Beth Presswood looking back on moments of joy and inspiration

Beth Presswood, host of the podcast Godless Bitches.

www.theatheistbook.com

• Category

  Film & Animation

[Doug Johnson]

Met Chris at the Minnesota Atheist conference, glad to see his work continuing with these interviews. I'll definitely keeping looking out for more interviews and updates on the book

[Chris Johnson]

Thanks Doug! It was great meeting you in Minnesota! Thanks for all the support!

[elcanijo84]

She's a southern belle. 

[cueballB]

What she said was:"Now I don't use the word spiritual, for sure, because I think it's a meaningless word." Unless she's some kind of poet, we can assume she meant exactly what she said. Also, if the word is meaningless, why even bring it up? It seems as though it's been shoehorned in, explicitly to say it is meaningless, as to make a point regarding socalled "theist jargon". I could be terribly wrong though, but something about that sentence just rubs me the wrong way.

[IronicAtheist]

*what she meant

[IronicAtheist]

Well, she technically said that for HER it has no meaning. Unless she was to expand on what we meant, no reason to diss her for saying it :P

[cueballB]

I would have to agree with that. See, this is the kind of conversation that should be had, instead of a simple dismissal of words because the religious have tried trademarking it.

[John Clavis]

Fair enough.

[IronicAtheist]

No problem.

[TDeMona]

Yeah, I guess you are right. And your way of dealing with the issue seems much wiser on closer inspection. So thank you.

[IronicAtheist]

Oh right, I have heard that too. Well I usually just ignore those people when they try to talk about the subject because they will just use their cop out every time. People do stuff like that with other words too. I just consider them invalid on their position at that point and move on.

I mean in Beth's case, she isn't using the word in that way. This is the use that should be acknowledged IMO.

[IronicAtheist]

I don't think it's the connection between her and the animal that is the "spiritual" experience... it's the reaction to the profoundness in said connection.

As TDeMona was asking, at what point does the experience become spiritual. Not everyone who watches a sunset, has an orgasm, and not everyone who swims with animals has a spiritual experience. You have to realize, the profound beauty of something. That is the spiritual experience.