People who claim to be 'spiritual'

lazygal

Are they just kidding themselves? Anyone I know who says they aren't religious 'But I'm a very spiritual person' seems to think its a kind of a get out of jail free card for rejecting religion. Like, they don't want to be associated with an organised religion, but want to feel like there's something more to life. Is it not just wishy-washy and make-up? Seems like its covering your arse just in case.

maximoose

I'm spiritual. What does liking the odd vodka have to do with religion?

lukesmom

lazygal wrote: »

Are they just kidding themselves? Anyone I know who says they aren't religious 'But I'm a very spiritual person' seems to think its a kind of a get out of jail free card for rejecting religion. Like, they don't want to be associated with an organised religion, but want to feel like there's something more to life. Is it not just wishy-washy and make-up? Seems like its covering your arse just in case.

I would fall into this category. Im not big into organised religion but I do believe in a higher power therefore I am a spiritual person.

jonnyfingers

In my opinion a spiritual person is someone who doesn't believe in God but prays for Ireland to score in the last few minutes of a game. Just on the off chance like.

Doctor DooM

I'd say it's more to do with the fact you've had religion pounded into you since school, and a fear of the rejection of god.

It can be a hard thing to think of for some people, that possibly this is it, all there is. Spirituality is a nice comfort zone where detached old men don't get to tell you what to do while you you still get the benefits.

To be honest, virtually every person who is religious outside of the hard fundimentalists do this anyway- it's amazing how god doesn't REALLY mind the things you like to do, isn't it?

Seedy Arling

This is what was being advertised to me on this page.

Rasheed

I think if it gives people comfort to get through tough things, why not?

Whether its praying to god, their dead granny or aliens, if it seems to help, best of luck to them.

Frederica Beauregard

lazygal wrote: »

Anyone I know who says they aren't religious 'But I'm a very spiritual person' seems to think its a kind of a get out of jail free card for rejecting religion. Like, they don't want to be associated with an organised religion, but want to feel like there's something more to life. Is it not just wishy-washy and make-up? Seems like its covering your arse just in case.

Someone could only be described as "covering their arse" if they said they believed in a religion. Being just spiritual couldn't be described as that, as there are no touted penalties for someone not being spiritual at the point of death, in the way as some religions claim that there are for those not believing in one religion or another.

Sleepy

To me, it means they know they're being stupid but just can't help themselves...

Frederica Beauregard

Sleepy wrote: »

To me, it means they know they're being stupid but just can't help themselves...

Like you knowing that you're being obnoxious but can't help yourself?

JohnMarston

I cant blame people for not choosing an organised religion. The lies, false teachings and hyprocrisy associated with a lot of religous organisations is enough to turn anyone off

Sleepy

Frederica Beauregard wrote: »

Like you knowing that you're being obnoxious but can't help yourself?

Exactly.

TBH, I don't care if my opinions on religion are considered obnoxious, it's a far more offensive thing to consider religion as being worthy of respect imo. Me being obnoxious causes the world very little harm. Self-delusion on such a grand scale as we see with religious beliefs, whether organised or not, in the kindest light possible is a vast misallocation of human potential. In harsher light, it's been the cause of wars, genocide, the hoarding of wealth that could end world hunger, etc. etc. etc.

seamus

Because being "spiritual" requires the minimum amount of effort. You're brought up to believe in God, but you find that the way you want to live your life is incompatible with the way that the church wants you to live your life.
However, as with most things taught from birth, you have difficulty questioning it or reassessing it, so the way to continue living your life with minimal disruption and mental effort is to reject the church and declare yourself "spiritual".

charlemont

I completely believe that there is a God, But I'm not thick enough to take my teachings from another human, why should I ? God or our creator gave us the capacity to think, To think for yourself.

Sleepy

And is it thinking for yourself to accept the unlikely existence of an omnipotent creator of which we have no evidence that has been foisted upon you since childhood?

Or would thinking about it for yourself force you to accept something humanity seems to have such a hard time admitting that we'll waste entire lives in devotion to fantasy deities: that we neither know nor understand where any of us came from or how this universe came to be.

kylith

I hate the word 'spiritual'. It always seems to come from the mouth of someone who has rejected Christianity and picked up a mix of Buddhism, power crystals, angels, tarot, ghosts and other nonsense. And they always want to tell you all about it.

Angeles

Depends on what you believe a spiritual person to be.

A spiritual person is synonymous with being a person whose highest priority is to be loving to oneself and others. A spiritual person cares about people, animals, and the planet. A spiritual person knows that we are all One, and consciously attempts to honor this Oneness. A spiritual person is a kind person.

I don't think any of these qualities mean they must be religious or believe in a god.

Benny_Cake

lazygal wrote: »

Are they just kidding themselves? Anyone I know who says they aren't religious 'But I'm a very spiritual person' seems to think its a kind of a get out of jail free card for rejecting religion. Like, they don't want to be associated with an organised religion, but want to feel like there's something more to life. Is it not just wishy-washy and make-up? Seems like its covering your arse just in case.

Just wondering, why do you care? Or is it just a pet peeve?

Frederica Beauregard

Sleepy wrote: »

Exactly.

TBH, I don't care if my opinions on religion are considered obnoxious, it's a far more offensive thing to consider religion as being worthy of respect imo.

That's not what you said in your first post. We're not talking about religion or being religious and neither were you.

You inferred that people who say they were spiritual, were "being stupid" - reread your post if you need clarification of what you typed.

Lapin

lazygal wrote: »

Are they just kidding themselves? Anyone I know who says they aren't religious 'But I'm a very spiritual person' seems to think its a kind of a get out of jail free card for rejecting religion. Like, they don't want to be associated with an organised religion, but want to feel like there's something more to life. Is it not just wishy-washy and make-up? Seems like its covering your arse just in case.

Its the modern day equivelant to Pascal's Wager.


Personally I feel the whole spirituality concept to be a load of nonsense.

I find it more liberating to accept the fact that were are biological beings that will someday expire.

When we're gone we're gone and thats it.

If you have the freedom of thought to accept that, you'll live a more fulfilling life in the present rather than living in the hope that you'll get to live another life after this one.

seamus

Lapin wrote: »

If you have the freedom of thought to accept that, you'll live a more fulfilling life in the present rather than living in the hope that you'll get to live another life after this one.

Not even that, I'd find it very stressful to think that there are ethereal forces which exist which intelligently guide our fate and decide on a whim whether we'll have a good day or bad day.

That's just going to make you stressed because when stuff goes to ****, you'll feel like you're being picked on.

If you accept that there are no intelligent forces messing with your fate, and that everything which happens is just a result of plain old chance, then it's much easier to roll with the punches.

IamtheWalrus

lukesmom wrote: »

I do believe in a higher power therefore I am a spiritual person.

What makes you believe in a higher power? I've heard lots of people believing in this higher power. What form do you think it takes? If you mean a creator, then why not say so? Is using the term 'higher power' a way to distance yourself from religion yet believe in god?

My name is URL

Like, they don't want to be associated with an organised religion, but want to feel like there's something more to life.

The monsters :mad:

Seriously though... why would you give a damn whether or not somebody wants to believe that stuff? Does it negatively impact you in any way? I don't get it myself, but nor do I get why people become so worked up over the beliefs of others. Both are as stupid as each other.

Frederica Beauregard

Lapin wrote: »

If you have the freedom of thought to accept that, you'll live a more fulfilling life in the present rather than living in the hope that you'll get to live another life after this one.

Someone can not do both, no?

I know many people who would consider themselves to be spiritual and not indoctrinated to any religion and yet they all seem to be living fulfilling lives, not holding back just because of what they feel is to come.

On the contrary, I think the notion that there is nothing more to life that what we have here and now would be far more likely to be life tempering.

I mean, if you were in the pub having a few pints, wouldn't you enjoy them more knowing that you going clubbing afterwards? I know I would.

No, I don't think there is a nightclub in the sky.

Lelantos

charlemont wrote: »

I completely believe that there is a God, But I'm not thick enough to take my teachings from another human, why should I ? God or our creator gave us the capacity to think, To think for yourself.

Funnily enough, without taking the teachings of other human beings thru the years you would have no evidence or belief in your god as there is no other frame of reference for his existence.

Priori

It's funny how some people assume that anybody who believes in a higher power is some sense brainwashed. Precisely the same thing can be said of those that unquestioningly take on board the unproven assumptions from which naturalism and scientism spring. What you consider 'evidence' is very much dependent upon what you initially set out to search for.

Canis Lupus

You should pop into the spirituality forum. Full of reiki healers and healing crystal malarkey.

It continually amazes me that in this day and age, with the knowledge available to us that people believe in that kind of bull.

In regards to 'being spiritual', well if you're not the new age hippy type it's just a cop out from organised religion.

Doctor DooM

Priori wrote: »

What you consider 'evidence' is very much dependent upon what you initially set out to search for.

Actually, that's the exact opposite of the scientific method.

Madam_X

Angeles wrote: »

Depends on what you believe a spiritual person to be.
I don't think any of these qualities mean they must be religious or believe in a god.

Exactly. I don't believe in god in the traditional sense but I still wonder whether there is other stuff going on out there beyond the realm we occupy. Sometimes there are patterns that are too regular and consistent to be coincidence.

seamus

Priori wrote: »

What you consider 'evidence' is very much dependent upon what you initially set out to search for.

You misunderstand science. Science finds evidence and then draws conclusions. It doesn't come to conclusions and then look for evidence.

In fact doing the latter will result in your science being binned and laughed at. Which is why people who know science, laugh at religions who try to be scientific about it.

I love this new-agey "science is just another kind of faith", nonsense. First learn what science is before you call it a faith.

professore

Priori wrote: »

It's funny how some people assume that anybody who believes in a higher power is some sense brainwashed. Precisely the same thing can be said of those that unquestioningly take on board the unproven assumptions from which naturalism and scientism spring. What you consider 'evidence' is very much dependent upon what you initially set out to search for.

.... and there was me thinking scientism was a makey-uppey word ! But it actually is a word !!!! You learn something new every day.

By the way you obviously don't understand the scientific method if you use the word "unquestioningly" in the same sentence.

professore

seamus wrote: »

You misunderstand science. Science finds evidence and then draws conclusions. It doesn't come to conclusions and then look for evidence.

In fact doing the latter will result in your science being binned and laughed at. Which is why people who know science, laugh at religions who try to be scientific about it.

I love this new-agey "science is just another kind of faith", nonsense. First learn what science is before you call it a faith.

You got there before me.

Priori

Doctor DooM wrote: »

Actually, that's the exact opposite of the scientific method.

"Actually". :rolleyes:

Have you read Thomas Kuhn's SSR? Or studied any of the philosophy of science? I'm sorry, but what you are prepared, in advance, to accept as evidence counts greatly towards what eventually becomes accepted as fact.

Priori

seamus wrote:

I love this new-agey "science is just another kind of faith", nonsense.

Not me.

professore

Madam_X wrote: »

Exactly. I don't believe in god in the traditional sense but I still wonder whether there is other stuff going on out there beyond the realm we occupy. Sometimes there are patterns that are too regular and consistent to be coincidence.

So too do any scientists worth their salt. Then they sit down and work out how to measure the odds of something being a coincidence or not. If you flip a coin 3 times and get 3 heads then it's probably a coincidence. Flip it 1000 times and get 1000 heads and it's far less likely to be a coincidence (still possible though !!!)

Priori

professore wrote:

By the way you obviously don't understand the scientific method if you use the word "unquestioningly" in the same sentence.

Very sound reasoning. Are you claiming that "unquestioningly" isn't a real word?

lounakin

Since when is the concept of life, death, eternity etc the property of religion? You'd have to be incredibly narrow-minded and/or have been 'pounded with religion' like another poster said to believe that. Anyone can be inclined to believe in something more than the eye can meet, even without the influence of religion.

charlemont

Lelantos wrote: »

Funnily enough, without taking the teachings of other human beings thru the years you would have no evidence or belief in your god as there is no other frame of reference for his existence.

Our existence is enough proof for me, Intelligence, Animals etc, The way atoms and all that other science stuff works is more proof for me..Do I know why we're here, No, But we are here and like everything else there must be a reason.

Some of these religious church people are basically faking it, They are only capable of thinking the same as anyone else. But they preach a lot of junk based on other peoples writings etc..

Doctor DooM

Priori wrote: »

"Actually". :rolleyes:

Have you read Thomas Kuhn's SSR? Or studied any of the philosophy of science? I'm sorry, but what you are prepared, in advance, to accept as evidence counts greatly towards what eventually becomes accepted as fact.

Nah, I just did science in college.

Maximus Alexander

Madam_X wrote: »

Exactly. I don't believe in god in the traditional sense but I still wonder whether there is other stuff going on out there beyond the realm we occupy. Sometimes there are patterns that are too regular and consistent to be coincidence.

I don't pretend to have all the answers, but it's worth remembering that the human brain is wired to pull patterns out of noise.

That's the reason this looks to us like a face, when objectively it looks nothing like a face.

Zebra3

lazygal wrote: »

Are they just kidding themselves? Anyone I know who says they aren't religious 'But I'm a very spiritual person' seems to think its a kind of a get out of jail free card for rejecting religion. Like, they don't want to be associated with an organised religion, but want to feel like there's something more to life. Is it not just wishy-washy and make-up? Seems like its covering your arse just in case.

It's a snobbish way of saying "I'm too good for organised cults and to be an atheist".

FairytaleGirl

I consider myself spiritual in that I believe God and the man made Instuition of the Catholic Church are two very separate and different things.

I believe there is life after death, and that praying and talking to God works. But when other comes.to all these rules in the bible I just disagree. I mean God is all forgiving and loves all his children etc so how can his teachings be interpreted by certain people to be exclusive, discriminatory, judgmental etc??

I have a personal relationship with my God. Church doesn't come into it, I lead a good life, I am a good person, and I reckon that means more to God than someone who's up kissing the altar every week but pickets gay pride or batters their wife/kids every weekend.

Da Shins Kelly

Spiritual just makes me think they're people who maybe believe that there's something more, but prefer to keep it to themselves rather than going on about it and adhering to the rules and regulations of organised religion. Nothing wrong with that, and I don't really understand why anyone cares.

Ush1

Priori wrote: »

It's funny how some people assume that anybody who believes in a higher power is some sense brainwashed. Precisely the same thing can be said of those that unquestioningly take on board the unproven assumptions from which naturalism and scientism spring. What you consider 'evidence' is very much dependent upon what you initially set out to search for.

What unproven assumptions has scientism sprung from?

Science works, that we know. Planes fly, cars go, computers compute, etc...

smurgen

Madam_X wrote: »

Exactly. I don't believe in god in the traditional sense but I still wonder whether there is other stuff going on out there beyond the realm we occupy. Sometimes there are patterns that are too regular and consistent to be coincidence.

It's weird,i'm not religious but I would consider myself spiritual. I would also put my faith in science all the time to explain things but for some reason this feeling of something else keeps coming over me. A good example ; I was out running the other night late was running by the lake and stopped to look at the mountains,stars etc. when I felt a complete sense of peacefullness and safety around me. Dunno why. I mean hear I am in a strange country out in an isolated area with no one to help me if anything goes wrong and yet i never feel so secure or comfortable in my life. The feeling of isolation and insignificance was reassuring for some reason.I can't explain it. That to me is what I mean when I say i'm spiritual, I dunno maby it's the wrong definition of the word Maby the word spiritual for other people creates images of tarrot card readers or something but this is what it means for me.

flutterflye

I've tried to understand what spirituality is tons of times.
What is it? What does it mean?
Is it not believing in any set thing, but yet believing there is 'something'? Because that's being agnostic.
Is it all the crystals and reiki crap?
I just don't understand what it's supposed to mean to be spiritual.

flutterflye

smurgen wrote: »

It's weird,i'm not religious but I would consider myself spiritual. I would also put my faith in science all the time to explain things but for some reason this feeling of something else keeps coming over me. A good example ; I was out running the other night late was running by the lake and stopped to look at the mountains,stars etc. when I felt a complete sense of peacefullness and safety around me. Dunno why. I mean hear I am in a strange country out in an isolated area with no one to help me if anything goes wrong and yet i never feel so secure or comfortable in my life. The feeling of isolation and insignificance was reassuring for some reason.I can't explain it. That to me is what I mean when I say i'm spiritual, I dunno maby it's the wrong definition of the word Maby the word spiritual for other people creates images of tarrot card readers or something but this is what it means for me.

What you say you believe spiritality to be - I've felt that a million times - does this mean I've been spiritual all these years and just never knew?! :eek:

aujopimur

I was at a small non religious memorial service recently, it's normally sad but it's ok, this year some weirdo/hippy decided to put some candles and tree branches in the middle of the room, and asked people to dance around them, what a load of bollox.

Sleepy

Frederica Beauregard wrote: »

That's not what you said in your first post. We're not talking about religion or being religious and neither were you.

You inferred that people who say they were spiritual, were "being stupid" - reread your post if you need clarification of what you typed.

A belief in a deity is stupid.

Having the sense to reject organised religion yet still claim a belief in "spirituality" or some kind of deity is imo, knowingly being stupid: they've been able to make the mental leap that indicates their logical mind isn't incapable of independent thought but are emotionally unwilling to accept reality.

Sleepy

smurgen wrote: »

It's weird,i'm not religious but I would consider myself spiritual. I would also put my faith in science all the time to explain things but for some reason this feeling of something else keeps coming over me. A good example ; I was out running the other night late was running by the lake and stopped to look at the mountains,stars etc. when I felt a complete sense of peacefullness and safety around me. Dunno why. I mean hear I am in a strange country out in an isolated area with no one to help me if anything goes wrong and yet i never feel so secure or comfortable in my life. The feeling of isolation and insignificance was reassuring for some reason.I can't explain it. That to me is what I mean when I say i'm spiritual, I dunno maby it's the wrong definition of the word Maby the word spiritual for other people creates images of tarrot card readers or something but this is what it means for me.

It's called an exercise induced endorphin rush.

lounakin

flutterflye wrote: »

I've tried to understand what spirituality is tons of times.
What is it? What does it mean?
Is it not believing in any set thing, but yet believing there is 'something'? Because that's being agnostic.
Is it all the crystals and reiki crap?
I just don't understand what it's supposed to mean to be spiritual.

Look it up?!