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What is spirituality to you?
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Nov 17, 2009, 11:02 PM
 
I am curious as to everyones opinions. My SO recently went to Hawaii and was talking about having a spiritual moment, and it made me wonder what it means to everyone.

This is not intended to be a flame war, or attacking religion, so I would appreciate if it doesn't degrade to that.

For me, I have never thought of myself as spiritual. It is a concept that is fairly foreign, and I am not sure if I would recognize a spiritual moment if it kicked me in the ass.
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Nov 18, 2009, 08:24 AM
 
A tax scam.
     
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Nov 18, 2009, 10:47 AM
 
I'm interested to see where this goes.
     
sek929
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Nov 18, 2009, 01:21 PM
 
I can look at the night sky and feel spiritual in a way that I'm amazed at the wonder that I know exists, and amazed at the wealth of all I don't know. Being spiritual means to me that one doesn't want or need organized religion, yet is still fascinated with the unknown and willing to accept something far greater than what we see exists.

Recently my best friend got married, and neither of them are religious. However he told me afterwards that it was the closing thing to a 'seeing god' spiritual moment that he's ever had in his life.
     
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Nov 18, 2009, 03:26 PM
 
At one point in my life I viewed organized religion as an important part of who I am, but that was a long time ago. I still attend a couple churches on occasion, but it's almost exclusively for the social contact. Now, my spirituality is so integrated into me that I can't tell you where it begins and ends. My philosophy and practices define me, and I no longer even try to differentiate between the physical and spiritual worlds. It feels awkward for me to think of them as being different or separate.
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Nov 18, 2009, 04:41 PM
 
I've always considered spirituality as the willingness to accept that there is some greater force that imposes it's will on life and the universe.

It follows then that a spiritual moment would be when one feels they have had contact with this greater force.

Needless to say, I've never had a spiritual moment. My reality is based in the physical realm.
     
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Nov 18, 2009, 04:45 PM
 
The physical realm is still being manipulated by forces we have yet to understand. Reality is fabricated by our minds based upon our limited understanding of our universe. I know I am flesh and bone, made of molecules, made from atoms...but what lies deep past that level?
     
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Nov 18, 2009, 04:50 PM
 
Originally Posted by sek929 View Post
The physical realm is still being manipulated by forces we have yet to understand. Reality is fabricated by our minds based upon our limited understanding of our universe. I know I am flesh and bone, made of molecules, made from atoms...but what lies deep past that level?
Does it really matter? Will it change the fact that you wake up every day and have to go to work? That your mortgage is due every month? That sex feels great? That it hurts when you drop a hammer on your toe?
     
sek929
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Nov 18, 2009, 04:59 PM
 
I say it does matter, immensely.

It might not make the mortgage go away, but I feel it helps me gain perspective whenever I'm in a bad mood. Yes my truck broke down, but isn't it neat that we are all a soup of atoms bound by electromagnetism in an exponentially expanding universe? If we are talking spirituality then I say god is in the details of our existence, the unknown, the common thread that binds everything together from the largest black hole to an electron.
     
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Nov 18, 2009, 05:24 PM
 
Originally Posted by sek929 View Post
I say it does matter, immensely.
Yes, it does. Such forces can be harnessed.
Been inclined to wander... off the beaten track.
That's where there's thunder... and the wind shouts back.
     
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Nov 19, 2009, 03:54 AM
 
Spirituality can take on different meanings for different people. For some, it's apparently fashionable to call one's self a spiritual person rather than a religious person.

Personally, my own definition of spirituality is a connection to or appreciation for something greater (than the material universe as we perceive it) or transcendent. Belief in the existence of the spirit can be a mark of spirituality.
( Last edited by Big Mac; Nov 19, 2009 at 04:02 AM. )

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Nov 19, 2009, 01:04 PM
 
I'm not certain 'spirituality'(or one's definition/interpretation) means the same thing to everyone.

As a kid, i grew up going to catechism class, and usually when it came to spirituality, we were told what it was and what's it's supposed to be, almost as though it's something so identifiable for anyone to see. I never really understood or thought much about it, and it was just an abstraction for the most part.

As weird as it might sound, i guess i "felt" it when i caught my first wave. It was personal yet connected to everyone.... i guess it was a realization that the exhilaration i was experiencing riding that wave came from every decision my forefathers had made that lead me to that moment. The realization that here is this immense power of the ocean, and it almost seemed like it had come out to play as it probably had for eons, and it was 'pure' free and 'unadulterated'... kinda like the loyalty/love you get from a pet dog. Immense gratitude that needed to be placed somewhere i guess.

I dont remember the term used to describe this phenomenon, but it's sorta like something thats always there but you never really notice it until something jolts you and you realize it.

Great subject matter and thanks for bringing it up.
     
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Nov 19, 2009, 01:33 PM
 
Originally Posted by Big Mac View Post
For some, it's apparently fashionable to call one's self a spiritual person rather than a religious person.
What are you referring to?
     
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Nov 19, 2009, 02:31 PM
 
Originally Posted by sek929 View Post
The physical realm is still being manipulated by forces we have yet to understand. Reality is fabricated by our minds based upon our limited understanding of our universe. I know I am flesh and bone, made of molecules, made from atoms...but what lies deep past that level?
Quarks.
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Nov 19, 2009, 03:45 PM
 
Originally Posted by olePigeon View Post
Quarks.
Technically, protons, neutrons, & electrons, and then quarks.
     
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Nov 19, 2009, 03:47 PM
 
Gentlemen, I'm pretty sure it's baby turtles, all the way down.
     
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Nov 19, 2009, 03:50 PM
 
What is spirituality to me?

Spirituality is a word people apply to feelings that they don't understand, when they don't have the courage to fully admit to themselves that there is no supernatural spirit or force creating and guiding all of this.
Being in debt and celebrating a lower deficit is like being on a diet and celebrating the fact you gained two pounds this week instead of five.
     
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Nov 19, 2009, 04:12 PM
 
Originally Posted by Warhaven View Post
Technically, protons, neutrons, & electrons, and then quarks.
Let's not forget strangeness and charm.
Been inclined to wander... off the beaten track.
That's where there's thunder... and the wind shouts back.
     
sek929
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Nov 19, 2009, 05:34 PM
 
Originally Posted by olePigeon View Post
Quarks.
and of course those will be definitively shown to be the last particle ever.
     
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Nov 19, 2009, 05:39 PM
 
What do particles have to do with spirituality again?
Being in debt and celebrating a lower deficit is like being on a diet and celebrating the fact you gained two pounds this week instead of five.
     
The Final Dakar
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Nov 19, 2009, 05:42 PM
 
The Jedi **** thats in every living thing or something.
     
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Nov 19, 2009, 05:49 PM
 
Oh, that Midi-chlorian stuff. I think any common hand sanitizer will take care of that.
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Nov 19, 2009, 07:06 PM
 
Originally Posted by Doofy View Post
Yes, it does. Such forces can be harnessed.
Just takes a large harness, and a big pair of stones.

Originally Posted by smacintush View Post
What is spirituality to me?

Spirituality is a word people apply to feelings that they don't understand, when they don't have the courage to fully admit to themselves that there is no supernatural spirit or force creating and guiding all of this.
and here I thought this could be a friendly discussion.

I suppose I could say that anti-spiritual people are simply those who are too lazy to go out and find a real answer. However, that would probably get your dander up, wouldn't it?
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Shaddim
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Nov 19, 2009, 07:14 PM
 
Originally Posted by Big Mac View Post
Spirituality can take on different meanings for different people. For some, it's apparently fashionable to call one's self a spiritual person rather than a religious person.
That's not always the case. Personally, I just dislike being directly involved with organized religion. I won't say that they're wrong, some people love dogma and more power to them, but it doesn't fit with my beliefs and motivations. I suppose if people were to witness my devotion to my spiritual work they would claim that I'm one of the most religious people they've ever seen, but it simply doesn't work within mainstream beliefs.
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Nov 19, 2009, 07:33 PM
 
Originally Posted by Shaddim View Post
Just takes a large harness, and a big pair of stones.
Or a small sideways shuffle.
Been inclined to wander... off the beaten track.
That's where there's thunder... and the wind shouts back.
     
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Nov 20, 2009, 01:13 AM
 
Knock it off
Nemo me impune lacesset
     
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Nov 20, 2009, 01:19 AM
 
Please keep the personal bickering out of this thread. I am truly curious as to each persons interpretation of spirituality. Some may find it as religious, others may not. That does not make any perception less invalid than the other.

Currently, I would like to think of it somewhat akin to a prism. Each angle is different.
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Shaddim
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Nov 20, 2009, 02:33 AM
 
Moving this discussion here and out of the marriage thread.

Originally Posted by OldManMac View Post
Actually, I ate from the same bowl of fairy tales as you apparently do, until relatively recently.
Same bowl? To continue this ridiculous gastronomical exploration, you aren't even familiar with the food group in question. Don't feel bad though, very few people are. Let me guess, you became disillusioned with the lies that your religion taught you? Realized that you were wasting time paying lip-service to a divine figurehead that never answered? Got tired of living on faith? Welcome to my world 22 years ago. I figured out those things when I was still in my teens.
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Nov 20, 2009, 05:56 AM
 
Originally Posted by ThinkInsane View Post
Knock it off
Knock what off?
Been inclined to wander... off the beaten track.
That's where there's thunder... and the wind shouts back.
     
Big Mac
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Nov 20, 2009, 07:29 AM
 
Originally Posted by The Final Dakar View Post
What are you referring to?
I have just heard the sentiment expressed in various places from people who have certain classifiable religious beliefs but choose not to identify with a religion that would fit because they think that it's cooler to be identified as spiritual.

"The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground." TJ
     
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Nov 20, 2009, 10:59 AM
 
spiritual = wonder and awe at the world, outside yourself.

grand canyon sunset, christmas eve chorus, cold clean ocean waves, holding your newborn baby.
     
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Nov 20, 2009, 12:25 PM
 
Originally Posted by Big Mac View Post
I have just heard the sentiment expressed in various places from people who have certain classifiable religious beliefs but choose not to identify with a religion that would fit because they think that it's cooler to be identified as spiritual.
Regarding religious vs. spiritual: at least among the people I've met, the coolness factor is not mentioned at all. Most of them are either disillusioned with organized religion or don't think their interpretation of it all fits the official dogma. Or because they disagree fundamentally with some `official' stances on certain topics. (At least in Germany, churches are out of touch with most of the population.)
They take bits and pieces from everywhere. Some of them don't like sermons, because it gives them nothing. Others go to church, because it's a social event (well, they're Italian), but not necessarily because they need to be at the mass.
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The Final Dakar
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Nov 20, 2009, 12:29 PM
 
Originally Posted by Big Mac View Post
I have just heard the sentiment expressed in various places from people who have certain classifiable religious beliefs but choose not to identify with a religion that would fit because they think that it's cooler to be identified as spiritual.
Eh, alright. That really seems like just a more longly worded version of what you said already.
     
ThinkInsane
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Nov 20, 2009, 02:35 PM
 
Originally Posted by Doofy View Post
Knock what off?
All the petty bickering and nonsense I had to delete
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Doofy
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Nov 20, 2009, 02:40 PM
 
Originally Posted by ThinkInsane View Post
All the petty bickering and nonsense I had to delete
Ahh.
Been inclined to wander... off the beaten track.
That's where there's thunder... and the wind shouts back.
     
Zeeb
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Nov 20, 2009, 08:03 PM
 
Is it possible for an ant to understand how an automobile works? Likewise, can a person know whether there is a God or not, or whether there is an afterlife or not without understanding how the the whole universe works? It doesn't seem logical. I think if you've got some type of faith, then who am I to say you're not connected to something? The only problem comes when people try to read too much into these feelings, what they mean, and then come up with anti-social beliefs that they think are endorsed by their spiritual feelings.
     
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Nov 23, 2009, 11:12 AM
 
For me it is an internal conversation with God; it goes beyond any religion.
     
sek929
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Nov 23, 2009, 01:28 PM
 
Originally Posted by Zeeb View Post
Is it possible for an ant to understand how an automobile works? Likewise, can a person know whether there is a God or not, or whether there is an afterlife or not without understanding how the the whole universe works? It doesn't seem logical.
Good point.

In the 'eyes' of a bacterium are we not gods? I think even if let's say, Buddhism, turns out to be the most 'true' our of the earthly faiths it'll still be only one billionth of what actual 'truth' is IMO. I think mans quest to find the reason for his existence will always be muddied by our own human faults, desires, and fears. I highly doubt that a 'god,' one who has the power to create existence as we know it, will in any way be able to be understood by our limited abilities.

My main problem with the traditional picture of God is that he is attributed all sorts of HUMAN character traits. Vengance, love, etc... These are human characteristics and I would hope that a being of unimaginable power and scope would have made it far past our petty concerns and emotions.
     
The Final Dakar
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Nov 23, 2009, 01:32 PM
 
Originally Posted by sek929 View Post
My main problem with the traditional picture of God is that he is attributed all sorts of HUMAN character traits. Vengance, love, etc...
Bingo.
     
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Nov 23, 2009, 03:28 PM
 
Originally Posted by sek929 View Post
I think even if let's say, Buddhism, turns out to be the most 'true' our of the earthly faiths it'll still be only one billionth of what actual 'truth' is IMO.
Incidentally, I think a lot of Buddhists would actually agree with that. The Buddha is said to be just a finger pointing at the moon. You can't see the moon by staring at the finger.
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