is it ok to call oneself Spiritual when they don't believe in Spirits?
The Spiritual Atheist..
If the purpose of speech is to convey a message. And an atheist calls himself spiritual. Isn't that person misrepresenting himself by using a word that is most largely viewed to be synonymous with "soul"? Even if he himself has his own unique meaning for it (which takes a 5 minute video to understand)
Let's be honest most people hear the word spirit and think soul.. don't they?
It seems like a way of justifying for no reason. If there is a lack of a better word... make a new one. To me I find that people are kind of ridiculed or perceived in a derogatory way if they admit or "come out" with believing they do not have a soul. Like you are somehow less of a person, lacking mystery, etc.. So when someone tries to find a convoluted means of explaining why they call themselves "spiritual". I feel that they are pandering to this unfortunate misperception.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by dragotron on -
So then... for quality of conversation shouldn't EVERY word with multiple meanings (doesn't every word have multiple meanings?) be specified which meaning you're referring to?
Wouldn't this take a while?
I never hear someone exclaiming the definition of spiritual they're referring to. I wish I did.
At some point. The sole purpose of conversation is conveying a message. Isn't it? And if you're using words in unknown settings (around people whose personal definition of spiritual is unknown to you) shouldn't you be sure they know what you mean when you say you're 'spiritual'?
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Permalink Reply by Gregg R Thomas on -
Soul is an understanding or feel for music.
Spirits is some really good booze.
I'm here to help.
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Permalink Reply by David Henson on -
Gregg, when spirits are applied to mean alcohol are they normally clear? Didn't the moonshiners used to judge the quality of the moonshine by it's transparency?
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Permalink Reply by archaeopteryx on -
Actually many liquors are colored with caramel. They're brown.
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Permalink Reply by David Henson on
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By the way, Dragotron, I didn't mention it before, but that was an excellent video. Good job.
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Permalink Reply by dragotron on
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Thanks David, but I didn't make the video, I just posted it... as well... I was posting it to call it into question :)
My FAVORITE video on the Internet which uses a word that corresponds to ghosts in an unfortunate and possibly irresponsible metaphor would be this beauty of a video:
http://youtu.be/r6w2M50_Xdk
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Permalink Reply by MikeLong on -
When discussing the meaning of a word (which is what we're dong), I'd be far more inclined to ask a student of English than a student of philosophy (or certainly, theology). Attempts at being prescriptive (like Entomology) in such matters is not particularly relevant.
Instead try a dictionary! Or, to verify applicable dictionary definitions, ask 100 people. You'll find that a substantial majority will see, understand, use the adjective "spiritual" to mean something non-physical, non-measurable, non-real, non-existent.
No, an atheist should NOT call himself "spiritual".
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Permalink Reply by Gregg R Thomas on
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"No, an atheist should NOT call himself "spiritual"."
Someone should tell Sam Harris that.
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Permalink Reply by MikeLong on
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"By the way, Dragotron, I didn't mention it before, but that was an excellent video. Good job."
I second. A worthwhile watch for anyone.
(I'm curious to see where this post will be placed. I have a feeling that my browser/back-end interaction is not working properly to post this immediately following David Henson's post quoted above.)
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Permalink Reply by archaeopteryx on
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Mike - your browser has nothing to do with it - if others have replied to a particular post before you did, your comment will appear beneath theirs, and there's nothing anyone can do about that.
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Permalink Reply by MikeLong on
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Thanks. OK I'm guessing that no one else will be replying to your post. Let's see if this post appears after yours or before.
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Permalink Reply by archaeopteryx on
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Bingo!
(Good looking young lady you have there, Mike!)
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