Religion

Bretton Garcia

(970 posts)

42. The root meaning of spirituality ...

Tue May 2, 2017, 08:29 PM

May 2017

Last edited Tue May 2, 2017, 09:02 PM - Edit history (1)

... in religion and philosophy, stresses invisible spirits, over visible material things.

Individual believers may try to be more practical. But in doing so, they are departing from the core meaning and the practice of priests and ministers, the core practitioners.

Many "spiritual" laymen are less spiritual than they think. In many ways this is good. Since strict spirituality is physically debilitating. But it means being confused and inconsistent, as to which principles you are really following.

If you are more practical about material things, you may be, on balance, less spiritual than you think.

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

58 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

How our beliefs influence how we perceive things: [View all] guillaumeb Apr 2017 OP

The best part: ExciteBike66 Apr 2017 #1

Every believer LOVES quotes like that... trotsky Apr 2017 #2

I really appreciate when you explain to non-believers what "every believer" guillaumeb Apr 2017 #9

You have repeatedly defined what atheism is for every atheist. trotsky Apr 2017 #10

Except I have not. guillaumeb Apr 2017 #13

Oh good grief are you really going to make us dredge up threads where you did? AtheistCrusader Apr 2017 #20

Feel free. guillaumeb Apr 2017 #21

Except it isn't. AtheistCrusader Apr 2017 #22

Because you personally define it that way. guillaumeb Apr 2017 #23

You personally define it as a belief system, trotsky Apr 2017 #25

The burden of proof is on the one making the claim. AtheistCrusader Apr 2017 #28

Why can't you just defend your position in your first thread? trotsky Apr 2017 #3

Ugh, seriously? AtheistCrusader Apr 2017 #4

One of the main mistakes you make, I think, Volstagg Apr 2017 #5

You made an OP to respond to on-topic post in another thread? Act_of_Reparation Apr 2017 #6

FWIW... MedusaX Apr 2017 #7

We read different things. The point of the post. guillaumeb Apr 2017 #8

"Given that most people believe in a deity, one could argue that belief is the default position." trotsky Apr 2017 #11

I am not making an argument, but an observation. guillaumeb Apr 2017 #14

Then use a different word than 'default'. AtheistCrusader Apr 2017 #19

You said an argument could be made. trotsky Apr 2017 #26

I used the the conditional. guillaumeb Apr 2017 #31

So you can't. trotsky May 2017 #40

You're citing a guy who didn't believe... as evidence... that belief is the default position.... AtheistCrusader Apr 2017 #12

If we accept that over 80% of humans are believers in a religion, guillaumeb Apr 2017 #15

You said default. Default is universal. AtheistCrusader Apr 2017 #16

Default, in this case, does not mean universal. guillaumeb Apr 2017 #17

Under 80% for american humans, and words mean things. AtheistCrusader Apr 2017 #18

You're describing eisegesis. Act_of_Reparation Apr 2017 #24

Logically silly ExciteBike66 Apr 2017 #27

AND a misconstrual of the word 'default'. AtheistCrusader Apr 2017 #29

Atheism seems to be the default position Volstagg May 2017 #47

So the fact that over 80% of people identify as believers guillaumeb May 2017 #49

Specific religion is cultural. Volstagg May 2017 #50

But that merely divides belief into belief "as an attribute" and guillaumeb May 2017 #51

Have you read Dawkins? Volstagg May 2017 #53

Anything that promotes group cohesion is an advantage. guillaumeb May 2017 #55

"given that belief has persisted, it speaks to a psychological need" trotsky May 2017 #56

I recognize Guil's theology from my younger days Bretton Garcia Apr 2017 #30

Ask 100 people to define religion at Du and we would probably see 120 guillaumeb Apr 2017 #32

So yes? You hold that God cannot be firmly defined Bretton Garcia Apr 2017 #33

What is necessary to a discussion depends on the type of discussion. guillaumeb Apr 2017 #34

Ok. But at times, you do like to stress some likely particulars about God, nevertheless. Bretton Garcia Apr 2017 #35

I speak about my own feelings regarding the Creator. guillaumeb Apr 2017 #36

That's not quite right. The "spiritual" has big problems too. Bretton Garcia Apr 2017 #37

Define spiritual. guillaumeb Apr 2017 #38

Being spiritual is easy to define from the dictionary and philosophy Bretton Garcia May 2017 #39

You are taking as your example a tiny subset of believers guillaumeb May 2017 #41

The root meaning of spirituality ... Bretton Garcia May 2017 #42

Which actually avoided my response. guillaumeb May 2017 #43

You, specifically, endorsed separate "magisteria" Bretton Garcia May 2017 #44

Separate magisteria refers to employing different approaches. guillaumeb May 2017 #45

Different approaches, often mean different results. Bretton Garcia May 2017 #46

Scientists can be evil. or amoral at best. guillaumeb May 2017 #48

No. Science is often a giant good. Bretton Garcia May 2017 #52

Science is bad because some scientists invented bad things. guillaumeb May 2017 #54

Not nearly as often as mirespresentation. Act_of_Reparation May 2017 #57

All faithful believers ARE bad Bretton Garcia May 2017 #58