Do You Believe In Anything Spiritual ?

[modeller]

I am an Atheist but I don't have anything that, I know of, in common with other Atheists . I know several non religionists who don't believe in any specific religion but nevertheless believe in the concept of a God.

[Old_Geezer]

I think from my experiences at Spiritualist churches and seances that a spiritual realm is likely. Not certain of course but I've experienced things that don't seem to have a better explanation. But that is a different issue than whether there is a God and if so what form it would take.

[Cloverjo]

No. I've been to a spiritualist church, while I still vaguely believed in stuff like that. My time there convinced me it was all a load of bunkum.

[jomifl]

The word 'spiritual' has many meanings most of them nothing to do with 'spirits'

[Old_Geezer]

So sing us a song jomifl :-)

[keyplus90]

Confused, nothing more than that.

[jomifl]

or songs :-)

[Prudie]

Surely if you believe in the concept of some God you're not an Atheist?

[jomifl]

Modeller, you are right to believe in the concept of a god, for the concept of a god does indeed exist. Belief in an actual god other than a lump of carved wood or stone however is more problematical.

[jourdain2]

Yes, I do. I had quite a long period (over 10 years years) of being agnostic, verging on atheistic and having hard debates inside myself.

One day I had a spiritual experience quite out of the blue, don't ask- I don't talk about it, and that was that, forever. At a bit of a loss I tried the C of E because a friend attended (I was baptised C of E, but raised Methodist). I have found some comfortable churches and some not so. I don't have to be subservient to the Archbish. of Canterbury and some of the dafter ideas that emerge. I have now found my niche in a little country church which is an extension of the village and I am very happy. Diverged a bit, but the answer is still 'yes'.

[mikey4444]

Modeller....surely you have something very important in common with other Atheist....you refuse to believe in superstition.

Atheist doesn't believe in any religion and that includes the "concept" of a God.

[naomi24]

Keyplus, //Confused, nothing more than that.//

For once you're right. Spirituality should never be confused with religion. Sadly it usually is.

[jomifl]

Mikey the very fact that we can discuss a god that doesn't exist proves that the concept of a god exists.

[mikey4444]

Jom....but I am an Atheist and the "concept" doesn't exist for me. It might for others, but not for me. If it did, I would have to seriously question my Atheism.

I am not an Atheist by accident, or default. I have studied the subject and thought hard about it, and came to the conclusion when I was in my mid-20's, after having had a pretty strict Catholic upbringing.

But what other people believe is up to them. As long as it doesn't effect me personally, I am quite relaxed about the issue.

[Old_Geezer]

If the concept doesn't exist for you, what have you just been discussing ?

[mikey4444]

OG...I have been responding to Modeller's thread, just like you !

[Old_Geezer]

Have you ever thought of going into politics ?

[mikey4444]

OG....As Bea Clissold, Lady Counterblast, would have said.....many, many times !

[RATTER15]

mikey, I think what they are saying, and I agree, is that the "concept" exists not the God.

Clearly their is a concept, whether you believe in that concept of there being a God is another thing all together.

[mikey4444]

Ratter...this concept could also be said to exist about the tooth fairy, elves, and Gandalf.

My personal opinion is that it is just lazy intellectual thinking, but I am quite prepared to accept that it may be the same for everybody.

[Cloverjo]

Going back to the OP, a concept of God exists because people believe in him/it. I'm not sure that is what the OP meant though. I read it to mean that he thinks atheists believe there is something else out there; not God, but something else spiritual.
This atheist doesn't, although as I've said before I like to think of dead people that I've loved somehow existing and communicating up there in some way, because I can't cope, otherwise.