spirituality and sense of wonder
Offline We are supposed to be made in gods image, where are our flashy extra parts? I wonder if a theist would ever get that little shiver of discovery if they really think hard on the human form, about how it is fit exactly as nature would have it in an imperfect manner on this planet. I say shiver of discovery, I don't know what you call it when thet feeling comes over you that says you have hit on something. This happened to me years ago but I still remember it well, in a way it's a humbling scary feeling but then it becomes clear and you are happy with knowing. I doubt a theist gets that at all /shrug* "god did it".
I got this feeling once while contemplaing how miniscule we are in the universe once, seems like I could almost grasp it but not quite. Our brains are simply not wired for it..yet.
I could almost see it correlating with "spirituality" strangely enough.
The only "extra parts" we have are fading remnants from our evolution, as if I need to mention that.
Faith is the word but next to that snugged up closely "lie's" the want.
"By simple common sense I don't believe in god, in none."-Charlie Chaplin
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The idea that 'spirituality' has a monopoly on our sense of wonder is bullshit. Wonder is an emotion that all humans can and do feel. There is no need to believe in anything supernatural to appreciate the wonders of the universe.
Check out some of my writings on the subject:
Taking a Step Beyond Awe
What is Wonderism?
Wonderism, Pragmatism, and Prediction
Wonderist on Facebook — Support the idea of wonderism by 'liking' the Wonderism page — or join the open Wonderism group to take part in the discussion!
Gnu Atheism Facebook group — All gnu-friendly RRS members welcome (including Luminon!) — Try something gnu!
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My real question was does a theist get this sense of awe or feeling of wonder about anything thats not "god" related ? I bet they do actually but they would likely attribute it to a "god". I of course had hoped a theist would answer.
Faith is the word but next to that snugged up closely "lie's" the want.
"By simple common sense I don't believe in god, in none."-Charlie Chaplin
I was responding moreso to this question:
It seems like you didn't have the words to describe the feeling, and I was trying to offer the idea that wonder itself is the correct word. You see, it has been far too long that people have claimed that these feelings are 'religious' or 'spiritual'. They aren't. They are just feelings of wonder and awe and sometimes terror. Sometimes we can call them "Ah ha" moments or a "Eureka" experience, but it's all just wonder. A sense of understanding and appreciation at the same time as a sense of incomplete understanding and the feeling of enormity or vastness. Metaphorically speaking, the Mountain and the Abyss.
They wouldn't know how to answer. They don't understand the question! Of course they think these feelings are solely the domain of the religious/spiritual. That's the point I was trying to make. They do not know what to make of the idea that *anybody* can have these feelings, especially not atheists.
A major purpose of wonderism is to put forth the idea that not only can anybody feel a sense of wonder -- that the 'religious' feelings are not owned by the religious only -- but also that you can achieve a *greater* sense of wonder by understanding and experiencing the universe as it *really* is, as discovered through science and reason. The true story of the universe is by far and away a more compelling and beautiful story than any of the out-dated parables of any religious 'holy' book.
You are unlikely to get any coherent response from a theist because this idea is so far out of their basic assumptions that they will have a difficult time grasping that it could possibly be so. I predict the most common response you'll get will either be silence or head-in-the-sand denial.
This is a major reason why I think wonderism is a powerful antidote to theism. I've never seen a theist able to put up any sort of defense against the idea that their 'special' feelings are not special at all, that anyone can feel them, and they are just a natural part of the human experience. Their last defense, the Argument from Religious/Spiritual Experience is blown out of the water.
Wonderist on Facebook — Support the idea of wonderism by 'liking' the Wonderism page — or join the open Wonderism group to take part in the discussion!
Gnu Atheism Facebook group — All gnu-friendly RRS members welcome (including Luminon!) — Try something gnu!
And human structure is said to be similar, physical person, wise and loving soul, and monad or so-called spirit at the highest point, which powers the whole thing. Such is basically the meaning of this occult statement. Just technical stuff.
Hey Natural, have you ever tried an experiment? What would Jes...eh, theist do, when exposed to some really awesome science, fact, or new information? I mean, some reasonably educated theists who can comprehend the awesomeness. There's no point in trying that with Bible belt hicks.
Beings who deserve worship don't demand it. Beings who demand worship don't deserve it.
I'm a non-believer bible belt hick and I'm surrounded by believers. A new protestant church just opened up 2 blocks from where I work. Those people pretend to have that "feeling" but I'm convinced it is not any god but a simple feeling they would get from gathering together and acting like retards in a public place.
I imagine standing on a busy street corner and acting like a complete idiot, like pulling down your pants and taking a dump in front of everyone, yea you might get a queasy feeling from that though I don't know that it would be good or addictive feeling. I suppose you can't really liken that to a church experience though where everyone would be taking a dump, you would only be in competition to see who could take the biggest dump and those who had a more productive excrement release might get a bigger "feeling".
Faith is the word but next to that snugged up closely "lie's" the want.
"By simple common sense I don't believe in god, in none."-Charlie Chaplin