Freethought and Spirituality. For those whose interests are directed away from religious doctrine and toward nature, humanism, pantheism and so forth. We judge spirituality based upon the popular notion that America is a "Christian" nation. Far from it. Examples of anti-Christian behavior can be seen in every video, TV show, movie, news report, in the brutal behavior demonstrated toward others in often violent ways by those who claim to be "Good Christians" or whatever. It gives a person a great deal to think about when faced with reality. Here is an article that contains many points of view that are just as worthy of consideration as straight forward dogma articles.
"I write this article in response to our own Sheri Lawson and to another friend, Dr. Valerie Tarico*, who writes for Ex-Christian.net website. While I rely heavily on humanism, I will touch on naturalism and, ironically, Pantheism, which relates, I hear, to a future God Discussion Radio show guest.
Can one be a freethinker or an intellectual and spiritual too? Various people have asked that question in many different ways lately. Three years ago, even Salman Rushdie asked a similar question of Molleen Matsumura, AKA Sweet Reason, on The Humanist Network News Podcast, which is the first eleven minutes of the show. Sweet Reason’s basic thesis was, “Let’s reclaim the language and not recreate a new language.”
While some atheists may disagree with me, I do not think spirituality is exclusive to theists, but notice, I did change the word slightly. I also think, with some redefining of the word, we freethinkers can reclaim what is part of the human condition. Another way to ask this question is, “What does it mean to be human?” That is the basis of many such questions, which I often ponder, especially since I left religion.
First, how is spirituality part of the human condition? To answer this question, I must look to humanism and psychology to find a satisfactory answer.
None of this is about a god of religion, but rather a reverence for animals, nature, the earth, and the universe as a whole. However, the idea of reverence for the earth and the cosmos is part of where the idea of “all god” occured, thus the term Pantheism or “Sexed up atheism” as Richard Dawkins once called and Pantheism.net wrote a response.
http://www.goddiscussion.com/84121/freethought-and-spirituality/
An external stimulus triggers internal chemistry in the brain, causing us feelings we can label “numinous”, “transcending”, “awesome”, “spiritual”, and, one I created for extreme emotions, “quantum influx of disequilibrium”. This is not religious, but rather describing and claiming an extreme feeling, which occurs naturally in relationship to others and our environment, using the insufficient vocabulary we possess already.
These peak experiences, albeit more powerful and overwhelming than any human language can describe, are no different from any other emotions that humans experience. In my opinion, it is also part of what makes us human.
Thus, with this great vast awesome connection to everything in the universe, we need to redefine “spirituality”, as even Sweet Reason suggested. We can fill the “God-shape Hole” that Rushdie referred to, after leaving his religion, with a love and adoration for the human condition, other animals, the earth, the universe, and the cosmos as a whole."
Freethought and Spirituality. Well, anyone who knows me knows that I am all about free thought and spirituality in whatever form it comes, apart from organized religious doctrines and satanic worship, both of which I find confusing and wrong for me.
http://www.goddiscussion.com/84121/freethought-and-spirituality/
"I write this article in response to our own Sheri Lawson and to another friend, Dr. Valerie Tarico*, who writes for Ex-Christian.net website. While I rely heavily on humanism, I will touch on naturalism and, ironically, Pantheism, which relates, I hear, to a future God Discussion Radio show guest.
Can one be a freethinker or an intellectual and spiritual too? Various people have asked that question in many different ways lately. Three years ago, even Salman Rushdie asked a similar question of Molleen Matsumura, AKA Sweet Reason, on The Humanist Network News Podcast, which is the first eleven minutes of the show. Sweet Reason’s basic thesis was, “Let’s reclaim the language and not recreate a new language.”
While some atheists may disagree with me, I do not think spirituality is exclusive to theists, but notice, I did change the word slightly. I also think, with some redefining of the word, we freethinkers can reclaim what is part of the human condition. Another way to ask this question is, “What does it mean to be human?” That is the basis of many such questions, which I often ponder, especially since I left religion.
First, how is spirituality part of the human condition? To answer this question, I must look to humanism and psychology to find a satisfactory answer.
None of this is about a god of religion, but rather a reverence for animals, nature, the earth, and the universe as a whole. However, the idea of reverence for the earth and the cosmos is part of where the idea of “all god” occured, thus the term Pantheism or “Sexed up atheism” as Richard Dawkins once called and Pantheism.net wrote a response.
http://www.goddiscussion.com/84121/freethought-and-spirituality/
An external stimulus triggers internal chemistry in the brain, causing us feelings we can label “numinous”, “transcending”, “awesome”, “spiritual”, and, one I created for extreme emotions, “quantum influx of disequilibrium”. This is not religious, but rather describing and claiming an extreme feeling, which occurs naturally in relationship to others and our environment, using the insufficient vocabulary we possess already.
These peak experiences, albeit more powerful and overwhelming than any human language can describe, are no different from any other emotions that humans experience. In my opinion, it is also part of what makes us human.
Thus, with this great vast awesome connection to everything in the universe, we need to redefine “spirituality”, as even Sweet Reason suggested. We can fill the “God-shape Hole” that Rushdie referred to, after leaving his religion, with a love and adoration for the human condition, other animals, the earth, the universe, and the cosmos as a whole."
Freethought and Spirituality. Well, anyone who knows me knows that I am all about free thought and spirituality in whatever form it comes, apart from organized religious doctrines and satanic worship, both of which I find confusing and wrong for me.
http://www.goddiscussion.com/84121/freethought-and-spirituality/
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