You will find that, if you hang out here, that atheists represent a large swath of opinion related to the nature of “spirituality”. Some hold that there is actually no such thing as spirituality… any such feelings are all just in our heads. Others hold that there is a part of reality that is forever beyond the scope of science, but this is also something quite different than the supernatural stories listed in the world’s holy books. Many fall somewhere in-between. Almost all of us who hang out at this site simply want to be an equal player at the table of life and live in harmony with others.

That is, the recognition that “spiritual needs” aren’t spiritual at all (in the sense that they’re separate from our consciousness, our physical being, the mechanisms of the universe, and so forth), but just components of the human experience, grounded in our biology, time, and brain processes.

It doesn’t make the beauty of a Bach cello concerto any less beautiful, it seems to me, to realize that the sounds I’m enjoying appeal to those facets, both biological and experiential, of my being that gravitates toward music (especially since not everyone likes Bach, or cello music, or classical music, etc). The same with the music of The Who, or Thelonious Monk, or with the spectacle of a sunset in the desert, or great sex, or deep space imagery captured on film, or collective joy in a social setting like a concert or a ball game victory, or whatever.

But the profound experience of those things is not evidence of spirituality, whether spirituality implies mind/body dualism, “powers” beyond space and time, angels and/or demons, psychic powers, coincidence as anything other than coincidence, intricately devised divine plans, etc. In other words, are “spirit seekers” really seeking community in which to share their enjoyment of the phenomenal common to us all, or are they really seeking actual spirits (Who ya gonna call?)?

If they’re seeking community (and associated rituals, and there are all kinds of secular rituals), that can certainly be found outside a church or other religiously-affiliated circumstance. If they’re really seeking spirits, though, the real trick seems to be connecting those individuals back to the physical world without the need for dualism.

How to make “spirit seekers” realize that the beautiful, uplifting, awe-inspiring moments in life are no less beautiful, uplifting, and awe-inspiring just because there’s no supernatural “counterpart” component out there? Another way of saying, how to make “spirit seekers” realize that it’s o.k. that there are no spirits (or at least, no evidence to suggest there are spirits at this point, so don’t worry about it).

No kings,

Robert

When it comes to “needs not being met” I tend to think of emotional needs we all have that are best found in communities: being supported by others, socialized, learning and being heard, enjoying company, making friends, and being an involved member of a society.

The number one thing I miss from my Christian days is the comfort and security of a community of like-minded people. These are what I think of as my “needs”.

It seems to me that the Atheist perspective suggest that everyone makes decisions by logic — however emotion, and passion factor in. Many people (of all faiths and non-faiths) are void of Logic, that is because logic can sometimes be cruel, and often lacks mercy.

People will continue to switch from one belief to another, as long as they continue to experience being dissatisfied.