Spirituality vs. Religion - what's the difference? (page 4)

AlphaOmega

WOW - thanks LittleToe - I didn't realise the age of this thread.

NVRGNBK - you have the power to resurrect the dead (threads)... can you walk on water too ?

>>>>seratonin wraith <<<<<< that feeling is real THAT is all you get that tenuous feeling of connection that moment of bliss the goosebumps on your arm the certanty of belonging for that brief second its like an orgasm then nothing left adrift no connection no certanty but it is REAL and dont doubt it when its gone that is all we have grasp it and take and hold it and keep it for your own and remember it when its gone it will come again when we need it until then we must know that we are loved and valued and our existence has a purpose thats all I have and when I have THAT I know there is more than just this shitbag I inhabit there is more than just suffering and struggle and confusion. But when its gone its like it never was . Is that God talkin to me ? Is it madness or wishfull thinking or just vagrant chemicals floating around in my brain? Those kind of questions haunt me everyday.I want to believe there is a wonderful loving creator I want to feel connection to the divine. But is any of that even close to the real nature of reallity? All I have are questions and I think only fools have answers. I'm quite certain we have been cursed with the gift of enough reason to question our existence without the faculties to understand the reality. Sorry maybe I'v had too much wine

Terry

Spirituality is vague, so; it can be anything.

A word, a term, a concept without a precise definition is a red flag! It says: Warning! Warning! Somebody is making this all up!!

Can you be a little bit pregnant? No. You are or you aren't.

Spirituality, in my personal opinion, means one has attached strong value to the unknown and suffers emotional eruptions when there is nothing but that feeling to go on.

Sprituality goes on interpretations of feelings and attaches significance willy nilly. Puppy love, friendship, love; each has an object. But, spirituality has as its object a category of feeling undefined, but; shimmering with pleasant vagarie.

No commitment necessary; only behavior in the moment.

Narkissos

sw: John 16:2.

serotonin_wraith

Thanks Narkissos.

Blueviceroy, I think a big part of this is wanting to believe or not having that desire. You say '

I want to believe there is a wonderful loving creator I want to feel connection to the divine.'

For me, I see that things are connected, and I think 'Yeah? Well that's obvious! It's hardly a revelation about existence.'

Thinking everything is connected says nothing about a creator, only the nature of our universe. Things affect other things. It's how change happens.

You say 'until then we must know that we are loved and valued and our existence has a purpose thats all I have and when I have THAT I know there is more than just this shitbag I inhabit there is more than just suffering and struggle and confusion'

I just don't have that desire. I don't need there to be a great big meaning to life, some divine plan beyond my understanding. What's the meaning of a dog's life? What's the meaning of a bacteria's life? I'm just part of their world, so why should I be special? We're just a species that developed a bigger brain. Natural disasters happen because of the type of planet we're on. We're lucky enough to just have life on this planet!

We're creatures made mostly of water on a speck of dust in the vastness of the cosmos. In the grand scheme of things, are we that important? Isn't wanting to think we should have some divine purpose rather bigheaded?

It could just come down to what we're satisfied with. I'm okay with this reality, and I think others want to be something more than they are.

Satanus

Sero

Before matter and energy, there could have been a state of potential, a flat line, a flat wave. The universe would then be simply an oscillation in that line. It's easier to see it this way, if you are standing outside of the oscillation.

S

serotonin_wraith

Before matter and energy, there could have been a state of potential

I agree. But the key word is COULD. Nobody knows. I think this is why I couldn't be spiritual. To be spiritual is to say you know, which I feel would be dishonest. I don't know why but I'm perfectly happy with unanswered questions. It means we have something to strive for.

blueviceroy

Perhaps I cant always communicate as well as I would like and I can certainly understand and appreciate your point of view. but to me its kind of the old I think therefore I am . We have this inflated sense of self for a reason just like those other creatures you mentioned have instincts and behaviors.No instinct that drives an animal is wasted or extra. we are all driven each of us to examine our place in the scheme of things. is our insistence on an important part of things merely a perversion of a social drive or is there more signifigance.I dont know > But i hope all of this is meaningfull perhaps that is a failing I dont know that either Maybe this drive to find meaning is proof enough there is meaning ergo i think therefore I am . But for all i realy know we are all here by accident . either way we all die in the end

journey-on

I've heard that, like energy and space, consciousness never dies. It just changes.

Some esoteric stuff I've read (I can't remember where right now) says that when

one dies, their consciousness becomes conscious of whatever it is they believed.

If they believed in Heaven with angels and harps and streets of gold, then their

consciousness will experience that. If they believed they were bad people deserving

of punishment, their consciousness will experience the proverbial Hell upon death

of the physical body. If one believes in NOTHING after death, then NOTHING is

what it shall be. Whatever you envisioned in your conscious mind during your lifetime,

that is what your consciousness will experience. I don't know. I'm still searching my

own spiritual path..................Journey-on

Terry

I've heard that, like energy and space, consciousness never dies. It just changes.
Some esoteric stuff I've read (I can't remember where right now) says that when
one dies, their consciousness becomes conscious of whatever it is they believed.

Consciousness takes place within a place.

That place has conditions conducive to consciousness.

The location is the brain.

The brain is largely a chemical reactor.

Consciousness is a result of chemical activity in a particular and specific location in the way fire is the result of chemical activity in a specific location.

Without fuel and proper conditions there is no fire.

Remove the conditions conducive to consciousness and you lose consciousness itself.

Our personhood requires our conscious co-operation and directed activity.

When you die you lose everything. Why not consciousness and personhood too?

Spirituality vs. Religion - what's the difference?

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