation, or revealed religion. ... Whence arose all the horrid
assassinations of whole nations of men, women, and infants, with which the Bible
is filled; and the bloody persecutions, and tortures unto death and religious
wars, that since that time have laid Europe in blood and ashes; whence arose
they, but from this impious thing called revealed religion, and this monstrous
belief that God has spoken to man?...

And on the impossibility of "Natural Religion" according to (a very young)
William Blake comes this bit of aphoristic poetry:

The Argument [a]

Man has no notion of moral
fitness but from Education.
Naturally he is only a natu-
ral organ subject to Sense.


I
Man cannot naturally Per-
ceive, but through his natural
or bodily organs


II
Man by his reason-
ing power. can only
compare & judge of
what he has already
perceiv'd.


III
From a perception of
only 3 senses or 3 ele
-ments none could de-
-duce a fourth or fifth


IV
None could have other
than natural or organic
thoughts if he had none
but organic perceptions


V
Mans desires are
limited by his percepti
ons. none can de-
-sire what he has not
prceiv'd


VI
The desires & percepti-
-ons of man untaught by
any thing but organs of
sense, must be limited
to objects of sense.


There is No Natural Religion [b]

I
Man's percepti-
-ons are not bound
-ed by organs of
perception. he per-
-ceives more than
sense (tho' ever
so acute) can
discover


II
Reason or the ra-
-tio of all we have
already known is
not the same that
it shall be when
we know more

III. [This proposition is missing.]


IV
The bounded is
loathed by its pos-
-sessor.The same
dull round even
of the univer[s]e, would
soon become a
mill with complica-
-ted wheels.


V
If the many bec-
-ome the same as
the few, when pos-
-sess'd, More! More!
is the cry of a mista-
-ken soul, less than
All cannot satisfy
Man


VI
If any could de-
-sire what he is in-
-capable of posses-
sing, despair must
be his eternal
lot


VII
The desire of
Man being Infi-
-nite the possession
is Infinite and him-
-self Infinite

Application

He who sees the
Infinite in all things
sees God. He who
sees the Ratio only
sees himself only


Conclusion

If it were not for the
Poetic or Prophetic
character,
the Philosophic and Experimental
would soon be
at the ratio of all
things, & stand still,
unable to do other
than repeat the same
dull round over a-
-gain


Therefore
God becomes as
we are, that we
may be as he
is . . .

In other words, infers Blake, God is mostly mystery and becomes [God] as we become [good].

And thank the poet and/or "prophetic character" for ever leading us onward!

For yet more reflection, comes a philosophical work by the noteworthy Scottish philosopher, David Hume, in the form of his "Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion."

Modern Year (My) Conclusion:

Perhaps a revealed/natural fusion shall come about - soon - whether through some mysterious or possibly well understood process, whereby the one shall simply disappear and/or become a part of the other - as Thomas Aquinas and so many others have mused throughout the centuries.

So be it.