I am often asked how supernatural things apply to natural things. This is especially a delicate question when applied to religion, philosophy and to principles that don’t have something physical for us to go by except for the things people write. But we can put ideas into simple albeit general terms to organize them and give insight that makes sense.

Let’s say we have a room that is dusty and we can all see it needs to be dusted. Dust takes away from the beauty of the room and is also unsanitary. We can approach it with belief in the supernatural and say that dust fairies caused it and elves will clean it up. When we go beyond what can be seen and proven, we see that it is ineffectual in solving the problem. It may be due to the character of the owner and that he is lazy or is too busy. It could be that the environment is bad such as having a busy dirt road close by. A window might need to be closed; a filtration system installed or it might just need occasional cleaning. The person might need to hire a maid being too busy. The point is that with a little practical study, the cause and solution can easily be found and when we spiritualize it, the solutions become complicated. Did we make the dust fairies mad? In what way do the elves want paid? These questions distract from real solutions.

There might be a supernatural explanation too however. If the owner has anxiety about the future and is doing things to appease their anxiety rather than fixing the problem, they would need something to put their mind at ease. Decisions and actions made out of anxiety tend to be poor ones and a person can get tunnel vision. They would need an epiphany  to redirect them and a way to keep peace in their soul. This would be a proper application of the gospel: Letting someone know that God loves them and went to great lengths to guarantee them a place in heaven is a means to settle anxieties about existence and death. But the room will still need dusted; a natural cause and solution will need to be found.

When supernatural ideas are applied toward natural issues in the wrong way, a door is opened for manipulation. People get a bad taste for religion because it has been used to produce dependency. Religious leaders can put conditions on reaching heaven or having a good experience there and then hold people hostage to them. They enrich themselves through the anxieties of others and therefore teach things that produce more of it. It is important not to limit people from finding ways to feel peaceful about their existence. And people should apply relevance to their own natural lives. But we can’t allow a few people to force their own revelations on everyone else because of the above principles. It complicates finding real solutions and gives room for manipulation. Having the proper separation of secular things  from religious things is as important in personal matters as it is in government.

When we study ethics or the study of being good toward ourselves and others, it doesn’t need to have a supernatural motive. We see that good behavior is reciprocated and if it isn’t we still feel good about ourselves by doing right. With finances, there are principles with budgets and also environmental conditions that are advantageous to possessing wealth. Riches are when a person’s needs are met and wealth is what comes above and beyond that. Our definition of riches will effect our satisfaction. To those anxious about the future, being settled on eternity is one of the greatest riches to have, but you still have to work to eat.  Health is another form of riches and so is having good relationships. To say that focusing on natural good can only take away from spiritual things is for those who are using the wrong application. If we let good stand on it’s own and endorse it while respecting the right of others to put their own spiritual relevance to life, we build a good culture.