My favorite atheist, Michael Shermer, has written a good essay called Finding Spiritual Fulfillment Outside of Belief for belief.com. Michael has followed a path very similar to my own, so I connect with his writing at a much deeper level than most science authors.
My favorite Shermer book is Why People Believe Weird Things, it is worth a read too.
Shermer also published this essay, which addresses many of the recent ID v Evolution events of recent weeks, like Bush's comments on ID.
4 comments:
I read all of Shermer's essay. Awe is good and I like awe but awe has very little to do with spirit as in spirutality. Spirituality has to do with just that "spirit". I think he means humility or maybe somethng else. But you can;t be a naturalist and have spiritality. Of course you can be a naturalist and pretend to have morality and significance but that is actually kinda tricky too.
Sorry you can't have your cake and eat it too. I am not saying you have to have my conception of what spiritually exists to be spiritual but you can say nothing exist spiritually and then say you are spiritual.
I think he really is saying just because I am an atheist doen't mean I am immoral or have no respect for anything. Fine but don't call it spiritual. Maybe I missed something??
Brad,
Spirituality means many things to many people - being trapped in your Christian persona limits your ability to see how others related to complex matters A good definition to work with (because words have more than one definition) is:
This term is defined quite differently by monotheists, polytheists, humanists, followers of new age, Native Americans, etc. A common meaning is "devotion to metaphysical matters, as opposed to worldly things." Another is "Activities which renew, lift up, comfort, heal and inspire both ourselves and those with whom we interact."
From religioustolerance.org
It's crazy really that lately I have been struggling internally with my own "spirituality." I used to be a staunch athiest, but I became an agnostic but I realized that I don't know if there is a godor not. I study religions because I want to learn where people come from and I dont want to be an uneducated or inexperienced fool spouting rhetoric. I don't believe there is a god, and I don't know if there is a god. Crazy I know... I suppose I just dont like being labeled all that often because with labels come restrictions and such.
I really liked this essay, it spoke to me in a lot of ways that I had been looking for. I redifnes what it is to be a skeptic, which I am. It redefines for me the meaning of athiest and puts into perspective that feeling "spiritual" or otherwise that you get from such things as that awe inspiring view upon the mountain, or Van Goghs Painting. Thanks Mojoey you helped me more than you know. Talk about timing.
I hear you Johnny - I first hear Shermer on the radio a few years back. Then I picked up my first Skeptic mag and the rest is history.
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