"Question"

"Question"

Do Atheists experience spiritual fulfillment; if so, with what or whom; and how? -Bob

Originally posted by Grampy Bobby
[b]"Question"

Do Atheists experience spiritual fulfillment; if so, with what or whom; and how? -Bob[/b]

You're going to have to define 'spiritual fulfilment'.

Originally posted by Grampy Bobby
[b]"Question"

Do Atheists experience spiritual fulfillment; if so, with what or whom; and how? -Bob[/b]

Good Irish whiskey or perhaps a good single malt Scotch.

Originally posted by Proper Knob
You're going to have to define 'spiritual fulfilment'.

I'll take a guess to get the conversation moving: experiencing some deeper meaning or purpose in life as opposed to abject resignation that it's just a series of distractions until you die [without an afterlife] while denying the existence of god.

Originally posted by Grampy Bobby
I'll take a guess to get the conversation moving: experiencing some deeper meaning or purpose in life as opposed to abject resignation that it's just a series of distractions until you die [without an afterlife] while denying the existence of god.

its interesting choice of words, the spiritual side gets 'deeper','purpose', 'meaning' and 'life' and the atheist side gets 'abject'. 'resignation'. 'distractions' and 'die'.

is it possible for you to re-write your meaning of the word spirituality in a way that hides all your preconceived, biased, bizarre and ill thought out ideas about atheism.

Originally posted by Grampy Bobby
I'll take a guess to get the conversation moving: experiencing some deeper meaning or purpose in life as opposed to abject resignation that it's just a series of distractions until you die [without an afterlife] while denying the existence of god.

How do you deny the existence of god?

Put your fingers in your ears and close your eyes when he shows up!

Originally posted by stellspalfie
its interesting choice of words, the spiritual side gets 'deeper','purpose', 'meaning' and 'life' and the atheist side gets 'abject'. 'resignation'. 'distractions' and 'die'.

is it possible for you to re-write your meaning of the word spirituality in a way that hides all your preconceived, biased, bizarre and ill thought out ideas about atheism.

'experiencing meaning in or realizing an ultimate objective during human existence
as opposed to the possibility that it may be without significance or an afterlife.'

Please revise further until you're satisfied with a working definition which facilitates
answering the initial question. Thanks, stellspalfie, for requesting clarification. (gb)

"Do Atheists experience spiritual fulfillment; if so, with what or whom; and how?"

Originally posted by Grampy Bobby
I'll take a guess to get the conversation moving: experiencing some deeper meaning or purpose in life as opposed to abject resignation that it's just a series of distractions until you die [without an afterlife] while denying the existence of god.

Well, of course atheists experience "some deeper meaning or purpose in life". You know, Bobby, it's really not the atheist's problem that your own mental life is so impoverished and unimaginative as to not be able to conceive of deeper meaning or purpose just in case you do not live for ever and ever and ever and ever and ever. To be honest, I really feel sorry for you.

EDIT: I may as well start a thread asking if theists can experience some deeper meaning or purpose in life, as opposed to deluding themselves against all evidence that they will live forever in some magical fantasy world. But that would be silly.

Originally posted by LemonJello
But that would be silly.

Yup, sure would.

Originally posted by Suzianne
Yup, sure would.

Good. Then, surely, you also recognize the silliness in Bobby's inquiry here.

Originally posted by LemonJello
Good. Then, surely, you also recognize the silliness in Bobby's inquiry here.

No. In fact, I've often wondered it myself.

I mean, one can only gaze into their own navel for so long.

Originally posted by Suzianne
No. In fact, I've often wondered it myself.

I mean, one can only gaze into their own navel for so long.

No? Well, then, I'll chalk that up to a failure of your rationality.

Originally posted by Grampy Bobby
'experiencing meaning in or realizing an ultimate objective during human existence
as opposed to the possibility that it may be without significance or an afterlife.'

Please revise further until you're satisfied with a working definition which facilitates
answering the initial question. Thanks, stellspalfie, for requesting clarification. (gb)

"Do Atheists experience spiritual fulfillment; if so, with what or whom; and how?"

thats a bit better, although i would remove 'ultimate objective' as that is really only has meaning to theists.

personally i think in an atheist context 'spirit' if a vague word to describe human drive, ambition, happiness, contentment and the relationship between them. which varies from human to human. we all find 'spiritual' fulfillment in different ways.


edit: i find mine watching the adventures of my navel fluff.

Originally posted by LemonJello
No? Well, then, I'll chalk that up to a failure of your rationality.

At least you're consistent.

Originally posted by Grampy Bobby
'experiencing meaning in or realizing an ultimate objective during human existence
as opposed to the possibility that it may be without significance or an afterlife.'

Please revise further until you're satisfied with a working definition which facilitates
answering the initial question. Thanks, stellspalfie, for requesting clarification. (gb)

"Do Atheists experience spiritual fulfillment; if so, with what or whom; and how?"

'experiencing meaning in or realizing an ultimate objective during human existence
as opposed to the possibility that it may be without significance or an afterlife.'

Are you under the impression that theists are without the "possibility that it may be without significance or an afterlife"? That's obviously false. It doesn't matter, for example, how psychologically certain a theist is that he will live forever. The epistemic possibility, for him, that he won't live forever is still dictated by the actual evidence, and that possibility will surely exist for him. You can take this as a cautionary tale about having your degree of psychological sureness outpacing what the evidence actually dictates.

Anyway, we can be certain of virtually nothing in this sense, so the mere possibility of just about any such proposition will exist for us. So, keep revising if you want. I'm not sure your original question is worth salvaging, though.