I'm not religious, I'm spirtual!

[Abdul Alhazred]

If I had to choose one or the other, I'd choose religious. It's at least possible to be religious without being a total idiot.

[c4ts]

I thought you had to be spiritual in order to be religious. Or is it the other way around?

[shemp]

Does drinking lots of spirits count?

[c4ts]

That will put you in the right mood, no doubt.

[BroodingSkill]

I vote neither

[Iacchus]

Originally posted by Abdul Alhazred
If I had to choose one or the other, I'd choose religious. It's at least possible to be religious without being a total idiot. Well at least if you chose spiritual -- which, is more of one's personal belief -- you don't have to worry about being brain-washed by some church. ;)

[T'ai Chi]

I selected spiritual because I think it is possible to be this as well as an atheist, which best represents my views as a philosophical Taoist.

[!Xx+-Rational-+xX!]

Being the founder of skeptiscientisuperioristism I'm beyond all that nonsense!

[!Xx+-Rational-+xX!]

no dbl post!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! misspelewdd

[Abdul Alhazred]

Originally posted by Iacchus
Well at least if you chose spiritual -- which, is more of one's personal belief -- you don't have to worry about being brain-washed by some church. ;)

Of course I choose neither, but it's possible to be intelligent about some things while being brainwashed by a church that's been around a while. No such option is available for the new age s***head.

[Abdul Alhazred]

Originally posted by T'ai Chi
I selected spiritual because I think it is possible to be this as well as an atheist, which best represents my views as a philosophical Taoist.

Are there unphilosophical Taoists? Are there Taoist ordinary slobs? :p

[Nyarlathotep]

Originally posted by Iacchus
Well at least if you chose spiritual -- which, is more of one's personal belief -- you don't have to worry about being brain-washed by some church. ;)

You might not have to worry about being brainwashed by a church but you do still have to worry about being brainwashed by some guru, spirutual leader or whatever. Brainwashed is still brainwashed regardless of who does it.

I picked neither. In my opinion, saying that one s spiritual but not religious is like saying that you smoked marijuana but you didn't inhale. I think they are both unconvincing, fence-straddling BS answers. Either one believes in souls, spirits, higher powers, and all the stuff that goes into religious/spiritual thought, or one does not. I do not believe in those sorts of things so I am neither religious nor spiritual. If I DID beleive in those things, I would say that I was religious and skip wishy-washy answers like "I am spiritual but not religious"

[T'ai Chi]

Originally posted by Abdul Alhazred

Are there unphilosophical Taoists?


Sure.


Are there Taoist ordinary slobs? :p

Yeah.

[RussDill]

Originally posted by Iacchus
Well at least if you chose spiritual -- which, is more of one's personal belief -- you don't have to worry about being brain-washed by some church. ;)

brainwash yourself at home in just 5 minutes a day!

[Brian O'Blivion]

I do not believe in spirit (except in a purely metaphorical sense), so I'm not spiritual. I believe that I give meaning to my own life and that my potential will only be realized through my own efforts.

[Iacchus]

Originally posted by Nyarlathotep

You might not have to worry about being brainwashed by a church but you do still have to worry about being brainwashed by some guru, spirutual leader or whatever. Brainwashed is still brainwashed regardless of who does it.The brainwashing we are referring to here is called "culture." In which case we are all brainwashed (biased) to some degree.


I picked neither. In my opinion, saying that one s spiritual but not religious is like saying that you smoked marijuana but you didn't inhale. I think they are both unconvincing, fence-straddling BS answers. No, your problem is that you really have no business speaking for someone else on these matters. Like I said there are those who chose spiritual, only because they wish to distance themselves from the particular form of brainwashing that the Church has to offer.

While indeed the scriptures warn us of such things: "God does not dwell in a house built by hands" and, "Many will come in my name to lead many astray."


Either one believes in souls, spirits, higher powers, and all the stuff that goes into religious/spiritual thought, or one does not. I do not believe in those sorts of things so I am neither religious nor spiritual. If I DID beleive in those things, I would say that I was religious and skip wishy-washy answers like "I am spiritual but not religious" These are "your" beliefs nonethess, which is evidence of your own particular brand of brainwashing/bias/culture.

Yes, and there is a deeper meaning connected to the word spiritual, so long as it isn't associated with the superficial antics of some religious-type organization.

[BillyJoe]

Neither - 75%

Does this mean that I am wrong?

[Ruby]

I voted "neither" even though I attend a Unitarian church/fellowship. My Unitarian fellowship is small and is more like a club than a church. It's more philosophical in it's "sermons" than religious. I am more of a secular humanist now in my own personal belief system......although still investigating that belief system.....but don't think of it as a religion.

When I was a Christian, I would have claimed to be spiritual, but not religious. To be "religious" as a Christian, is bad!!! They look upon it with a meaning that is equal to being legalistic. That is one reason you might hear them get upset about being called religious. I don't know how other belief systems feel about being called religious.

I don't even know what it means to be "spiritual" now. All those years that I thought I was oh so spiritual. Now I just don't think it's bunk. Sorry if that sounds mean.

[BillyJoe]

Hello ruby in the dust
Has your band begun to rust?

[Tricky]

I think the main difference between spiritual and religious is that if you are religious, you give names and rankings to the supernatural things you believe in.

[Ruby]

Originally posted by BillyJoe
Hello ruby in the dust
Has your band begun to rust?

:confused:

[Tricky]

Ruby smilied
:confused:
It's a Neil Young song, Ruby. (http://www.hot-lyrics-domain.com/Cowgirl_in_The_Sand_Lyrics.html)

Hello cowgirl in the sand
Is this place at your command
Can I stay here for a while
Can I see your sweet sweet smile
Old enough now to change your name
When so many love you is it the same?
It’s the woman in you that makes you want to play this game.

Hello ruby in the dust
Has your band begun to rust
After all the sin we’ve had
I was hopin’ that we turn back
Old enough now to change your name
When so many love you is it the same
It’s the woman in you that makes you want to play this game.

Hello woman of my dreams
This is not the way it seems
Purple words on a grey background
To be a woman and to be turned down
Old enough now to change your name
When so many love you is it the same
It’s the woman in you that makes you want to play this game.

[Ruby]

Originally posted by Tricky

It's a Neil Young song, Ruby. (http://www.hot-lyrics-domain.com/Cowgirl_in_The_Sand_Lyrics.html)



LOL.......OK!!:D :p

[Igopogo]

To me being 'spiritual' means acknowledging you have, (and acting on) instinctive intuition that has evolved in us. We aren't just computers acting on pure logic, we're also animals and carry our own share of traits found in other animals. There's no spirits or 'soul' involved, so it is an unfortunate word to describe the phenomena that isn't yet understood by us.

[American]

I would only say: believe what you want, and don't share it unless asked.

Most of all, don't push it on your kids (though it's fine to share it with them).

[Chris O.]

I used to be religious, then religious and spiritual, then spiritual, now I live in the Here and now.

[Kopji]

The poll for this question makes more sense than most.

[fishbait]

Spirituality: the last refuge of a failed human. Just another way of distracting yourself from who you really are - George Carlin

[Roadtoad]

Personally, I don't see how you could be one without the other. I could be wrong on this, Abdul, but, it seems to me it's a case of pandering in many ways. Usually, most people who play this game are trying to mollify someone, trying to seem to be what they really are not.

I find myself giving up on spirituality, and for the most part, religion, too. It's rather childish, when you get right down to it, to play word games with this sort of thing.

[Nex]

Hmm... "spirituality" is a fuzzy word, isn't it? Could mean a few different things...

I suppose it would depend on your definition of the words, right? For example, in one of my nursing texts (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/032302839X/ref=lpr_g_2/104-4498165-2294336?v=glance&s=books&n=507846) the authors define spirituality as "the search for meaning in life, whether supernatural or natural in origin." That definition suits me, and so with this definition I could consider myself spiritual even though I'm an agnostic atheist and skepchick.

However, if we were using Merriam-Webster's definitions (http://www.webster.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=spirituality&x=0&y=0), then no, I would not be spiritual at all.

Isn't that one of the first "rules" in critical thinking? Defining your terms? I think it is. ;)

[MLynn]

There was no Whippet option, so I voted tequilla...

[Abdul Alhazred]

An old one, but I note that I had to re-vote with the so-called "uprgrade".

So re-vote folks.

[Roboramma]

I guess when I use the word "spirituality" I tend to be describing aspects of life with emotional resonance. Hm..
Sort of like, trying to define what I find meaningful in my life, without any recourse to the supernatural. Things like seeing beauty in the natural world, enjoying the company of friends, etc.
Things that decribe the "spirit" of life, the reasons why I'm glad to be alive and part of this world.
I know (or am relatively certain) that these things have naturalistic causes, but that doesn't make them any less "spiritual" to me. Maybe even more so.

But then, maybe I'm not being entirely honest with the word. I can only say that it used to have supernatural connotations for me, but that's only because I believed that those phenomena had supernatural explanations. Changing my viewpoint on what causes those phenomena (basically emotions) hasn't changed the way I feel about, or describe them. Maybe it should.

That said, I avoid the word spiritual as much as I can. It's only when I can't think of any other word to fit that I fall back on it...

And yes, I know my views might not be entirely consistent, problem is, I haven't been able yet to form any that are. Alas.

[Jorghnassen]

I am neither, but if I had to choose, I guess it'd depend on the type of religious or the type of spiritual (even if it were solely in the non-alcoholic sense)...

[LordoftheLeftHand]

"I'm not religious, I'm spirtual!" This reminds me of a story my friend told me. Years before she had been seeing this loser of a human being. One day she discovered what looked like a recently used crack pipe in his apartment. She confronted him about it and his response was, "that's not a crack pipe, that's a speed pipe!”

LLH

[Atlas]

I guess when I use the word "spirituality" I tend to be describing aspects of life with emotional resonance. Hm..
Sort of like, trying to define what I find meaningful in my life, without any recourse to the supernatural. Things like seeing beauty in the natural world, enjoying the company of friends, etc.
Things that decribe the "spirit" of life, the reasons why I'm glad to be alive and part of this world.
I know (or am relatively certain) that these things have naturalistic causes, but that doesn't make them any less "spiritual" to me. Maybe even more so.

But then, maybe I'm not being entirely honest with the word. I can only say that it used to have supernatural connotations for me, but that's only because I believed that those phenomena had supernatural explanations. Changing my viewpoint on what causes those phenomena (basically emotions) hasn't changed the way I feel about, or describe them. Maybe it should.

That said, I avoid the word spiritual as much as I can. It's only when I can't think of any other word to fit that I fall back on it...

And yes, I know my views might not be entirely consistent, problem is, I haven't been able yet to form any that are. Alas.Glad you posted Robo, I liked Nex's post too. There does need to be an agreement on the term "spiritual".

To me spirituality is all about accessing emotional states. Love, awe, wonder, joy... Physical reality is a bleak airless moonscape without our subjective appreciation of it. We make it what it is. It is the unknown and our superstitious natures that lead us to embrace religion or religiosity. But we can nurture the epicurean delights and find in them a meaning of life. We can live in the moment embracing the pleasures and pains there because they are ours and ours alone and find meaning in it.

I don't believe you have to be religious to be spiritual. But I do agree that it's a confusing idea if the two are not linked - because that's the common usage.

All it means when you say you are spiritual but not religious is that remember feelings that you have had earlier in your life that made you feel "connected". Maybe to God, maybe to the Universe, maybe to all living things... Now you tend to experience similar rewarding emotional states when you dig in your garden or even meditate on your crystals.

Since joining the forum I've been in a steady drift toward atheism. All we are is our thoughts and feelings. But I have no problem with people who casually drop words like God or soul into discussions. Those are only words for thoughts and feelings. "Spiritual" is a convenient term for some people who have encountered states that were for them lofty or extraordinary and now they find they can generate the state themselves on their morning walks or watching their children grow.

I also think people who use the term segregate their experiences. They'll use it for the bright and peaceful feelings - that's spiritual. But not the fear of the unknown. Truly spiritual people both inside and outside religion seem to be free, or nearly so, of existential angst. Otherwise, they ain't doing it right.

When I was a Christian I reached that emotional state. Quite ironically for me, I am there again as an atheist. Here, I own my thoughts and feelings, there, it was no such thing. I was a kickball between forces of good and evil. Ain't none of us much good at spiritual kickball when we're the ball being kicked. When I take a walk in the woods though, a feeling comes over me. It's a good feeling and I've always used the word spiritual to describe it.

[fishbob]

I think LLH nailed it.