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Spiritual Atheist here!
February 29, 2012 at 3:19 am
(This post was last modified: February 29, 2012 at 4:50 am by Child of Stardust.)
Hey, new atheist here on the forums! More precisely, I call myself a spiritual atheist. I've had some compelling spiritual experiences in my life (many of them were even in traditional religious settings, like when taking the Eucharist or entering "sacred ground"...probably because of my Christian upbringing, which wasn't totally negative) but find the evidence for gods unconvincing. I can't help but feel these feelings, and love that I do, but don't see why that forces me to shut down my logic. So I cherish them, while embracing the fact there is no God. The inventions of religion can sometimes be inspiring metaphors for archetypes at play in our lives, and a interpretive help to conceptualizing our spiritual perceptions which are beyond logical understanding (since they do not exist literally, only experientially, and can only be experienced directly). Religious rituals can be helpful for inducing these experiences (though they can also occur spontaneously at momentous moments in my life). I understand these experiences as a beautiful part of evolution, a legitimate part of human existence born of natural selection - they can deeply enrich our lives, but only really exist within us. God isn't "out there", but in here, a part of our minds. And that's not a bad thing! Many things that only exist in our minds, like imagination itself, are very beautiful and valuable. It can enrich and deepen our lives. But suppose they really exist (outside of you), and you run into all kinds of problems. The simple fact it's not true, using God as an excuse to commit horrible atrocities, or to hold back scientific progress (I know I sound very fluffy but I'm also a bit of a science nerd)...they all came from religion's mistake of assuming it was all literally true. But you can have the best of both worlds. You can cherish your feelings and respect the evidence. You can appreciate the power of metaphor. You can be a mystic and an atheist!
Still, I'm also fascinated by the history of religion, and look forward to discussing it with people who share the realization that the evidence is against gods existing.
Looking forward to talking with y'all. 
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RE: Spiritual Atheist here!
February 29, 2012 at 4:49 am
Hello there
I understand some of the feelings you mention above, but in my mind the word god is surplus to requirement - Everything we experience is part of our own consciousness, and just because I don't believe in the supernatural doesn't mean I don't feel immense feelings of wonder and awe at this vast beautiful universe in which we live.
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RE: Spiritual Atheist here!
February 29, 2012 at 5:31 am
(This post was last modified: February 29, 2012 at 5:32 am by Child of Stardust.)
Thanks for the welcome!
Re: the use of the word "God", yes, I suspect most atheists on the site will feel the same way. The word both helps and gets in the way. For most, I suspect (especially on this board) it will only get in the way, due to unfortunate associations/irrelevance/superfluity/inadequacy. I merely use a word I personally am comfortable with, and by no means think it does the concept justice.
Actually, the feelings I spoke of have less to do with being in wonder at the vast and beautiful universe - though I feel that too of course - but transformative moments in my life where I feel harmony coming back to a broken life and world...where there is redemption, healing, renewal...a new dawn. When there is hope where there seemed to be none before, and love where there seemed to be emptiness...wherever there are these things, "God" is present for me.
Or whatever you want to call it...like I said, it is hard to think up a word that really does the concept justice. Using the world God to refer to what I am talking about would probably make people think of watered down, Pollyannaish, insipid liberal Christian interpretations of the concept...like the 40-something women's church book club kind of "God". (I think that's the way I sound now, unfortunately...)
Hehe, now you have me thinking about what to call it.  It's sort of hard to describe...it feels like it's more than a feeling (though still ultimately subjective), and deserves more than the mere name of a "common" feeling. The Universe isn't subjective enough. God is cosmic enough, but fails in several other ways, and in most people is associated with a mythological persona, not a feeling.
God fails, but so do all the other words. Maybe that's the point. The Tao that can be named...
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RE: Spiritual Atheist here!
February 29, 2012 at 5:33 am
Welcome Child of Stardust. Great intro.
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RE: Spiritual Atheist here!
February 29, 2012 at 5:40 am
That's a very interesting point of view you have, albeit ill-defined.
Which is great, because you offer a different perspective on matters, and I appreciate the effort you took to describe what you felt. Normally atheist and skeptic are synonymous so its refreshing to see someone who defies the definition.
Look forward to your posts
Self-authenticating private evidence is useless, because it is indistinguishable from the illusion of it. ― Kel, Kelosophy Blog
If you’re going to watch tele, you should watch Scooby Doo. That show was so cool because every time there’s a church with a ghoul, or a ghost in a school. They looked beneath the mask and what was inside?
The f**king janitor or the dude who runs the waterslide. Throughout history every mystery. Ever solved has turned out to be. Not Magic. ― Tim Minchin, Storm
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RE: Spiritual Atheist here!
February 29, 2012 at 5:59 am
Welcome, dusty.
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RE: Spiritual Atheist here!
February 29, 2012 at 6:10 am
I certainly understand what you're saying. I feel very much the same way. I too tend to use the term "God" to refer to the spiritual essence of life. But I agree that the very term "God" itself has been so contaminated by the "Jealous-God" religions of Hebrew mythology that this is the first thing that pops into people's minds when they her the term.
I too tend to view the spiritual essence of reality more in a Taoist or Eastern Mystical sense. I also very much appreciate and value the power the anthropomorphic spiritual archetypes for facilitating a psychic experience. This is what ultimately drew me to the various folklores associated with Wicca and Faery legends. They certainly have psychic power even in a purely secular world.
So, like you, I see value in these things irregardless of whether they are "supernatural" or just plain "natural".
Like you say, imagination itself is clearly a part of secular reality and therefore imagination is just as 'real' as reality.
Nothing gets any more real than that. In fact, without imagination consciousness itself may not even be possible. Especially in terms of sentience. After all, if a purely secular reality is true, then sentience itself is nothing more than our very own imagination that we are sovereign beings who have free will.
So in that sense, imagination would be the very core of what we are in a purely secular world.
Thus to shun the imagination is to shun the very essence of our being.
Christian - A moron who believes that an all-benevolent God can simultaneously be a hateful jealous male-chauvinistic pig.
Wiccan - The epitome of cerebral evolution having mastered the magical powers of the universe and is in eternal harmony with the mind of God.
Atheist - An ill-defined term that means something different to everyone who uses it.
~~~~~
Luke 23:34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.
Clearly Jesus (a fictitious character or otherwise) will forgive people if they merely know not what they do
For the Bible Tells us so!
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RE: Spiritual Atheist here!
February 29, 2012 at 7:25 am
I don't share these 'feelings' you seem to talk about but welcome nonetheless.
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RE: Spiritual Atheist here!
February 29, 2012 at 8:12 am
You seem very interesting  Look forward to seeing more posts from you
(February 29, 2012 at 3:19 am)Child of Stardust Wrote: Still, I'm also fascinated by the history of religion, and look forward to discussing it with people who share the realization that the evidence is against gods existing.
Me too. History of religion is a fascinating subject 
Welcome!!
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RE: Spiritual Atheist here!
February 29, 2012 at 9:41 am
Welcome aboard.
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
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