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“The one that neglects the existence of God has forgotten who he truly is”, said Paramahansa Yogananda. This does not mean that you have to be religious to be spiritual; it just means that you know there is something else besides this material world of dualities. The Dalai Lama said during a speech at a University that “religion at this point in time is serving as an excuse for violence”. In conclusion, YES you can be spiritual without being religious but you cannot be spiritual without believing in God (or whatever the NAME you want to use).
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Being spiritual has nothing to do with God. It has to do with believing in something though.
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I believe that spirituality is defined by personal integrity, not any kind of supernatural being.
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This argument depends entirely upon which definition you choose as a starting point. It has been said that if all men would simply define their terms no argument would last more than a few minutes. Since spirituality (in the strict sense) is simply placing a personal emphasis away from physical and material things (and toward spiritual things) then one can easily say 'yes'. However, why would anyone who denies the existence of a grand intelligence require such emphasis? I believe few true atheist exists. Agnostics are abundant. That is... the agnostic says "I do not know what I do not know." This is a statement which is easily honored. The Atheist says 'there cannot be what you claim to know'. It is absolutely arrogant to take such a position. Any biochemist will tell you that there is a grand intelligence at work. Is it God? Is it a god? Or are we just alpha ways dancing about the cranium of some existential atheist in pattern that but simulate real objects? This is a lonely concept. I suppose an atheist could claim to be a spiritualist... I just don't see why they would bother to waste their time being so lonely. My philosophy is 'I only know what I know.'
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I think that it is irrelevant as to being religious or not. As spirituality to me means being a mmoral and just person and developing those virtues such as love, compassion, mercy, etc.
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I think that it is irrelevant as to being religious or not. As spirituality to me means being a mmoral and just person and developing those virtues such as love, compassion, mercy, etc.
However, those virtiues and qualities latent within us like a seed needs a gardener, needs water and sun, etc. This is where I think that due credit is not given to the Source, and that to me is God, Whom throughout the ages has helped us understand them to be able to exercise and develop them. These have been through His Prophets, Messeners, or Manifestations of God, such as Krishna, Moses, Buddha, Jesus, Mohammed and Baha'u'llah and so on. Many others I can not mention as they have been lost in our unwritten history. However, one thing is clear to me is that if mankind has been inexistence millions of years, they have been receiving this spiritual education throughtout time from our Creator - God.
That all these religions are various chapters of the same book, and that all these religions are from God and one. I believe there is only one religion and that is the religion of God.
It is kind of like a school system to me where we have the principal (God), the students (the human race), and the teachers (Messengers/Prophets/Manifestations of God). We progress through various levels and lessons starting with kinegarden to university. If we cling on to any grade teacher and think that he/she is the best then we will surely not fully develop as that teacher is only part of the whole system. I believe that religionworks exactly the same way - we become attached to them rather than seeing them throughout time progressively unveiling to us fuller measure of the reality of things, including ourselves (our soul).
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You have asked about "spirituality" as if its a religion. I doubt that it could be called that. However spiritualism might be. Spiritualism is about the communication with spirits, and as far as I can tell, most spiritualists believe in God, but most are a bit anti other religions, although you can find some Christian spiritualists. (I am one) Spirituality usually comes from a feeling inside one's self that moves the soul. It is a hard feeling to describe unless you have personally felt it. One of the greatest feelings one can feel is to be one with God and that peace that comes with it.
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You have asked about "spirituality" as if its a religion. I doubt that it could be called that. However spiritualism might be. Spiritualism is about the communication with spirits, and as far as I can tell, most spiritualists believe in God, but most are a bit anti other religions, although you can find some Christian spiritualists. (I am one) Spirituality usually comes from a feeling inside one's self that moves the soul. It is a hard feeling to describe unless you have personally felt it. One of the greatest feelings one can feel is to be one with God and that peace that comes with it.
Spirituality is rather harder to classify, but many people could be called spiritual, and still belong to a religion. I would see the Dalai Lama as a very spiritual person, and he does not believe in God
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Spirituality requires that you are aware. Need to 'believe' in something seems to be a product of fear.
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I feel like so many people reject the word "God" simple because it is in the Bible. Whatever you want to call it, God, your higher self, the Universe, science it is all essentially the same thing. It is a place to find peace. If your searching for peace I think most people will find themselves in a spiritual place.
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Sure it is. They can put their faith in Science, Athletics, Art, a 'Significant other' etc. Of course not believing in something is just a concept. A mental projection per say. Any belief or concept is secondary to what is actually being percieved/witnessed/experienced. Believing and Existing are 2 seperate yet 1 when combined. One Does not have to believe in atoms, one does not have to see touch or feel the atom yet that very process is always happening and atoms do exist even when they can not be percieved visually or through mental concept. A belief does not dictate Univrersal Truth. For a belief is not reality yet it can be and is. Paradoxes!!!!! Yeah!! A physicists riddle.
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The working definition of spiritually under which I operate is "one's undestanding of the structure of Everything, one's place in it, and how one relates to that place." I have had experiences that keep me deeply respectful and cognizant of my place in Everything that have had little to do with whether or not I believed in a creator or deity at the time. I believe that it is possible to matain that awareness of the Everything without a necessary entity as mediator or facilitator.
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There are three aspects to the microcosm of man: Man is endowed with an outer or physical body subject to natures's laws. The second reality is the rational or intellectual reality which brings the recondite secrets of nature to the plane of the visable and predominates over nature. There is a third reality the spiritual reality , a celestial reality which is infinite as regards the intellectual as well as the physical realms. This power is conferred upon man through the breath of the Holy Spirit. A reality belonging to the divine or supernatural world,; a reality whereby the world is illumined, a reality which grants unto man eternal life. This reality discovers past events and looks along the vistas of the future. It is a ray of the Sun of Reality [ a minute power of the manifestation od God, Bahaullah in the present]. In the past this was miss-interpreted to mean that there is a part of God within us and the Greeks thought that they could become Gods. This power is renewed with the advent of a new manifestation but is eternal in regards to man. That is one definition of spirit byt the dictionary uses it to describe a spirited horse , a spirited man--he is full of spirit.. but the Celestial faculty must be developed according to the current wisdom and knowledge of God. In the case of one who does not believe in God he has only the finite limits of his intellect and while having the Celestial faculty it remains undeveloped.God however is infinite and we cannot ever place limitations on His power/
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Cool question! You're reminding me of a term known as Ietsism; the belief in "something", that you can feel that "something" but you don't necessarily accept any existing explanation for it :)
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my opinion is..All god , spiritual or the spirit one has is based on just "How" one perceives the word ..
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Let's not forget that early civilizations while perhaps believed in a power of sorts were more likely to (praise) or pray or even sacrifice to the elements around them. They prayed to what they could see as being (the great spirit). God is a generic word that works for many. I definitely believe we can have a rich spiritual life without believing in the socially defined God.
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