Walden: Economy

I actually really enjoyed reading Thoreau's Economy chapter of Walden. It was written in a way that was much easier to understand and comprehend quickly, where as reading Emerson was more difficult. I definitely felt like I could understand Thoreau's meaning in his writing much more easily. However, there was one section that really caught me in this chapter. It's right at the end of the chapter, on page 885. Thoreau states,

"Our manners have been corrupted by communication with the saints. Our hymn-books resound with a melodious cursing of God and enduring him forever. One would say that even the prophets and redeemers had rather consoled the fears than confirmed the hopes of man. There is nowhere recorded a simple and irrepressible satisfactions with the gift of life, any memorable praise of God."

This really struck me. Throughout the chapter, and in many writings of this time, spirituality is given a very high importance. One of the reasons Thoreau lived in the wilderness alone was to experience the spirituality in nature. It is very curious to me then, that he would make such a harsh statement about God, how our hymns curse Him, and no one has ever really given memorable praise to Him. Has no one ever then actually experienced true life and therefore cannot adequately thank God for it? Or is God not actually an aspect of spirituality; only through nature do we find spirituality? Does our praise really curse God? It raised a lot of questions in my mind; I just found this passage very interesting because of the earlier emphasis of spirituality in Thoreau's writing. It definitely brings the question of Thoreau's definition of spirituality to my mind. Maybe others had similar or different questions or possibly answers to the questions I raised, I don't know. I do know that it's very interesting to think about.