(November 5, 2009 at 6:06 pm)fr0d0 Wrote: It's quite shocking how you really don't get is SecularOne. You think you can ignore me and force me to do what you want me to do. Why the bullying tactics? If you had a grain of integrity you'd conduct yourself with some civility.
Ignoring that... That's very interesting. I too am interested in understanding how you as an atheist justify supporting spiritual growth, what that could possibly mean to you and other people you associate with in a congregation. Forgive my bluntness, it isn't so civilized. My scant knowledge of UU tends me toward thinking it so vague as to be wholly inconsequential, which so far the evidence seems to support.
No, I don't need to research your other posts to make the case against you. You've handed me all the evidence I needed (on a silver platter so to speak) in this one thread. Thanks.
Ignoring the elephant in the room, fr0d0? Changing the subject, trying to pretend that you didn't stick both feet, shoes and all, in your mouth by calling Unitarian Universalism "ultimate bullshit?"
Nice try at dodging the bullet, fr0d0, but it won't work. You've made a fool of yourself. You know it. And everyone else who reads your crap knows it too. If you had any integrity, you'd simply confess, "Oops! I've made a terrible mistake in making that statement." But, no, as expected, you couldn't muster the integrity to do that.
If you had, you might have been able to redeem some of your credibility. But as it now stands, you've only confirmed for everyone just exactly what you are. Like they didn't already know.
And now, for Saerules, who is interested in what Unitarian Universalists mean by "inherent worth." Intrinsic value is an ethical and philosophic property. It is the ethical or philosophic value that an object has "in itself" or "for its own sake
And as for spiritual growth...
Yes, spiritual growth has relevence, even for atheists. Theists would like to define spiritual growth for everyone. But many of us don't like their exclusive definition. We think in terms of spiritual growth too, but not the way they do.
Therefore, while a theist might regard spiritual growth to imply something supernatural or having to do with their relationship with their god, an atheist would not.
And since Unitarians are inclusive of both theists and atheists, there is no universal definition. No one can define the term "spiritual" for someone else. So, what it means to me is unique to me alone. (Unless someone happens to like my definition and want to use it for themselves. They are welcome to adopt it.)
For me, spiritual growth implies my growth as a person in character, integrity, values, relationships, happiness, etc. Essentially everything in my life that has anything to do with who and what I am and how I'm coping with the challenges of life. I reject the idea that spiritual growth has anything to do with supernaturalism or deities.
