Spirituality as an atheist?

[TheRealJoeFish]

[DespondentFishdeathMasochismo]

The word 'spiritual' is so incoherent, that it defines nothing.

There are as many definitions, as there are people using the word.

When I take my 15" mirror telescope away from the city lights, and view some distant sky object, I get the feelings of awe and wonder. Does that qualify as 'spiritual'?

I believe it does. I have been trying to describe this abstract idea. I believe that feeling significance in life and feeling your own presence is what one might call spiritual. It's annoying that this seems to be something religion call's it's own. People have so called "religious experiences" when they feel a hightened sense of awareness and significance, like when they do drugs. I have never been religious and i don't know how religiosity exists, it seems like someone would have to lack a lot of intelligence to believe in religious concepts. Why couldn't their be a non supernatural version of this? It sounds like spirituality has everything to do with consciousness, but was taken over by idiots to mean something else.

[DespondentFishdeathMasochismo]

Also, yeah, I believe the equivalent of atheist spirituality could be looking at the night sky, or relishing the grandeur of the universe. It's hard for me to conceptualize exactly what atheist "spirituality" would represent, but that's why I think this is an interesting subject. I guess there could be no one answer, since the only thing all atheists have in common is their disbelief in god or gods or pseudo science and general skepticism. For me, I explore my consciousness through listening to music a lot.

[Cyberman]

I want to expand on my previous expansion. By "I am a shit Cyberman", I don't want anyone thinking I am a Cyberman made from shit, in the same way as those ridiculous wood ones with the flamethrowers. Nor do I mean the silly new ones with the detachable limbs and Wallace and Gromit's techno trouser legs. I just mean I'm not very good at it.

[Reflex]

  “God is spirit,” so it puzzles me when professed atheists lay claim to be being 'spiritual.' It seems to me they are either theists unclear in their thinking and/or desiring to avoid the stigma of religion, or atheists not wanting to appear cold and unfeeling.

"God is spirit" is your definition, not ours, one which you're imposing onto the discussion without foundation or adding new information. But even if we go with your definition, it in no way follows that spirituality pertains to "God". Beethoven wrote music, but not all music is Beethoven. Thus, whatever "it seems" to you is your problem, not ours.

I thought I added "new information" when I tried to make clear in post #3 that spiritually is not a vacuous feeling of peace or awe, but a self-conscious and intelligible approach to the Absolute, viz. that what transcends us, encompasses us and redeems us (that is, guides us toward having a more abundant life) and reveals to us our true purpose. And I'm not 'imposing' anything, but simply citing a well-nigh universal understanding of 'God.'

 Now, if you want to define spirit in a way that is more accommodating to atheism, then you are free to do so. But in that case, you are obligated to be more clear about what, exactly, you mean by 'spiritual.'

  “God is spirit,” so it puzzles me when professed atheists lay claim to be being 'spiritual.' It seems to me they are either theists unclear in their thinking and/or desiring to avoid the stigma of religion, or atheists not wanting to appear cold and unfeeling.

Yeah I'm a "professed" atheist, as if that's up for debate. I'm an atheist who's "unclear of my thinking" or I am just trying to shallowly avoid being seen as cold and unfeeling. "Hey guys! I'm totally not unfeeling, I'm really emotional just like you religious folk!" 

Your post is insulting on so many levels, please don't insult my intelligence.

I'm sorry you feel insulted, but in the OP you did make it sound like spirituality is nothing more than a vacuous feeling. And you reaffirmed that understanding when you said, "I believe the equivalent of atheist spirituality could be looking at the night sky, or relishing the grandeur of the universe."

“Not only are we in the universe, the universe is in us. I don’t know of any deeper spiritual feeling than what that brings upon me” is as true for theists as it is for atheists, but for theists 'spirituality is more than just a feeling: it's a reasoned and self-conscious participation in the unfolding a purposive universe.

[Cyberman]

I'll take any definition of "spiritual" that is the equivalent of "not all music has to be by Beethoven". I don't need to base anything I might consider spiritual on a god. My insula is not that insular.

[Reflex]

I accept the notion that there are gradations of 'spirituality,' but the mere feeling that Tyson speaks of is spirituality at its most basic (and vacuous) level.

[Cyberman]

Vacuous? A feeling of awe of the Universe is vacuous?

[TrueChristian]

How can one be spiritual as an atheist?

Doesn't an atheist by definition believe "spirits" are just superstition?

[Rhondazvous]

  “God is spirit,” so it puzzles me when professed atheists lay claim to be being 'spiritual.' It seems to me they are either theists unclear in their thinking and/or desiring to avoid the stigma of religion, or atheists not wanting to appear cold and unfeeling.

"God is spirit" is your definition, not ours, one which you're imposing onto the discussion without foundation or adding new information. But even if we go with your definition, it in no way follows that spirituality pertains to "God". Beethoven wrote music, but not all music is Beethoven. Thus, whatever "it seems" to you is your problem, not ours.

Why doesn't this system let me give two or three kudos if I want to?

This is Stimbo at his finest.