Jason Martin "It's sort of what we have instead of God"

"It's sort of what we have instead of God" this remark from a Hemmingway novel by a charcter named Ashley, leads off John Gatta's Introduction in Making Nature Sacred. This struck me as kind of awkward for two reasons; number one when the phrase sort of is placed in that sentnce it makes me wonder, why sort of, it either is or isnt your escape; and for reason number two, what does she mean "instead of God". What is more important than God, and if she decided to speak why is Nature what she has instead of God. God is Nature, and Nature is God. What a horrible introduction quote, John Gatta shouldnt speak of relating God to Nature, and start the book with a line that makes nature sound like a substitute for religion. I highly doubt that ones interaction with forests, fields, river valleys, and mountains are on God's checklist to entr heaven. All im saying is, if i wasnt asked to read this in class, the book would have been put down right then and there. Perhaps Gatta should be a little more careful with his opening introduction paragraph.