Society is partly divided into those persons who, for lack of better identification, may be termed the intellectuals, and those that may be termed the naturalists. Both terms are here used as I would define them, and there is no desire to make one group valued higher than the other – both are needed in society. Every person is something of both orientations. Intellectuals may or may not be scholars or even consistent, and naturalists may or may not be anti-intellectual or inconsistent naturalists. Those who orient to intellectual factors (formal education, cerebral methodologies, logic) to dominate significantly their lives, understanding, and work with appropriate analysis of that which they have to do, are the intellectuals. They are, when consistent, guarded and guided by studied facts that are fitted together into what is happening in life and creation, and by which nature presumes to function. Commonly, these persons mean to function using cognitive skills.
The naturalists find greater satisfaction in physical expression, perhaps also more emotional. They may have potential for becoming scholars and may use the intellectual modus operandi for much of what they do. Significant crossovers are found in doctors, lawyers, space pilots and the like, where intellectual activity is vital to effectiveness. But they find that physical activity may be more to their liking. The naturalists may become carpenters (like Joseph, husband of Mary), manufacturers (like Henry Ford) or truck drivers, or some other physical occupation. These are occupations more appealing than patterns to studied conclusions. One of my grandsons quit college during his senior year because he preferred being a salesman. He is doing well. My stepfather complained to my mother that my interest in ideas, books, education and Christian ministry were not legitimate work for making a living. He spent his whole life moving products of the Quaker Oats Company from one part of the building to another, or to a railroad car. That was what he wanted to do. It would not have occurred to him that he might make his living as a teacher, a researcher, a professional relying on ideas and authority to guide interests and activity.
We are told that there is underlying unhappiness in people. Thoreau wrote about, the mass of men and their lives of quiet desperation. About the human condition, the world of psychologists, writers, philosophers, and that fraternity suggest that no matter how happy persons may become, they ought to be happier. Rejecting the concepts of sin (it must be religious business, they say) the reader is informed about human weaknesses, shortcomings, contradictions, frailties, or peccadillos. The root word for peccadillo is sin. One wonders if the scholars might not give some attention to sin if a new word might be found for the English. Sin as a word is felt to be insulting. For the Christian, sin is a hard fact to be dealt with differently than mere insult. Often the intellectual is somewhat arrogant in making accusation of the heart person who is presumed to find values in emotions, love, physical activity and life experience. The nature person finds the egg-head, a beyond life reality person, dealing with ephemeral elements and nature’s forces. Often, faith persons seem not to know what to say about all this. The balanced person finds comfort ultimately in reference to faith as recourse that God meets needs – truth, forgiveness, virtue, love and emotions as life tools. Wise persons identify self to both mind and nature, for life and death – to life. We are relieved when we permit language to help us along, without too great emotionalism for either sin (spiritual disease), or cancer (physical disease). If sin is understood as a spiritual disease, and dealt with by the resources given by Christ’s healing we will do well, without being perceived as fanciful. We can hold faith for life wholeness. *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020