What event(s) in your life have lead you to maintain the current stance you take on the god issue? Was it just one flash of inspiration? Or was it a gradual progression? From what to what? Christian to Pagan? agnostic to atheist? Voodoo-er to Animist?

I’ve had plenty of life changing experiences, but most weren’t of a “spiritual” nature. Most were moments of deep introspection—moments of clarity—but they were decidedly coming from my brain and awareness.

That said, like everyone else, I’ve made “deals” with the universe to get through tough times. There was never a “God” in the equation, though. I’m not sure why humans do this—it’s not faith specific—but even though I’m an atheist, I’d be a hypocrite if I denied that there was some need to appeal to a force greater than myself at certain points in my life.

That doesn’t make any of it real, and I’m sure there were people making “deals” with the Sun God or with Thor back in the day. It just means that there’s something in the human mind that needs to feel like there’s always a hierarchy, and that no matter who you are, you always answer to someone, and that someone always has the means to influence your life. I suspect this is genetic, since humans universally organize themselves like this, religion or no.

That, and I seriously doubt the universe cares much what happens to me.

So what caused the atheism in me? Nothing specific, at least as far as I can recall, but a lot of little things over my childhood made me skeptical of anyone who claimed to be more spiritual than other people. When I was in elementary school, my mom was married to a minister in the Unity faith—basically New Age meets Christian meets Dale Carnegie—and a lot of people who came through it were hucksters of various types, peddling healing crystals or self-enlightenment. Even as a kid, it was impossible to take that stuff seriously, although many people did, and do.

It was seeing people believe things that are obviously not true because someone claiming spiritual authority says they are that first put me on the road to skepticism. At the upper levels of most faiths, someone is making money or getting something in return for giving people a comforting answer. That’s enough reason to question the merits of any faith.

I also like to think about stuff and examine ideas, and I’ve yet to find a single religious view that will hold up under serious scrutiny. The closest I’ve ever come to having a “faith” is philosophical Taoism, and that’s largely because it’s not specifically teaching anything other than going with the flow. And a little Buddhism is in there too. (Look who grew up in Asheville, everyone!)

I don’t usually turn to a higher power in times of crisis in search of hope or divine help, but I like to blame him for things when they go wrong and there is no one else to yell at for it.

Steve, you mentioned awareness and the Tao. This is all there is to true religiousness. The problem arises when people THINK they know what spirituality is about.  It is not about beliefs and practices and religions. No belief, no religion, is required. The only practice that is needed is to work on becoming more and more aware in everything we do including the thinking process. How many times have you been speeding down I 40 at 70 mph and suddenly realize you have been a thousand mile away from the highway and are shocked into returning your attention to the driving?  The key to real spirituality is awareness.  Some can manage this on their own, some require a little boost up. In the end, like the Buddha is purported to have said, if you meet the Buddha on the path, kill him.  The meaning is to avoid becoming attached.  The so called spiritual master is a finger pointing at the moon. See the moon, ignore the finger.

The so called spiritual master is a finger pointing at the moon. See the moon, ignore the finger.

But I’m not pointing at the moon.

I’m flipping you off.

I’m wondering exactly why a “profound, life changing experience” necessarily must somehow be linked to our false concepts of spirituality?  Is it the word profound?  Looking back on my life as us older folks are inclined to do, I see many turning points that if changed I would not be where I am today, a place in space and time I have a certain degree of gratitude for. But where those points profound?  Not sure but as long as the topic is placed where it is I will relate one that did, in fact, change my direction in regards to the “search”. 

The occasion was listening to three gentlemen of the cloth while collecting one of twenty “chapel” credits required of all students at my undergraduate college. On deck that day, a Roman Catholic Priest, a Rabbi and a Protestant Minister, all exemplary individuals well versed in the intricacies of their faiths.

I walked out of that meeting forever convinced that no one faith held all the answers.  In fact I became aware that I didn’t even know what the question was but it was.  Many years later I came to believe the real question was “who am I” and the answer, to elaborate on a previous post, is not to be found in any book, in any religion, in any belief system.  The answer must, of necessity, come from within.

No earth shattering moment, my experience, but it did lay the ground work for much that followed.  I did continue attending one church or another, got married in one, baptized our children in another, led a youth group, taught Sunday school, coached a church league basketball team but ultimately decided church was not for me so I left with nothing in hand to replace it and no particular motivation to look for anything. As it turns out I had all I needed, myself, and an insatiable curiosity to know what made ME tick. I was essentially on the path to self awareness but I don’t see it as a spiritual pursuit.  Is it, does it even matter what one calls it?  I suspect not.

No.

Why not?

The (PFKaP) - 09 March 2009 02:33 PM

Why not?

Every day is a life changing experience.

shadmarsh - 09 March 2009 06:56 PM

The (PFKaP) - 09 March 2009 02:33 PM

Why not?

Every day is a life changing experience.

So, you lied.

Liar.

The (PFKaP) - 09 March 2009 07:03 PM

shadmarsh - 09 March 2009 06:56 PM

The (PFKaP) - 09 March 2009 02:33 PM

Why not?

Every day is a life changing experience.

So, you lied.

Lier.

Notice I left out the word “profound”.  That was intentional. Ergo not a lier, or a liar.

my bad.

So, why dont you share today’s life changingest events.

The (PFKaP) - 09 March 2009 07:09 PM

my bad.

So, why dont you share today’s life changingest events.

Well, according to Joyce Meyers book Battlefield of the Mind

1. We are engaged in a war.

2. Our enemy is Satan.

3. The mind is the battlefield.

4. The devil works diligently to set up strongholds in our mind.

5. He does it through strategy and deceit (through well-laid plans and deliberate deception).

6. He is in no hurry; he takes his time to work out his plan.

Are you calling me Satan?

The (PFKaP) - 09 March 2009 07:54 PM

Are you calling me Satan?

I ain’t saying I am, and I ain’t saying I ain’t.

Consider yourself reported, Mister.