I’m always confused by the “spiritual atheist” question, that is, the “spiritual” part. Can anyone who selected this option try to explain what they meant when they selected it?
Just define “spiritual” as something other than “supernatural”. Life contains aspects of a numinous or sacred quality, even if there is no Absolute, supernatural basis for that quality.
I have an affinity for some of the teachings of Buddhism and Christianity. If someone asks me at the bar, I’d say I’m “spiritual, but agnostic and ultimately not religious”...or something like that.
In my experience, definitions get tricky when dealing in the atheist/agnostic/ignostic space.
I did not select that option, but I know people that identify this way.
The sorts of people that do vary considerably, from an atheist who believes in ghosts or spirits, to people that believe that we can have telepathic and/or empathic connections and can achieve this through eg meditation etc. People that believe in “magic as a form of willpower making things change in the real world” consider themselves spiritual, but atheist. etc etc.
I think it sometimes just means “I’m an atheist, but I feel a sense of awe when contemplating the Grand Canyon or Maxwell’s equations or the way some people sacrifice their lives for others, I don’t particularly enjoy being rude about religion, and I find Richard Dawkins a bit annoying”.
I’m always confused by the “spiritual atheist” question, that is, the “spiritual” part. Can anyone who selected this option try to explain what they meant when they selected it?
Just define “spiritual” as something other than “supernatural”. Life contains aspects of a numinous or sacred quality, even if there is no Absolute, supernatural basis for that quality.
I have an affinity for some of the teachings of Buddhism and Christianity. If someone asks me at the bar, I’d say I’m “spiritual, but agnostic and ultimately not religious”...or something like that.
In my experience, definitions get tricky when dealing in the atheist/agnostic/ignostic space.
Atheist Buddhists can label themselves that way, but there are a variety of different people.
I did not select that option, but I know people that identify this way. The sorts of people that do vary considerably, from an atheist who believes in ghosts or spirits, to people that believe that we can have telepathic and/or empathic connections and can achieve this through eg meditation etc. People that believe in “magic as a form of willpower making things change in the real world” consider themselves spiritual, but atheist. etc etc.
I think it sometimes just means “I’m an atheist, but I feel a sense of awe when contemplating the Grand Canyon or Maxwell’s equations or the way some people sacrifice their lives for others, I don’t particularly enjoy being rude about religion, and I find Richard Dawkins a bit annoying”.