Spiritual but not Religious, and Atheist
What does it mean to be Spiritual but not Religious,as several persons here on CS claim they are?
What is an Atheist?
What does the term “God” signify to you?
Is it an anthropomorphism as taught by religion?
anthropomorphism
- “the attribution of human characteristics or behaviour to a god, animal, or object”.
George Bernard Shaw said:
“The Bible says that God created man in his own image,
and man has been returning the favour ever since.”
Without resorting to anthropomorphism, do you think that there is some overriding principle, order or phenomenon that governs everything in the cosmos, and that one can have a personal direct awareness of this phenomenon, independent of the teachings of any religion?
Some may refer to it as a divine or supreme power, force, or even spirit.
This awareness can be experienced through a closeness to Nature, or through meditation.
Is it possible that such persons can be categorised as “spiritual but not religious”?
In addition, is it possible that an atheist who has abandoned the concept of God as an anthropomorphism, can also have a direct awareness of this phenomenon?
I know that several persons on CS claim to be atheists.
If you are such a person, in view of the points mentioned above, could you please share with us, the basis of your claim of being an atheist?
Also, if you claim to be “spiritual but not religious”, could you please share with us the basis of your claim?
Thanks for your input!
Open discussion welcome!
Comments (29)
I ve known a few very dishonest people who claimed to be religious, didn t want to go there, or be there. I do believe in being an honest, caring , helpful person, is that being spiritual, or religious. Maybe my beliefs are my own ,personal religion.
There are four basic possibilities.
The universe is eternally self existent. It had no beginning; it will have no end.
(Atheistic)
It is self-created; it brought itself into existence.
(Atheistic)
The universe was brought into existence by a force or cause outside and independent of itself.
(Theistic)
The universe doesn't exist. You, reading this, are some entity experiencing an illusion/delusion.
(Basically "kicks the can down the road", as it can offer no explanation for the existence of the "entity".)
Will get back to you later as my horses are waiting now.
For me, I'm not a believer. The stories propagated by religious institutions simply make no logical sense to me and frankly, the atrocities and hypocrisy in the name of religion enrage me.
Would be like living in a Box,
you are close to the Spiritual concept....I still want fill in little more....from Astrological point of view,the moment you are born is how your personality and your lifespan is going to be and it means,that whole the Universe is like in a snapshot pic inside your self,what means,that what ever fact and truths about everything that exist, can be also found in your self....so more deep into your self you can dig,no matter what system you use,is going to tell you more clearly what everything is all about.
When you dig in your self for years and you get deeper and deeper,there are no doubt,you are for sure coming to the point,where you understand clearly,that Religions don't follow the facts.....yes,it is a scary point,if you have been brainwashed from small,with a tick layer of built up stories,but when you are able to past that point,then you start to experience the connection to the cosmos,existing Spirits and even to the pure Nature and from there on,you start more and more to understand,that the mystery of live,the existence,is so much more,that our Human mind can never understand more than fractions of it and what ever is managing this all,is always going to be a mystery,it has no name,no measure and no dimension,it is as Lakota Indians is saying,"Wakan Tanka" the Great Mystery.
Rolf
Thanks for your comment.
See my response to pedal .
“I figure I m spiritual, not religious...”
“...think I can be more content in arriving in my own conclusions.”
“Maybe my beliefs are my own ,personal religion.”
Nice comment!
Thanks for your comment.
So, to which of the four possibilities do you ascribe,if any?
I look forward to your comment.
Thanks for your comment.
In my response to pedal, I tried to point out a difference between the terms as I see it. Of course, that is just my opinion.
You can view if if you wish.
I agree with you concerning the atrocies and hypocrisy associated with religion.
Thanks for your comment.
I agree with you that in being spiritual, the focus is on an inner experience.
“...god is a state of mind which i experience when feel absolutely free in any way.”
Very interesting statement!
“For me to say I am spiritual or religious and all the rest
Would be like living in a Box,”
So, Fly, please tell us what you do say!
Not believing in a god or deities or following any dogma but that we are all energy and spiritual multidimensional beings having a physical experience here on earth.
That we are all connected in consciousness and all part of the universe.
To be in harmony with nature and respect all the creatures living on this earth.
To look for answers within ourselves through meditation or whatever.
To know that we've had many lives..past and future maybe not on this planet but others.
To have love in our heart and be the example for others to follow.
Atheist, materialism.
Obviously there is no god, if there is, all message should be conveyed through transcendental means and not a book.
But, to believe doesn't mean there is a god or supreme being, they are two things.
And, if there is god, it's not like the bible god, the god does not copy many duplicates of himself, he only needs one Copy at all, and one eternal and powerful. To continue to have copies is an inability to corrosion.
Thanks for your comment.
The term “Wakan Tanka”, used by the Lakota Indians, and normally translated as The Great Spirit or Great Mystery, as you have mentioned, is a very apt reference to what I referred to as:
“some overriding principle, order or phenomenon that governs everything in the cosmos,”
Thanks for sharing your views with us on the topic.
With reference to your earlier comment, I imagine these are some of the answers you were looking for in your two previous blogs that you mentioned.
To me Religious is believing in, and/or following a man-made religious dogma - any organised religion.
Spiritual is a bit more difficult. I think it is believing that human beings are not the be all and end all. That nature, and the sun, moon, stars, sea and earth have their own power, energy and beauty, beyond what we understand, and actually feeling that.
Spiritual is more a feeling, than a learned belief.
To me Religious is believing in, and/or following a man-made religious dogma - any organised religion.
Spiritual is a bit more difficult. I think it is believing that human beings are not the be all and end all. That nature, and the sun, moon, stars, sea and earth have their own power, energy and beauty, beyond what we understand, and actually feeling that.
Spiritual is more a feeling, than a learned belief.
yes you are right.....still a little correction,Lakota elders has made it clear,that Great Spirit is a wrong translation and has come to use by the younger generation,that not know enough about Lakota language anymore.
Here is a Lakota video,that show how they feel about the Great Mystery,specially in the end,when the singer lift wide his hand up to the sky.
Rolf
Some days later,she was downstairs alone and I was up in the Bedroom and she came with speed up to the Bedroom and was standing inside in front of the door,saying nothing,but just standing there,with wide Eyes and like in a shock and I had to ask her several times,what had happen before she was able to talk and tell that somebody start to talk to her downstairs....I said to her,that,but that's not a big thing or to be scary about,in our Family that is happen all the time,to what she answered,yes,it is normal to you,bat not at all to me.
This is when things from past lives start to shoe up and that is a part of Spirituality.
Rolf
Thanks for your comment:
“... spiritual means believing in a universal God”
Thanks for your comment which sums up the matter quite well:
“Spiritual is more a feeling, than a learned belief.”
I read you.
I saw the distinction made by Russel Means re Great Spirit and Great Mystery but posted both versions anyway.
“Wakan Tanka is the great Creator power of the Lakota and Dakota tribes. Wakan Tanka is an abstract, omnipresent creative force who is never personified in traditional Siouan legends, and in fact did not even have a gender before the introduction of English with its gender-specific pronouns.”
If you are such a person, could you please share with us, the basis of your claim of being an atheist and what it means to you?
Thanks in advance!
However, I don't care for religion, i.e. someone else attempting to define that purpose, telling me their definition is the only correct one, and that if I don't follow their rules and restrictions I will be wailing and gnashing my teeth in the outer darkness.
Therefore I define myself as spiritual but not religious.
Thanks for your comment.
"I believe in something more than just random chaos, because it pleases me to believe there is a purpose behind our lives.
..............
Therefore I define myself as spiritual but not religious."
Well Stated!