How would you define spirituality?

[naomi24]

Following on from the ‘Religion for Atheists’ thread, is it necessary to believe in God to possess a sense of spirituality?

[Old_Geezer]

No more necessary to believe in God to believe in a spiritual realm (for want of a better word) than it is to believe in God in order to believe in a physical realm. This one is here, the other may well be.

So if spiritual issues can be a reality then so must a sense of spirituality. Believe what you wish to believe, whatever makes sense to you.

[RATTER15]

As an atheist I dont actually believe in spirits, however I do believe in spirituality!

To me spirituality would usually mean at one with nature, we have lovely places where can go that are totally uninterrupted by civilisation, where everything we see and hear has been created by nature, these are our spiritual places.

[wildwood]

No.

[RATTER15]

Ok, I accept that spirits and gods are actually different issues, but you know what I mean. :-)

[FredPuli43]

Never really understand this. It appears to be distinct from 'morality'. It seems to be applied to the feeling of calm which believers sometimes have when being confident in their beliefs. "The state or quality of being dedicated to God , religion, or spiritual things or values, espacially as contrasted with material or temporal ones" is Collins Dictionary's attempt at defining it.

[Kiki-frog]

I'd say to start with, you need to define what you mean by 'God'. Are we talking exclusively about the Judaeo-Christian chap with a long white beard living in heaven? Or is this a wider context to include, for example, the Gods and Goddesses of the Hindus or the neo-Pagans?

If you're using the former definition, I would say to your question, no, absolutely not. If you're using the wider definition, I would say, no, probably not.

The use of the word 'spirituality' suggests the acceptance of the belief in spirit, i.e. something that goes beyond the merely physical. Does that 'something' imply that there must necessarily be a Divinity? Probably not. Buddhists, for example, might not believe that there is one head honcho God/dess, but that there is nevertheless a greater truth than we humans cannot comprehend without spiritual evolution. And some might say that we all have a spark of Divinity in us.

A really good question, Naomi, thanks for asking it. You've got me thinking.....

[beso]

I would say that a belief in gods is the antithesis of spirituality.

And the indulgence in religion the antithesis of morality.

[beso]

Yes it is an excellent question Naomi.

[Kiki-frog]

beso - what do you understand by 'spirituality'? I'm just curious.

[beso]

Check out my answer at 09:08 Thu 28th Jun 2012 in
http://www.theanswerb.../Question1146262.html

[woofgang]

spirituality. Its the bit of me that reaches out beyond the physical world.

[jake-the-peg]

No

You can have religion or spirituality without a belief in God

A belief in the supernatual is necessary - you cant be "spiritual" without that

That's not suffiently accurate as belief in crop circles, telekinetics etc is not necessarilly spiritual but it is supernatural

[Kiki-frog]

OK, beso, I've checked back at the link and you say, 'spirituality can mean many things'. I'm none the wiser, I'm asking what YOU understand by it.

[Kiki-frog]

my apologies, beso, I looked at the wrong part of the thread. But I'm still none the wiser. But I am very curious as to why religion makes you so angry. And this is just idle curiosity. I'm not a Christian, so I don't have any axe to grind. Presumably you had a religious upbringing that has left you feeing wounded in some way? None of my business, I kno, but I'm very nosy

[beso]

Religion has not wounded me personally but I have seen vast damage to people through religion, in particular from the Abrahamic faiths.

Religion above all else had inhibited the progress of humanity more than any other factor. It has and continues to corrupt the development of morality and the rights of women and children.

[beso]

I didn't have a religious upbringing. Far from it. I doubt that I would have the innate strength of character to adopt the position I have taken in regard to religion had I been indoctrinated as a child like so many of the religious apologists we see here.

[Kiki-frog]

Hmmm, the problem with that line of argument, beso, is that we cannot know how much religion has inhibited human development, as there is nothing against which to compare it. We can't look at a parallel world and observe how further evolved they are not having religion.

The only possible comparison would be against places where religion has been discouraged or even, in some cases, outlawed - communist China and USSR spring to mind. But this would not be a fair comparison as in these cases political ideology take the place of religion.

So we can't ever know really, can we?

[Kiki-frog]

And re your second comment, beso, I'll hold my hand up and admit that I was wrong. I'd convinced myself you'd had a Roman Catholic education and upbringing. How wrong can one be! I do apologise.

[beso]

jake-the-peg // A belief in the supernatual is necessary - you cant be "spiritual" without that //

Supernatural is a weasel word. Many phenomena now thoroughly explained by science would have once been considered "supernatural". Lightning is an example that comes to mind.

I have little doubt that in time more that is currently considered supernatural w will be revealed by science. So little is understood about consciousness and the most complex thing in the observed universe, the human brain.

Even within this context, spirituality does not require the supernatural. There is spirit in so much of our experience without a hint of the stifling bigotry of religion.

Religion has long presumed that its own tenets are the sole realm of spirituality but how wrong they are. Every week I get together with people I love and we make music. This activity is intensely spiritual.

[beso]

No apology necessary kiki.