Posts by logansrun

38

Unless you believe in "spirit(s)" you cannot be "spiritual"

by logansrun in

jw
friends

upon a fine conversation with a good forum member last night i started to think about the meaning of the word spiritual.

many people, including some agnostics and atheists, use this word with some regularity.

"i'm not religious, but i am spiritual" is something even i have said.

logansrun

Narkissos,

Yes. France. America. Biiiiiiiig difference!

Winston,

I'm not sure there is even much talk of "spirit" in Zen. I mean, practicers of Zen don't even really believe in reincarnation either. Interestingly, there have been studies done of meditators who talk about "being one" with the universe and it is reported that part of the brain -- the part responsible for location in space -- actually can shut down when they feel this. Now, is that an illusion, much like a psychedelic drug, or is the "real thing"? I'm not about to answer that.

Basically this whole discussion is about monism versus dualism. I would think most Zen people would be classified as monists, but I could be wrong.

B.

38

Unless you believe in "spirit(s)" you cannot be "spiritual"

by logansrun in

jw
friends

upon a fine conversation with a good forum member last night i started to think about the meaning of the word spiritual.

many people, including some agnostics and atheists, use this word with some regularity.

"i'm not religious, but i am spiritual" is something even i have said.

logansrun

frankie,

I agree that the world of quantum physics is truly awe-inspiring (and weird!). But, if there is no "spirit" -- whatever that might mean! -- there can be no spirituality in any literal sense.

Love could be viewed as simply a collection of thought patterns, all electrochemically based, in the brain of a human being. *shudders*

Bradley....wonders if the term "spirit" is so rooted as a "good thing" in our culture that we feel we simply can't live without it!

9

JW's view on patriotism

by c.dawn in

my sister is a jw .

i studied with the witnesses at the same time as she but i questioned too many of thier belkifs that didn't make sence to me so they gave up on me.. my christian church does allow patriotism.

we feel god gave us this land( america) and are forever grateful to him.

logansrun

JWs tend to hold contradictory views when it comes to government. On one level they say they are neutral. On another level they view the governement as being directly or indirectly controlled by the Devil, so they therefore view it as wicked. On another level they are told to respect the government and have even engaged in some "cozying up" to governmental agencies (the US Supreme Court, the United Nations). A lot of cognitive dissonance.

As for God "giving" people America -- well, if you believe that God ordained a bunch of white settlers to ruthlessly invade, kill and otherwise subjugate millions of Indians then that's your business. If you believe God backed American aggression in Indochina and imperialism in South America (as well as slavery at home) that's your perogative.

I think it's a nutty idea, but that's just me.

B.

38

Unless you believe in "spirit(s)" you cannot be "spiritual"

by logansrun in

jw
friends

upon a fine conversation with a good forum member last night i started to think about the meaning of the word spiritual.

many people, including some agnostics and atheists, use this word with some regularity.

"i'm not religious, but i am spiritual" is something even i have said.

logansrun

Very interesting points, Narkissos. I agree that the word "spiritual" -- like the word "God" -- tends to cause much confusion. People see a title like Paul Davies' "God and the New Physics" and they think he's talking about the same Guy who dropped the ten plauges on Egypt. Far from it!

Because it causes so much confusion and, dare I say, doublethink -- could it be that non-believers in spirit should not use it at all? And believers use it more cautiously?

B.

18

Sun lamps / air purifiers for DEPRESSION....

by logansrun in

jw
friends

hello folks,.

i'm curious if anyone here has personal experience with using a sun lamp and/or air purifier for depression.

chicago -- where i live -- is generally a cold and rather gloomy place in the winter.

logansrun

Hello folks,

I'm curious if anyone here has personal experience with using a sun lamp and/or air purifier for depression. Chicago -- where I live -- is generally a cold and rather gloomy place in the winter. (Bet you didn't know that. Haha) I don't feel I have a "serious" problem with SAD (seasonal affective disorder) but only a mild one. I've heard that sun lamps can help alleviate the symptoms of depression. After all, humans evolved on the African savannah -- it's in our genes to need sunlight. Anyone try this? Know someone that has? Feedback?

Oh, and the air-purifier thingy -- I recently read that there are contraptions (I love that word) that create negatively charged air particles, which are supposed to help stimulate positive feelings. Negatively charged ions are prevelent near moving water, by the way. Ever wonder why it feels so good by the ocean? An abundence of negative ions are part of the reason!

Bradley

38

Unless you believe in "spirit(s)" you cannot be "spiritual"

by logansrun in

jw
friends

upon a fine conversation with a good forum member last night i started to think about the meaning of the word spiritual.

many people, including some agnostics and atheists, use this word with some regularity.

"i'm not religious, but i am spiritual" is something even i have said.

logansrun

Man, fish ain't 'biten!

BTTT

B

38

Unless you believe in "spirit(s)" you cannot be "spiritual"

by logansrun in

jw
friends

upon a fine conversation with a good forum member last night i started to think about the meaning of the word spiritual.

many people, including some agnostics and atheists, use this word with some regularity.

"i'm not religious, but i am spiritual" is something even i have said.

logansrun

LOL @ Little Toe. Ah, buddy...you're a Big Toe in my book!

19

Marriage material in JW

by JustTickledPink in

jw
friends

i grew up jw and was your average blonde, blue eyed florida girl.

i of course being a normal girl had raging hormones and was always looking around at boys.

i was a pioneer though and homeschooled, so i only met jws and was always of the mindset that i had to marry a jw.

logansrun

I'd like to think that my future wife hasn't been born yet.

~Bradley

38

Unless you believe in "spirit(s)" you cannot be "spiritual"

by logansrun in

jw
friends

upon a fine conversation with a good forum member last night i started to think about the meaning of the word spiritual.

many people, including some agnostics and atheists, use this word with some regularity.

"i'm not religious, but i am spiritual" is something even i have said.

logansrun

Elsewhere,

For me, "spiritual" means that it comes from within.

I assume you mean our internal cognitions and emotions; our "consciousness" if you will. While keeping in mind that I believe there may be such a thing as a human spirit (I'm at least open to the idea), modern neurologists almost unanimously believe that our consciousness is simply epiphenomenal to the physical structure of our brain. Our emotions and cognitions are nothing more than the electro-chemical firing of billions of neurons. Nothing "spiritual" there. It's all physical -- chemical and electrical. (Again, this is the orthodox understanding. I'm not saying there are possible alternative views...but, there at least has to be some correspondence between the physical and mental worlds. Just drink some alcohol or smoke a little pot -- both physical things -- and you will see what effect it has on "what comes from within" you.

In short, I think your definition of spiritual may be too general and vague.

JustTickledPin,

And your definition of "energy" is...? Most scientists would define energy in purely material means. The electrons (physical) passing from one atom to another (both physcial) is a form of energy (electrical current). That's one form of energy. That's physical. It ain't spiritual!

Mary...good thoughts.

Bradley

38

Unless you believe in "spirit(s)" you cannot be "spiritual"

by logansrun in

jw
friends

upon a fine conversation with a good forum member last night i started to think about the meaning of the word spiritual.

many people, including some agnostics and atheists, use this word with some regularity.

"i'm not religious, but i am spiritual" is something even i have said.

logansrun

As a side note, the average JW (non-annointed) cannot rightly say that they are "spiritual" in any sense. What the JWs call "spiritual" -- going out in service, studying, following the rules, showing what they feel is love -- are nothing but behavior patterns, thoughts and emotions. There's nothing "spritual" about any of that, except the fact that they believe there is a Big Spirit "out there" somewhere who told them to do this.

Perhaps I'm being pedantic. Or just specific?

B.