spirituality and religion - what are the differences? (page 4)

Jeffro

Of course that reveals his personal bias regarding superstition.

The suggestion that someone should be more accepting of superstition is an insult to rational thought.

Jeffro

Some aspects (particularly, the more rational bits) of what some people call spirituality are actually philosophy.

Glander

if you are aware of your own spirituality, even as an atheist, and you know how to replenish it, you are self contained.

if your religion is your source of spirituality, you are not self contained.

Are you capable of finding nourishment for your body and preparing it and consuming it?

Or do you depend on your nourishment from an establishment that prepares your meals, as in a restaurant?

spirituality (even aspects of what we today we refer to as religion) as lightness has a long history. In fact in ancient times sprituality was associated with wine the God of wine being Dionysus. This connects with Christopher Hitchens conception of spirituality as being what gives pleasure. But of course Dionysus had a very dark destructive side too and this sort of ambiguity is expressed in mystical rituals etc.

In answer to your question imo an individual who expresses loathing for supernatural things can be very spiritual in the context of Christopher Hitchen's ideas on spirituality.

edit: I agree that spirituality has a lot of baggage associated with it and it is often difficult to make an accurate inquiry into it. So I guess that it has to be the responsibilty of each individual to decide for themselves what counts and what doesn't.

soft+gentle

etude, thanks for the link - I enjoyed it very much and will try and come back to it later today.

00DAD

Jeffro: The suggestion that someone should be more accepting of superstition is an insult to rational thought.

Agreed. But realize that I was commenting on your equating "spirituality" with "superstition" in your definition and comments. (See your posts 2516 and 2518 .)

As several have commented here, the word "spirituality" is highly subjective and loaded with multiple connotation including the way you seem to view it.

However, as even Cofty has opined, many of us have a concept of spirituality which is completely in harmony with rational thought and does NOT include superstition or the supernatural.

As a consequence of my exit from JWs, I am still struggling to know what I do and don't believe. I most certainly want to be rational about it and am completely done with religion. I nevertheless maintain a sense of wonder and awe about many things in my life, in the world and what I know about the universe. I am tempted to use the term "spirituality" to describe this aspect of my attempts to engage with everything, but am hesitant to use it with others because I understand how vague and open to interpretation it is. I'm open to suggestions if you know a better word.

Didn't mean to get you going!

00DAD

Jeffro

However, as even Cofty has opined, many of us have a concept of spirituality which is completely in harmony with rational thought and does NOT include superstition or the supernatural.

Indeed. As previously stated:

Some aspects (particularly, the more rational bits) of what some people call spirituality are actually philosophy.

still thinking

It means that your world has become more inclusive of others in a natural way because you see and realize that others are an extension of yourself.

Learning about evolution is doing this for me...since we all have the same beginning...but I probably wouldn't call it a spiritual thing.

If fact, on a bigger scale...learning about the universe is making me feel much more connected to it and everything in it. Still no spirituality though.

The less spiritual I feel, the more connected I feel.

spirituality and religion - what are the differences?

Spirituality is whatever you want it to be...Religion is the organisation that fits how you feel about spirituality...take your pick, there is one for every type of belief.

still thinking

We must reclaim good words and put them to good use—and this is what I intend to do with “spiritual.” I have no quarrel with Hitch’s general use of it to mean something like “beauty or significance that provokes awe...bohm

I like that...that is how I feel about evolution and the cosmos....maybe I am spiritual in that sense.

soft+gentle

I don't know a better word either OODAD and this is basically what I am struggling with at the moment. When believers describe spirituality they seem to be talking about something more than inspiration, awe and wonder. I think when atheists use the terms awe wonder and inspiration they might mean a whole lot more than is describable and the impact upon a person of what is left undescribed may be akin to what believers say about their form of spirituality?

I also want to do some of more research into the brain G spot that etude mentioned and linked to but have not had the time.

ST thanks for your comments - connected is a good word

spirituality and religion - what are the differences?

Share this