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Some atheists on this forum have advanced the idea that a person can be "spiritual" AND atheist . . .The word "spiritual" actually has divine connotations - I have posted definitions in the past. They are easily found online.
I just found this morsel which I think is interesting:
"Both the spiritist and animist traditions work with the premise that all persons have a 'soul' or a 'being" which is, in a sense, immortal and which 'inhabits' the body during a lifetime. When a person dies and the physical form has completed its cycle on Earth, the being lives on on some other plane of existence which we loosely call the 'astral' plane. The being goes on to tale other physical forms and to live other lives, entering a new body at birth each time it reincarnates." From: "The Psychic Healing Book," Wallace & Henkin.
Last edited by Miss Blue; 11-11-2011 at 05:52 PM..
Reason: fixed the spelling as you requested
Some atheists on this forum have advanced the idea that a person can be "spiritual" AND atheist . . .The word "spiritual" actually has divine connotations - I have posted definitions in the past. They are easily found online.
I just found this morsel which I think is interesting:
"Both the spiritist and animist traditions work with the premise that all persons have a 'soul' or a 'being" which is, in a sense, immortal and which 'inhabits' the body during a lifetime. When a person dies and the physical form has completed its cycle on Earth, the being lives on on some other plane of existence which we loosely call the 'astral' plane. The being goes on to tale other physical forms and to live other lives, entering a new body at birth each time it reincarnates." From: "The Psychic Healing Book," Wallace & Henkin.
I believe most atheists think of the notion of the spiritual as the sense of the profound, such as what one experiences upon climbing to the top of a mountain. Such a sense of wonder and awe does not require a religious sense of the soul or resorting to god(s). It is simply a human emotional response to unusual experiences.
I believe most atheists think of the notion of the spiritual as the sense of the profound, such as what one experiences upon climbing to the top of a mountain. Such a sense of wonder and awe does not require a religious sense of the soul or resorting to god(s). It is simply a human emotional response to unusual experiences.
I understand that and it makes perfect sense. What does not make sense is attaching the specific term "spiritual" to that felt sense. It is the need to co-opt the term that I think produces confusion and it is not necessary - they don't gain anything from using the term.
Some atheists on this forum have advanced the idea that a person can be "spiritual" AND atheist . . .The word "spiritual" actually has divine connotations - I have posted definitions in the past. They are easily found online.
I just found this morsel which I think is interesting:
"Both the spiritist and animist traditions work with the premise that all persons have a 'soul' or a 'being" which is, in a sense, immortal and which 'inhabits' the body during a lifetime. When a person dies and the physical form has completed its cycle on Earth, the being lives on on some other plane of existence which we loosely call the 'astral' plane. The being goes on to tale other physical forms and to live other lives, entering a new body at birth each time it reincarnates." From: "The Psychic Healing Book," Wallace & Henkin.
You can't just use your own definition of such a widely vague term and then use that against atheists (and how do you expect us to take you seriously when you can't even spell "Atheist"?). And what the "divine" even mean? That is another vague term. Just because there are unexplainable feelings doesn't mean you can just make up an answer. This all goes back to evidence, you need it. Like for that bogus astral plane nonsense, for example.
There are clearly multiple definitions. I'm not spiritual, but I understand it from an atheists' perspective as something "profound" like the first poster stated.
I understand that and it makes perfect sense. What does not make sense is attaching the specific term "spiritual" to that felt sense. It is the need to co-opt the term that I think produces confusion and it is not necessary - they don't gain anything from using the term.
It's a word, just like "beautiful", and I'll use such vague terms however I please.
You can't just use your own definition of such a widely vague term and then use that against atheists (and how do you expect us to take you seriously when you can't even spell "Atheist"?). And what the "divine" even mean? That is another vague term. Just because there are unexplainable feelings doesn't mean you can just make up an answer. This all goes back to evidence, you need it. Like for that bogus astral plane nonsense, for example.
There are clearly multiple definitions. I'm not spiritual, but I understand it from an atheists' perspective as something "profound" like the first poster stated.
The words "divine" and "spiritual" have specific meanings. They are not debatable. Easily found in dictionaries online. The reason words have definitions is so people can agree on meaning. You can't just make up meaning for words - they have specific meanings.
It's a word, just like "beautiful", and I'll use such vague terms however I please.
Didn't you just tell imcurious they couldn't do just that? The term spirit is actually a theological term that derives from ancient times. In case you aren't aware, these ancient societies coined the term based on their thesit religion. Many cultured believed a person could be visitied by the spirit of their god or even have their spirit taken by their god.
And please, refrain from the cheesy and cheap tactics that most do on here. Calling out someone's grammatical errors to degrade their posts is not only childish, but in debate I gains you no ground.
Secular spirituality emphasizes humanistic qualities such as love, compassion, patience, tolerance, forgiveness, contentment, responsibility, harmony, and a concern for others[8]:22, aspects of life and human experience which go beyond a purely materialist view of the world, without necessarily accepting belief in a supernatural reality or divine being. Spiritual practices such as mindfulness and meditation can be experienced as beneficial or even necessary for human fulfillment without any supernatural interpretation or explanation. Spirituality in this context may be a matter of nurturing thoughts, emotions, words and actions that are in harmony with a belief that everything in the universe is mutually dependent; this stance has much in common with some versions of Buddhist spirituality. A modern secular definition: "Spirituality exists wherever we struggle with the issues of how our lives fit into the greater scheme of things. This is true when our questions never give way to specific answers or give rise to specific practices such as prayer or meditation. we encounter spiritual issues every time we wonder where the universe comes from, why we are here, or what happens when we die. We also become spiritual when we become moved by values such as beauty, love, or creativity that seem to reveal a meaning or power beyond our visible world. An idea or practice is "spiritual" when it reveals our personal desire to establish a felt-relationship with the deepest meanings or powers governing life." - Robert C. Fuller
Some atheists on this forum have advanced the idea that a person can be "spiritual" AND atheist . . .The word "spiritual" actually has divine connotations - I have posted definitions in the past. They are easily found online.
I just found this morsel which I think is interesting:
"Both the spiritist and animist traditions work with the premise that all persons have a 'soul' or a 'being" which is, in a sense, immortal and which 'inhabits' the body during a lifetime. When a person dies and the physical form has completed its cycle on Earth, the being lives on on some other plane of existence which we loosely call the 'astral' plane. The being goes on to tale other physical forms and to live other lives, entering a new body at birth each time it reincarnates." From: "The Psychic Healing Book," Wallace & Henkin.
Oh you......
yet another worthless commentary over the semantics of a word....... and yet another "nanny nanny boo boo" for you over the atheists.
you've earned your cookie for the day.
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