Spirituality
19 Mar 05
19 Mar 05
Originally posted by AThousandYoungWouldn't a spiritual person be one that sincerely attempts to connect with something perceived to be greater than themselves in a positive way? At least that's what my meager understanding tells me.
Hmm. I don't think we have a clear consensus of what 'spirituality' means. The term seems to be getting so general as to be almost useless.
19 Mar 05
Originally posted by NyxieLet's say a person performs an act of burglery. Whether or not they feel guilty of what they've done, their volition has paved the way for their future suffering (arrest, being shot, etc.). They may remain forever unrepentant (seemingly unaffected by guilt in their mindstream) yet they will suffer nonetheless through their ignorance of cause and effect.
Cause and effct and the "mindstream" do you mean bad things will come back on you, expressed as "karma" or the mind stream as in feeling guilty "conscious"? I'm trying to clarify you're view on this.
Nyxie
19 Mar 05
Originally posted by AThousandYoungSee this just proves the futility of using the word.
Hmm. I don't think we have a clear consensus of what 'spirituality' means. The term seems to be getting so general as to be almost useless.
Was this started as a Christian-vs-athiest forum?
Was it started to teach and share morals?
Does be being spiritual = being religious?
How you answer these questions defines the word in your mind.
Let's use an example: the sweat I spoke of in the other thread. Was that a religious experience? Was it a spiritual experience? What effect does this type of experience play in your life? Will it make you believe in God?
Have you ever stood on high mountain and watched the sunrise? Is this a spiritual experience? Seen a baby born? Watched a grown man cry for the loss of another?
What do you take from these experiences? Do you walk away with a greater knowledge of yourself? Do you feel more alive? Do you feel empty inside despite all of the things you've seen in your life.
I can't tell you what spirituality is, the very word itself is elusive. You can get a dictionary and quote it, but it still won't answer these questions. Only you can answer these for yourself. I can't tell you the answers.
Nyxie
19 Mar 05
Originally posted by eagles54This sounds like a basic expression of "karma".
Let's say a person performs an act of burglery. Whether or not they feel guilty of what they've done, their volition has paved the way for their future suffering (arrest, being shot, etc.). They may remain forever unrepentant (seemingly unaffected by guilt in their mindstream) yet they will suffer nonetheless through their ignorance of cause and effect.
or
You reap what you sow.
Nyxie
20 Mar 05
Originally posted by eagles54Even if that greater something is society, family, or something in no way supernatural?
Wouldn't a spiritual person be one that sincerely attempts to connect with something perceived to be greater than themselves in a positive way? At least that's what my meager understanding tells me.
20 Mar 05
Originally posted by NyxieSee this just proves the futility of using the word.
See this just proves the futility of using the word.
Was this started as a Christian-vs-athiest forum?
Was it started to teach and share morals?
Does be being spiritual = being religious?
How you answer these questions defines the word in your mind.
Let's use an example: the sweat I spoke of in the other thread. Was that a religious experien ...[text shortened]... hese questions. Only you can answer these for yourself. I can't tell you the answers.
Nyxie
If you feel this way, why did you start this thread?
Spirituality isn't a word I generally use, so I don't need to define it.
20 Mar 05
Originally posted by AThousandYoungI started the thread to better understand the basic nature of spirituality. Why are you posting here? Curiousity.
[b]See this just proves the futility of using the word.
If you feel this way, why did you start this thread?
Spirituality isn't a word I generally use, so I don't need to define it.[/b]
It's obvious through the many heated debates that pop up over religious ideas that many here don't agree on what spirituality is. I'm trying to find basic common ground. I thought I explained that a couple times now.
I answered your questions. I'd love to see your answers for mine.
Nyxie
20 Mar 05
Originally posted by AThousandYoungCertainly. I would consider a particular person to be spiritual if they genuinely felt a connectedness and a sense of responsibility to self and others that is not necessarily supernatural.
Even if that greater something is society, family, or something in no way supernatural?
20 Mar 05
Originally posted by NyxieYou want to better understand the basic nature of a word which is futile to use and which you don't have a definition for? To me, this makes no sense.
I started the thread to better understand the basic nature of spirituality. Why are you posting here? Curiousity.
It's obvious through the many heated debates that pop up over religious ideas that many here don't agree on what spirituality is. I'm trying to find basic common ground. I thought I explained that a couple times now.
I answered your questions. I'd love to see your answers for mine.
Nyxie
I posted in this thread at first because I didn't understand what you meant by 'spirituality' and I wanted to figure out what you meant. I posted the second time to observe that the word seemed to be used in such a vague way as to be useless and effectively meaningless.
I later posted because I thought it was odd for you to to start a thread exploring 'spirituality' and then say that using the word is futile.
I don't think the heated debates necessarily have anything to do with what 'spirituality' is. I think they are often disagreements between atheists or evolutionists on the one side and Christians on the other about what exists and how everything came to be.
20 Mar 05
Originally posted by PhlabibitAccording to Nyxie,
http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=spiritual
Read all enteries.
Nyxie, is repentance covered in your list?
http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=repentance
I can't tell you what spirituality is, the very word itself is elusive. You can get a dictionary and quote it, but it still won't answer these questions.
It looks like bringing out the dictionary won't clarify what the definition is. I won't use the dictionary definition unless everyone, or at least Nyxie, agrees that that's what we're using for the purpose of this discussion.
20 Mar 05
Originally posted by AThousandYoungShe's right about the meaning being 'elusive'. I guess I'm trying to express why the term was used for this forum....
According to Nyxie,
[b]I can't tell you what spirituality is, the very word itself is elusive. You can get a dictionary and quote it, but it still won't answer these questions.
It looks like bringing out the dictionary won't clarify what the definition is. I won't use the dictionary definition unless everyone, or at least Nyxie, agrees that that's what we're using for the purpose of this discussion.[/b]
It is very general. It means a lot of things, and different things to each of us here.
P
20 Mar 05
As athousandyoung has pointed out most debates seem to center on christian vs atheist. Dogma vs bible.
This is only a small part of a spiritual world.
Now athousandyoung, I said I cannot answer what it means for you. Specifically I'm saying I don't know what you consider spiritual, so I have no common ground. If you see nothing as spiritual, then yes the word is useless to you.
I asked the questions I did for a reason.
Nyxie