In a reply to a post by jensy regarding an sop, EF_Kevin says:
Also, don't capitalize "nature."
Why not? The only reason we don't capitalize Nature is that Christian clerics have long maintained a proscription on so doing in the interest of stamping out pagan Nature worship. There is no place for such antiquated bigotry in modern scientific literature. Nature is a proper noun, and as such it should be capitalized. It also makes good sense in the interest of distinguishing the name Nature from the noun 'nature,' as in 'the nature of Nature.'
David Laing
Stockton Springs, Maine
Alright, good point. I didn't mean to be irreverent to Nature. But my religion is based on Meditation, so from now on I want everyone to capitalize Meditation!
Also, I know someone who says money is his religion, so let's capitalize that, too! And let's capitalize "Dam" when talking about a Beaver Dam, because it is part of nature, but let's not capitalize it when referring to man-made dams. :-)
Your post here inspired me to do some research... I could not find dictionaries that listed Nature as a proper noun, but I found this excellent explanation for the word and its use:
languagestudy.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_origin_of_the_word_nature
My advice about not capitalizing Nature in a SOP was not driven by a desire to oppress Pagans!! I guess I still believe that, unless a SOP is specifically about the celebration of nature, it is better not to capitalize it, lest the reader think you are confused rather than an advocate for Nature-based spirituality.
So, if your religion is based on Nature, you sure should capitalize it. Mine is, I suppose, so I'll follow your advice and capitalize the word!!
