As an atheist, and also a lover of all things scientific/philosophical - who appreciates the need for evidence, for careful study of the natural world to find patterns within it that signal some deeper processes going on beyond our immediate senses - I tend to shy away from the word ‘spirituality’ when it comes to describing how coming to understand nature makes me feel. There are too many connotations with religions, mysticism, and ‘ancient wisdom’. And when the vast, vast majority of people talk of a spiritual experience, this is what they have in mind; something ‘outside’ of nature, outside the purview of science and rational thought. However, perhaps I have been wrong. Perhaps it is time to rescue the word, wrestle it back to its truer meaning again. No one puts that better than the late Carl Sagan. ‘“Spirit” come from the Latin word “to breathe”. On occasion, I will feel free to use the word. Science is not only compatible with spirituality; it is a profound source of spirituality. When we recognize our place in an immensity of light years and in the passage of ages, when we grasp the intricacy, beauty and subtlety of life, then that soaring feeling, that sense of elation and humility combined, is surely spiritual.’ Carl Sagan ‘The Demon-Haunted World’ In this regard, I am a deeply spiritual person.
Posted on: Fri, 12 Sep 2014 08:37:38 +0000
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