An atheist recognizing himself as a spiritual person is not something most atheists would do. He explains the word "spirit" by connecting it with the ability to see beauty, to feel wonder and to be in awe. From an atheist's perspective, he sees religion and faiths as a ball and chain that constricts the human's natural ability to imagine faith for themselves. Religion and faith serve as an attempt to break down and understand something that is incomprehensible.
Being atheist does not exclude the ability to have spiritual experiences. The narrator talks about a time when he stared into the vastness of the stars, and realizes how mysteriously infinite space is; which was a very humbling experience. Most humans are too caught up with what they already know that they are ignorant to mystery and the unknown. Science and reason can explain most of what religion has defined as acts of a "God", but nothing can explain the imagination and the human being's ability to create their own faith.
This is an interesting video into the mind of an atheist. Often the term "atheist" indicates a person with a negative outlook and an argumentative demeanor. This video proves that "atheism" is not the religion of miserable people. However, I do wonder if this gentleman will feel the same way when he grows old. Right now he is young and full of life. Growing old will often change one's perspective as they realize that their death is approaching. Suddenly one is forced to consider: is it really just OVER after I die? Surely there must be some meaning or purpose of my life.
ReplyDeleteThis video is inspiring and full of life, but it is critical to acknowledge that it is produced by a young person who is pre-mature in the experiences of life and the wisdom obtained from them.
Matt - excellent choice in the video!
This is SO interesting. First of all, the fact that an atheist can identify himself as spiritual is really different than what I'm used to. It is really inspiring.
ReplyDeleteAnd Wendy, I had the same thoughts about him being young. But maybe because he is so young, he just hasn't had the time (or the means) to develop any different ideas about God.
I don't think him defining himself as an atheist means it's a lost cause. I think it just opens more doors for him to understand what he really wants from life.
Wendy, the prefix 'A' means without and theism is belief in a god. It says nothing of one’s personality. So I disagree that “atheist” often indicates a negative outlook or argumentative demeanor. This may surprise you but statistically atheists are more ethical than Christians. According to The Federal Bureau of Prisons, about 80% of America is Christian and 80% of the prison population is Christian. Whereas, atheists make up 8% of the American population and only 0.2% of the prison population.
ReplyDeleteSo what is the difference in outlook between an atheist and a Christian? Well, there have been thousands of different gods put forth and believed in by mankind. I’m assuming you would dismiss all those gods, except the Christian God, as man made. An atheist just takes that reasoning one god further.
Other than that whether someone is optimistic or pessimistic, polite or argumentative is up to that individual.
Also, although it is possible this gentleman could become contemptuous as he grows older, I doubt he would start believing in God because his reasons for not believing aren’t because he has a grudge with religion or something like that, its because he objectively does not see any evidence to justify supernatural claims.
Also, I was a bit confused when you said he might think, “is it really just OVER after I die? Surely there must be some meaning or purpose of my life.”
I was confused why you thought that if it’s the case that one cannot live forever that life would then be meaningless. If anything, that means life is more special because you only get one. If God is all powerful, knowing, and made everything, then our lives were a 100% certainty. If there is no god, we are extraordinarily lucky to even be here because it was not a forgone conclusion that our species or planet earth would even exist. Our purpose gets to be defined by ourselves not defined for us, humans are awesome creatures not flawed unworthy beings that would only be able to find direction if the creator of the universe intervened. Atheists recognize the responsibility we have towards future generations because they do not believe a supernatural force will come to the rescue if we screw up.
I would like to clarify my comment as I believe it was misunderstood. When I wrote, "Often the term "atheist" indicates a person with a negative outlook and an argumentative demeanor," I was referring to a common connotation of the word "atheist." An example would be if I were to say "grandma", most people would think of a sweet white-haired lady with a plate of freshly baked cookies; however, we know that not all grandmas are like that. The point that I was making is that the connotation of atheists as being negative or argumentative is a fallacy as shown in the video that I referred to as inspiring and full of life.
ReplyDeleteI made no mention of ethics whatsoever, so I'm not sure why it was assumed that the statistics would surprise me. I agree that being optimistic, pessimistic, polite, and argumentative is up to the individual and his/her personality.
Eric, in reading your response, I feel as though you are making assumptions about my views and adding things that I did not write. Please read my post again and compare some of the things that you've implied about my post that isn't there. I appreciate your views, but please do not attach my name to ideas that I do not have. I would like to add one thing to your post, and that is your last statement. You wrote, "Atheists recognize the responsibility we have towards future generations because they do not believe a supernatural force will come to the rescue if we screw up." I just want to say that Christians also recognize the responsibility we have towards future generations. Why? Because acknowledging responsibility is not a religious issue. Like personality, it is based upon the individual.
Wendy, I did misunderstand your first post.
ReplyDeleteI thought you were saying the word atheists often indicates negative outlook and argumentative. After reading your second post I see you meant that it gets misunderstood as meaning that.
About me bringing up ethics, I think someone who is an optimist and polite is probably also ethical. I knew you didn’t say anything about ethics but I brought it up because I thought it would help make my point that atheists aren’t mean people. However, since I see you weren’t saying that, it was an irrelevant comment on my part. Also, those stats surprised me first time I saw it, I would have guessed incarceration rates were the same and the fact atheists are incarcerated less is not something I think most people would assume.
The point I was trying to make with my last comment was a response to you saying he might have trouble seeing meaning or purpose in life. So in my post I just wanted to point out he probably has developed a strong sense of purpose because like you said acknowledging responsibility for the future is not a religious issue alone.
One particular reason I enjoyed this topic is because it displays spirituality in human experience. Many Christians believe that the human experience of spirituality is not mysterious, but the entitlement of every human being. Christians believe that this God is a center point in the human experience of spirituality because in Christian belief, God is personal and everyone experiences him. This experience of God or something close to the nature of a Christian God is the center point of most religions, which creates the groundwork of spirituality in religion. For instance in the Bible, Genesis begins with the introduction with God because he is the beginning. Now before I get any farther, in Christian belief it is important to realize that in order to have a spiritual experience, faith in God must be present. If human experience and faith in God do not cross at some point, it would be irrational to accept any of the affirmations of faith. Confirmation in the Christian faith is found in the human experience of living life. Not only do Christians claim to experience the existence of God, but also learn to understand the need for a God. First it is important in Christian belief to understand that God is present in his creation. In Genesis 1:27 states that mankind was created in his (God’s) own image. Father Rodney Kissinger, a Jesuit, makes a great distinction between created and made and a metaphor of how God is present in each person, “God created us. He did not make us. Making and creating are two different things. We make something by organizing pre-existing material. And when we get finished organizing it we can walk away. It doesn’t need us anymore. But when God creates something out of nothing he must continually preserve it, conserve it in existence…. Think of a sponge in a lake. The sponge is upheld by the lake. Every fiber of the sponge is interpenetrated by the lake. The sponge is not the lake. And the lake is not the sponge. That is how God is present in me. I am not God. And God is not me.”
ReplyDeleteContinued: Father Kissinger presents his readers with how all-powerful and creative God was with his creation. I am still having a hard-time grasping what Father Kissinger means by constantly preserving and conserving mankind when he created mankind out of nothing. Commentary or an explanation on this would be helpful. According to Kissinger, God made the point of making his creation dedicated to serving him. On another note, I also find his statement interesting because it refutes the argument of God being a watchmaker. God did not intend to make a watch and totally abandon it after placing it on Earth. He created his creation out of nothing with a point to constantly be a part of it as said in the sponge metaphor. Father Kissinger’s sponge metaphor does a great job at showing how far we are from God, but also how we are so interpenetrated and a part of him as well. Although in Christian belief, we are so interpenetrated by God, he is still very distant. God is such a pure spirit compared to the fallen human race that we experience God in small doses. A metaphor between God and the son is usually one that explains this point quite well. If we experienced the sun directly we would turn into ashes, but we still experience the sun through the vast universe and atmosphere that divides us from it indirectly through the rays of the sun that manage to penetrate us. In a similar way, we experience God indirectly through material and sensible aspects that are created by God. Another way that this Sun and God metaphor shows that there is a God in the Christian faith is that it shows the powerlessness, neediness, and weakness of the human race without a God/Sun. Although the sun is powerful and could destroy us easily, we still need the sun on our side to preserve the earth, keep us warm, and supply light. The power in which the sun displays leaves humans in awe is well. Not only do we experience God like we do the Sun, but we also experience God as a mystery. As most of us have come to find, there are many mysteries in life. A reality that all of us have encountered is that life itself is a mystery and God is this mystery. God in the Christian belief is indescribable and yet obvious. Father Kissinger stated, “Life is not a problem to be solved, but a mystery to be lived in faith, hope and love - and laughter, knowing that God will provide.” There is not only experience of God through mystery, but also in the pain of a limited life, when we desire a full and unlimited life. Sometimes we experience God in the bitterest experiences of life, in the death of a loved one, in failure, a moment of stress or trouble and in turn have a desire to call out for something greater than ourselves to save us. Through the ages, men and women of all ages and ways of life have have claimed not only to have known God, but to have experienced God as well. The Bible is a great documentation of human experience and spirituality with God as the center of it. What the Bible does is represent the history of the human experiences of God. In conclusion, the human experiences that we live through point at the spiritual experiences that bring most humans to the conclusion that there is a God. Through spiritual experience and faith in God, he will bring peace, security, joy, and a source of strength in the time of temptation and trouble. This is just a small take on the presence of God in human experience. We all still live in mystery.
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