Atheism Vs. Spirituality

[jasonjp1016]

Looking for some thoughts on why the attack on atheism, which means: disbelief or lack of belief in the existence of God or gods.  

 

I was brought up a Christian and gave up the idea of a personal god who lives in the clouds and all the dogma that goes with it years ago.  But I thinks it’s funny when so called spiritual people don’t believe in this basic concept of god but don’t consider them selves atheists.  

 

I understand when people claim to be atheist there is a whole new package of dogma that goes with it and that’s what is being denounced.  Claiming to not believe in religion or god, as far as I’m concerned can still put you in a state of not knowing.  You can not believe in a personal god and not take the science thing to seriously and do consciousness work.

 

For me the first step was giving up those religious limiting beliefs and things eventually fell into place on the spiritual path.  I don’t think the word atheism needs to be used in a negative way.

 

Just curious on if anyone else feels it could be handled better..

 

[Prabhaker]

@jasonjp1016

      Belief is an escape. The theist is pretending that he knows. The atheist is pretending he also knows that there is no God. Neither the theist has tried to look into existence, nor has the atheist tried. And the atheist’s work is even more difficult than the theist’s work, because the theist is trying to find something – its presence, its existence; at least he has a hypothesis to work upon. The atheist has no hypothesis at all; he begins with the idea, ”There is no God.” Then what are you going to search and seek for? For no-God? It is difficult to have the idea of what God is; it is more difficult to have the idea of what no-God is.

   Perhaps the theist may stumble by chance on God, but the atheist cannot stumble on no-God by chance, because no-God simply means something absent. You cannot stumble on something absent. The theist at least has a possibility of transforming his belief into a hypothesis that, ”I don’t believe that God exists, but hypothetically I assume God exists, and I will try to search for him.” What hypothesis can the atheist have? He is denying. Negativity cannot be the hypothesis. Positivity can be the hypothesis. The atheist is in a much more difficult situation. But he is also, in another way, more comfortable than the theist.

   The theist cannot get rid of the doubt. It is going to remain always underneath his belief. He cannot throw it away. Belief and doubt are two aspects of the same coin. You throw one, and the other also is thrown. You save one, and the other is also saved. But the atheist, in another way, is more comfortable: there is no God – so there is no question of doubt. You cannot doubt something which is not. You can doubt something which is, or may be. But if you have decided there is nothing like God, you cannot doubt. You cannot believe; you cannot doubt. But you cannot progress in your search either.

   The atheist has thrown away the doubt far more deeply, far more profoundly than the theist. With the theist the doubt is just hiding behind his belief. With the atheist there is no belief to hide behind; he has thrown the doubt very far away, very deep in the unconscious. Of course you cannot get rid of it unless you know. But you can deceive. The atheist can deceive more easily than the theist. Hence atheism has been growing, theism shrinking.

   Theists are almost bogus; atheists, a little more solid, because they have not covered their wound with a belief. If the wound is there and it hurts, they have accepted the hurt and the wound. A little more courageous, a little closer to beginning the search – because you can deceive yourself your whole life in believing and thinking that you know, but how long can you go on saying, ”There is no God”?

   So people cling either to theism, or those who are a little stronger, intellectual, the intelligentsia – they cling to atheism. But both are escapes from doubt. And to escape from doubt is to escape from inquiry – because what is doubt? It is only a question mark. It is not your enemy. It is simply a question mark within you which prepares you to inquire.

   The agnostic is the most superior. He does not commit himself, he remains uncommitted. It is better to remain uncommitted, because that keeps you alert that you have not started the search yet. The theist has arrived at a conclusion, the atheist has arrived at a conclusion; you have not even begun the search.

[LRyan]

I don't believe in organized religion. It's my opinion that organized religion makes people feel less fear of death.  I won't say there is no God, I am not an atheist and I'm not on the fence, I just don't think it matters at all because it can't be proven and it can't be unproven or dispelled. We don't need to assign any labels or beliefs to anything. I have a curiosity and open mindedness to all.  I don't know what "label" to put on myself! Lol!

i believe we are all a beautiful piece of the universe .... whatever you want to call that!!

[WelcometoReality]

@jasonjp1016 Religion is a belief that God exist. Atheism is a belief that God don't exist. They are on opposite sides on the same spectrum.

Are one more true than the other?

 

[jasonjp1016]

@WelcometoReality I wouldn't say one is more true than the other it's just that I feel like a lack of belief could be more or less considered atheism to some extent.  It seems to have a negative connotation in spiritual circles.

[Scholar]

22 minutes ago, jasonjp1016 said:

@WelcometoReality I wouldn't say one is more true than the other it's just that I feel like a lack of belief could be more or less considered atheism to some extent.  It seems to have a negative connotation in spiritual circles.

Atheism is not defined by a lack of belief in god, it's defined by the belief that a god cannot exist. If you claim to be an atheist, you claim to believe that god does not exist. It's not the absence of belief.

But I guess the word is used very broadly today. Some people just use it as you do, and I guess this is where some of the confusion comes in.

Edited April 11, 2017 by Scholar

[WelcometoReality]

2 hours ago, jasonjp1016 said:

@WelcometoReality I wouldn't say one is more true than the other it's just that I feel like a lack of belief could be more or less considered atheism to some extent.  It seems to have a negative connotation in spiritual circles.

It does seem like it. But whatever you choose to call the absolute it will still be absolute and all concepts of it are just a play with words. Whether you choose to call it God, Consciousness or Spirit it all points to the same absolute.

[zazed]

 I'm an atheist studying enlightenment. I think there is a method to mind. There is nothing i "believe" about it, because i think faith is self-indoctrination.
Always skeptic, i am studying my own mind and have found glimmers of proof towards enlightenment, and learned a lot about my self in the process.