What does it mean to be spiritual?

[Brian37]

In some ways I agree with Insanity X, spirituality has become a go to word for anyone who wants to make a point about what they believe yet can not prove. For me it is not a requirement of God that I have to nor need to prove His existence, what is required to be spiritual is having an ear for God and living the truth He places in my life, actually I believe that is a requirement for all Christians. So, when I use the word spiritual, I'm not trying to prove anything other than I listen to God and try to live as He desires, which mostly I fail at.

Nice admission "what they believe yet cannot prove".

NOW that you have been honest enough with yourself to make that admission, you should understand WHY the only difference between you and an atheist is that we simply reject one more god claim than you do.

Argument from tradition is a fallacious argument.

Argument from popularity is also a falacious argument.

You are not a Muslim or Jew or Hindu and would not buy their arguments from tradition or popularity if they argued for their god.

Befor you get to word one of any book of myth that claims a non material being you are STILL stuck with no evidence. If you wont buy the other arguments for other gods then that lack of evidence standard, should also apply to the position you hold.

YOU ARE on the right track with the attitude of not accepting something without evidence, now take that same RIGHTFUL standard and dont be afraid to apply it to your own claims.

If you do that you will understand why we do what we do and where we are comming from as skeptics.

If the gods of others "sound too good to be true" what makes you think you are not making the same mistake they are?

[Tino]

I should explain. About a month ago, when my Psych of Religion class was first starting to meet, we talked about spirituality and what it means to be spiritual. We got about as many answers as we had students. I'm just interested in running the discussion again. :3

Annik,

I'll bet that class was equally hilarious and frustrating. I've asked many people what they mean when they say "I'm spiritual" and I consistently find a smug superiority built into every answer, along the lines of "I'm an enlightened, connected to the world, with a higher-level of awareness kind of person" while rest of us are knuckle-dragging trogs who mindlessly rotate from our stalls to our yokes to our food troughs day after day. It's often couched in flowery language ala a 60s acid-trip or a new-age Deepak Chopra or "The Secret" type speak. But it boils down to the same message. I think it is also often used as a mid-point for those who have realized there is no god but are not yet ready to admit it to themselves or others.

[Anomalocaris]

How do you define spirituality?

The belief that real answer is nothing more than wishing thinking the right way.

[Brian37]

How do you define spirituality?

The belief that real answer is nothing more than wishing thinking the right way.

That about sums it up. Take silly putty and you can stretch it into countless shapes and even copy comics from multiple sources.

Sprituality is a vacuous word and is as meaningful as trying to hold water in a spaggetti strainer. No way to hold that logic when it is built on the sand of credulity when the foundation has so many holes in it.

It is whatever the person wants it to be which ammounts to mere immagination.

[CapnAwesome]

Being 'spiritual' is a way to still be an idiot without being religious.

[Ryantology]

I've heard people use the term 'spiritual experience' regarding entirely non-supernatural experiences. I'm not really bothered by the term other than that it is not really a correct word to use in this context. I just figured it to be something which has an intense effect on a person.

[Annik]

Annik,

I'll bet that class was equally hilarious and frustrating. I've asked many people what they mean when they say "I'm spiritual" and I consistently find a smug superiority built into every answer, along the lines of "I'm an enlightened, connected to the world, with a higher-level of awareness kind of person" while rest of us are knuckle-dragging trogs who mindlessly rotate from our stalls to our yokes to our food troughs day after day. It's often couched in flowery language ala a 60s acid-trip or a new-age Deepak Chopra or "The Secret" type speak. But it boils down to the same message. I think it is also often used as a mid-point for those who have realized there is no god but are not yet ready to admit it to themselves or others.

It was very interesting to see how different everyone's thinking was. One girl even said that only Christians and Jews can be spiritual.

[shiver23]

I think it is also often used as a mid-point for those who have realized there is no god but are not yet ready to admit it to themselves or others.

I fully agree with this viewpoint.
"Spiritual" has become this catch all phrase for all the New Age followers, doubting religious folk, any intense experience that affects a person deeply (usually mentally and emotionally.)

However, it's also a phrase used by intelligent people trying to express they believe in more than they can see with their eyes. I don't "believe" in other dimensions/worlds, but I'm open to it. So they say they aren't relgious, but they are spiritual.

Interesting question Annik. I approve. *thumbs up*

[Darkstar]

"Spiritual" has become this catch all phrase for all the New Age followers, doubting religious folk, any intense experience that affects a person deeply (usually mentally and emotionally.)

Exactly. Theists say that a deep mental/emotional effect is god, but we can see the brainwaves (in scans, I mean). I concur with your definition.

[Reforged]

Spirituality to me is nothing more than a means to claim we are somehow more than the sum total of our parts.
That there is something that transcends the bounds of the physical world, something special and everlasting.
It never ceases to amaze me how many words and terms people will utilize to subvert the thought that they are just another insignificant human like any other who will eventually decay and die like all those who came before.

You would of thought instead of trying to will themselves into permanence that they'd take steps to actually produce something of permanence that will benefit others after they are gone.