Can atheists be spiritual?

[McBell]

Spiritual means honouring sacredness (see here).

The concept of sacredness comes from religious beliefs. These beliefs need not be ingrained in the religion (like christianity and alcohol).
This is what i think it means:

A religious muslim prays five times a day, doesnt eat pork, etc.
A spiritual but not religious muslim wouldn't eat pork, but doesnt pray five times a day.

Atheists have no such qualms about spirituality. They may follow a lifestyle percieved as spiritual, but the reasons behind them are certainly not.

I hope this helps.

The very first line from your link:

The term spirituality lacks a definitive definition...​

 

[Cephus]

The very first line from your link:

The term spirituality lacks a definitive definition...​

Which is the major problem. If anyone can define what they want as "spiritual", the term loses any objective meaning.

 

[Chalant]

I know, but for the sake of this debate, I defined spirituality by the second line.

 

[obsidian]

I was wondering for atheists if they can be spiritual?

I know some are Buddhist, which coincides well because God is an irrelevant topic for Buddhists because they do not believe in a personal God. However, some atheists I have spoken to, felt being in awe with the universe was spiritual, though they do not believe in God. But is it possible for an atheist to be spiritual, or on a spiritual path at all? Or is it not much of a concern? Thanks.

This is basically where I stand. I grew up within a church, but have removed myself from any association to religion. I consider myself spiritual and believe the universe to be a continuous process of creation and destruction. Everything else humans build beyond that is within the mind...which is powerful enough to create connections to things/incidents that can be percieved as power and communication. I'm irreligious, but still feel spiritually centered. No need for a brand name on my beliefs.

 

[The Bullfrog]

I was wondering for atheists if they can be spiritual?

I know some are Buddhist, which coincides well because God is an irrelevant topic for Buddhists because they do not believe in a personal God. However, some atheists I have spoken to, felt being in awe with the universe was spiritual, though they do not believe in God. But is it possible for an atheist to be spiritual, or on a spiritual path at all? Or is it not much of a concern? Thanks.

If we suppose that there is no actual supernatural guidance then every one of the believers who are on a spiritual path do so without any aid from transcended entities. If we suppose a supernatural guidance I see no reason to conclude a prejudice from these guiding entities towards atheist. Therefore I see no reason why an atheist could not also walk down that spiritual path.

We are in fact both children of the same mother and simply because we differ on a single issue we should not imagine a wall that divides us and confines us to walk apart from one another. In the end we are all just human and we are in this journey together no matter how much we argue, fight or disagree with each other.

 

[LuisDantas]

If we suppose that there is no actual supernatural guidance then every one of the believers who are on a spiritual path do so without any aid from transcended entities. If we suppose a supernatural guidance I see no reason to conclude a prejudice from these guiding entities towards atheist. Therefore I see no reason why an atheist could not also walk down that spiritual path.

When you put it that way, it seems so obvious. It is a bit funny, or perhaps worrisome that there are so many that assume not only supernaturalism, but also that atheism is in some way an obstacle for religious practice even as they purport to be all-inclusive...

We are in fact both children of the same mother and simply because we differ on a single issue we should not imagine a wall that divides us and confines us to walk apart from one another. In the end we are all just human and we are in this journey together no matter how much we argue, fight or disagree with each other.

Agreed. One wonders what some people believe Atheism to actually be.

 

[Willamena]

If we suppose that there is no actual supernatural guidance then every one of the believers who are on a spiritual path do so without any aid from transcended entities. If we suppose a supernatural guidance I see no reason to conclude a prejudice from these guiding entities towards atheist. Therefore I see no reason why an atheist could not also walk down that spiritual path.

We are in fact both children of the same mother and simply because we differ on a single issue we should not imagine a wall that divides us and confines us to walk apart from one another. In the end we are all just human and we are in this journey together no matter how much we argue, fight or disagree with each other.

Agreed. One wonders what some people believe Atheism to actually be.

Some people believe atheism to be a "default" condition of humanity, at the expense of humanity.

 

[LuisDantas]

Some people believe atheism to be a "default" condition of humanity, at the expense of humanity.

What would that expense be? Also, were you thinking of some specific people, perhaps?

 

[Monk Of Reason]

Some people believe atheism to be a "default" condition of humanity, at the expense of humanity.

No. The reason that Atheism is the default position is because the logical progression caused by the concept of "burden of proof". It has little to do with humanity in terms of why it is the default. It also equally in no way causes expense to humanity. At least not in any innate self evident way. Feel free to make a case for it.

 

[BlackAce]

I was wondering for atheists if they can be spiritual?

I know some are Buddhist, which coincides well because God is an irrelevant topic for Buddhists because they do not believe in a personal God. However, some atheists I have spoken to, felt being in awe with the universe was spiritual, though they do not believe in God. But is it possible for an atheist to be spiritual, or on a spiritual path at all? Or is it not much of a concern? Thanks.

For several years I called myself a Spiritual Atheist. Spirituality to me is connected to acts and not so much beliefs. I was raised in Witchcraft so I have always loved ritual so when I became an Atheist and did away with all of the supernaturalism and superstition that was in my life, I kept the rituals.

Rituals for me are random and have always been about connecting to my inner self. I light candles and incense, burn wax tarts, listen to new age music or native american drumming, I spirit dance, meditate, read, watch the rain, etc

Yet when I would tell people I respected (atheists) of my position they laughed me out of the room revealing that I was confused or that I needed to become 100% rational and drop that aspect of myself.

This led me to re-explore Witchcraft from a non theistic POV, explore Pantheism and Naturalistic Paganism and eventually Satanism. Which are all atheistic paths as they do not have deities.

Now....I have no idea where I am

 

[muichimotsu]

I feel like I posted on a topic similar to this here or elsewhere: if we limit spiritual to the vernacular, then it's not likely that atheists in the sense of those who don't believe in the supernatural could be called spiritual. But if, like Andre Comte Sponville does in his Little Book of Atheist Spirituality (quick read, highly recommend it), we think of spirituality as closer to our existential and experiential parts of life, then we can be spiritual in that sense. We can feel more connected to people in the sense of Buddhist causality, if you will.

 

[raw_thought]

Of course atheists can be spiritual!
[youtube]fvyazwHQajQ[/youtube]
Alan Watts - Atheist Spirituality - YouTube
[youtube]Opn5iVaRyDU[/youtube]
Death - Alan Watts - YouTube

 

[lewisnotmiller]

Rituals for me are random and have always been about connecting to my inner self. I light candles and incense, burn wax tarts, listen to new age music or native american drumming, I spirit dance, meditate, read, watch the rain, etc

Yet when I would tell people I respected (atheists) of my position they laughed me out of the room revealing that I was confused or that I needed to become 100% rational and drop that aspect of myself.

Interesting. Perhaps the atheists you mentioned weren't really listening to you. Perhaps you didn't explain it well enough. Perhaps they weren't worthy of respect.
Connecting to yourself, regardless of belief system, is a fundamentally sensible thing to do. There is a massive amount of benefit to this sort of reflection and introspection.

For me, I'm not into ritual AT ALL. But so what? The whole point is you're using it as a means to connect to yourself. Not only does that not run contrary to atheism, it isn't even unusual in atheism. Only your methods are unusual.

Besides, purely in academic fashion, I reckon you COULD rationalise your behaviour, if that was so important.

If you're expecting someone to respond to your rituals, or for your rituals to generate external effects (as in external to whatever peace/calm/connectedness they give to you) then I can more see their point.

This led me to re-explore Witchcraft from a non theistic POV, explore Pantheism and Naturalistic Paganism and eventually Satanism. Which are all atheistic paths as they do not have deities.

Now....I have no idea where I am

In response, I'll offer something that always make me take pause and reflect a little...

“If you want to be a grocer, or a general, or a politician, or a judge, you will invariably become it; that is your punishment. If you never know what you want to be, if you live what some might call the dynamic life but what I will call the artistic life, if each day you are unsure of who you are and what you know you will never become anything, and that is your reward.”


― Oscar Wilde

 

[Leftimies]

Its called philosophy

there are more than one way for an atheist to be a spiritual person, for sure, right?

 

[muichimotsu]

Spirituality in the case of philosophy would be the introspection, I suppose

 

[s2a]

I was wondering for atheists if they can be spiritual?

I know some are Buddhist, which coincides well because God is an irrelevant topic for Buddhists because they do not believe in a personal God. However, some atheists I have spoken to, felt being in awe with the universe was spiritual, though they do not believe in God. But is it possible for an atheist to be spiritual, or on a spiritual path at all? Or is it not much of a concern? Thanks.

A spiritual "path"?

Hmmm. This concept would entail the notion that some "path" existed.

But let's be fair...at least in one idea...that "spirituality" at least acknowledges that "existence" is a personal matter. Not just for ourselves mind you, but that anything and everything (whether cognizant or self-aware in and of themselves) is indeed "finite".

Trees, insects, even bacteria...by any and all available facts gleaned today...are both finite and ultimately cease to "exist". Even comets, stars, solar systems, galaxies.

One day, sooner or later, *poof*.

Unless you have some new and extraordinary evidences to suggest that "existence" itself follows a "path" or manifestly ordained/directed course of events/circumstances to either be met or followed.. again, from what can be observed/recorded..."existence" just "IS".

At least we retain the concurrent capacities of reason and experiment to wonder upon the essence or "path" of non-existence.

For more than 14 billion years, you were, in matter of fact, non-existent.

Did it hurt?
Did you feel deprived?
Unfairly treated?
By what, or whom, for getting such a late start on things?

I am "spiritual" in the sense that I am self-aware of the concepts of non-existence, and I am not bored with "existence" just yet

Inevitability does not preclude one's own claimed sense of purpose within current existence. Nor are any promises of an alternative outcome offered by any means of mysticism, religion, or life-time magazine subscriptions.

The cosmos will end, many billions of years from now, and you are gonna miss out on the last edition.

Figure it out.

 

[MaxPayne]

I am afraid, an atheist can't be spiritual.
How can a person be spiritual?, if he doesn't believe in spirits?

 

[Caladan]

I am afraid, an atheist can't be spiritual.
How can a person be spiritual?, if he doesn't believe in spirits?

The word 'spiritual' can be used in various generic ways, not limited to imply supernaturalism.

 

[Yadon]

Plenty of Buddhist sects are atheistic, as one example.

For me I believe that the "gods" are not gods at all, but something much greater that is both inside of us and in the Universe. I wouldn't call that supernatural though. It's just what it is. It's when we revere it and treat it with wonder and awe that it's divinity manifests to us. That to me is spirituality.

I feel compelled to share this:

"Through the corridors of metaphor
What else are we living for
If not to create fiction and rhyme?
My purpose is to make my soul rhyme
With my mind over matter
Mind creates matter
Mind creates fiction

As a matter of fact
As if matter were fact
Matter is fact
So spirit must be fiction
Science fiction
Art fiction
Meta fiction"

I linked the song here where the quote starts, it should take you directly to 1 minute and 35 seconds:

Saul Williams - Tao of Now (With Lyrics on Screen) - YouTube

 

[Ablaze]

Can atheists be spiritual?

This one is.