Truth and Faith

Natural Religion

In contemporary philosophy, natural religion refers to the project of using the cognitive faculties that are “natural” to human beings -- reason, sense-perception, introspection -- to investigate religious or theological matters.

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

Abraham as … Logician

Rabbi Hiyya taught: Terah [Abraham's father] was a worshipper of idols. One time he had to travel to a place, and he left Abraham in charge of his store. When a person would come in to buy idols, Abraham would ask: How old are you? The customer would reply: fifty or sixty. Abraham would then respond: Woe to the person who is sixty years old and worships something made today -- the customer would be embarrassed, and would leave.

A customer entered carrying a dish full of flour. She said to him: this is for you, offer it before these idols. Abraham took a club in his hands and broke all of the idols, and placed the club in the hands of the biggest idol. When his father returned, he asked: who did all of this? Abraham replied: I can't hide it from you -- a customer came carrying a dish of flour and told me to offer it before the idols. I did, and one of them said 'I will eat it first,' and another said 'I will eat it first.' The biggest one rose, took a club, and smashed the rest of them. Terah said: what, do you think you can trick me? They don't have cognition! Abraham said: Do your ears hear what your mouth is saying?

Bereshit Rabbah 38:13 (c. 400 CE, Land of Israel)

… Naturalist

And Abram saw the sun shining upon the earth, and Abram said unto himself: “Surely now this sun that shines upon the earth is God, whom I shall serve.” And Abram served the sun in that day and he prayed to it, and when evening came the sun set as usual, and Abram said within himself, “Surely this cannot be God.” And night darkened over him, and he lifted up his eyes toward the west, north, south, and east, and he saw that the sun had vanished from the earth, and the day became dark. And Abram saw the stars and moon before him, and he said, “Surely the moon is the God who created the whole earth as well as humankind, and behold these stars are God’s servants.” And Abram served the moon and prayed to it all that night. And in the morning when it was light and the sun shone upon the earth as usual. And Abram said, “Neither the sun nor the moon is God. God must be the One Who created them all.”

Sefer HaYashar 9:13-19 (c. 1100 CE, Italy)

… Ethicist

Rabbi Yitzhak taught: Abraham may be compared to a person who is traveling from place to place when suddenly he saw a blazing palace. The traveler wondered: “Is it possible that this palace has no caretaker?” Then, the Caretaker of the palace appeared and said, “I am the Caretaker of this palace.” Similarly, did God say to Abraham: “Lech l’cha -- go forth…”

Bereshit Rabbah 39:1 (c. 400 CE, Land of Israel)