My Spirituality as an Atheist

Inspired by a conversation with Theo Warner.

En Español: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZQiBWzBtBY (Thanks to AmazedAtheist)

Is there any value in spirituality? As an atheist you may expect me to say no; but if I'm being honest, I'd have to consider myself a spiritual person. Of course I'm not talking about some ghostly ethereal soul that lives inside my body. There's no reason to think there's anything like that. I'm talking about the essence of human. There aren't many words in our language that capture what that is. at least for me. And so I use the word spirit, in the same way I use the phrase bless you. For rhetoric's sake. I can only describe it as the action or ability to see beauty. to feel wonder. and to be in awe.

Religion and all groups faith of course serve only to prostitute the awe, and the mystery we all feel as humans. they bottle our essence and try putting lid on the wonder we naturally feel. They fail of course. Religion points to the man behind the curtain in an attempt answer the mystery. when in reality, there is no man. the mystery is just that. a mystery.

But even though I don't believe in the supernatural, I try to be as honest as I can to myself, about my spirituality.

On my trip out west just a couple months ago I remember a moment standing in a field that looked up at the grand tetons. the tetons in wyoming are these massive glacier capped mountains that just cut into the sky. I remember thinking to myself. Something much greater than me must have caused this. I know it.

I also remember sleeping out underneath a cool and clear sky next to the dunes in white sands national park. Looking up all I could see was just a pile of stars. More than I'd ever understood to exist. Looking at them all, still and perfect, and vast beyond my ability to comprehend, I felt uncommonly humble. And grateful just to be alive.

There are moments when I'm with good friends, where it just feels good to breath. The taste of chilled apple butter on a warm buttermilk biscuit is often more than delicious, to me it feels enlightening. And a soft kiss to me can honestly stop time and space.

At times I can be so overwhelmed by the sensation of being alive, that I cry. or I laugh. or I scream. or I just breath deeply.

And no, I never once imagine that to be supernatural. I understand, that the thing that is so much greater than me, to have caused the Tetons has a name. and it's called plate tectonics.

That being humble is simply the feeling of recognizing the reality of ones small significance to a universe so massive. And being grateful to be alive doesn't require a person to be grateful toward.

I recognize that being happy in a comfortable social setting is a evolutionary trait of my species. That my body naturally craves specific foods for nutritional or maybe even psychological reasons. And that the intoxication of romance is most likely driven by the need to procreate.

But I am one with the universe. Not metaphysically, but physically. I am as much the universe as a supernova. made of the same particles, governed by the same forces. I am Genes that mutated randomly, then were selected naturally based on their success at survival.

And I love applebutter on a biscuit. I collapse in awe at the magnificence of this place. I crave romance. and I breath appreciation for it all..

I have to, with all my essence. with all my spirit. because imagine, in all the universe, we may be the only things that can, and that's beautiful.

Music: Brooks was here
By: Thomas Newman

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Spirituality
• spirit
• atheism
• atheist
• no
• god

[4micaman]

I don't consider myself as Atheist, Agnostic, Christian, Catholic, nor any other label todays society like to give others But, this video presentation is beautiful and for me, well thought out. I am however, a deeply spiritual human being who realizes that I am not different from any other human on this planet. If we can truly see the beauty that surrounds us, in everything, in everyone, perhaps then we can know pure love. This is my hope for myself and humanity.

[cannibalcarrot666]

Hey man I just want to thank you, not only has this video touched me greatly it's helped a great deal. My girlfriend is a deeply religous person and after watching this video with her, I think for the first time she truly understands and accepts my beliefs. This isn't just a beautiful video for atheists, but a beautiful video for human beings.

[MrTimmacabro]

Im christian.. and this video touched me.

[originofdespair]

wow



[StarApostle]

You said those things in your first 2 posts toward me in the thread the Atheist experience censored me in. I have your comments in email so what you implied can be easily proven, so that issue can end there til I present it. Even though it wasn't my comments to you that got me censored, I will include you in my video response to that, and you can beef all you want on that thread. I except your opposition, I already told you I could do it, you don't have a mustard seed, the hour is not your call.

[urcorrect]

@StarApostle I posed no "question of inordinate affection", nor did I claim to "identify with all definitions of atheism". What scriptural metaphors were used here? What oxymoron was posited? I would like answers to these questions, but I expect you'll just offer more unsubstantiated assertions and excuses as you run away.

[StarApostle]

@urcorrect I'm not answering that question for the same reason I didn't answer your question of inordinate affection, you pretend. Are you a defender of atheist, or atheism now? I find here a person using scriptural metaphors, and before you told me you know no atheist who does this, and that you identify with all definitions of atheism. You think you want the answer but you don't, I'm sure "biscuits " would suffice, when ever you think you need a answer.

[urcorrect]

@StarApostle What are you talking about? That was completely incoherent. If you care about comprehension, use the correct noun form; they mean different things. What was the oxymoron?

[StarApostle]

@urcorrect I blocked cause I needed a break, I kept trying 2 get you 2 see where I'm coming from, and you as a atheist trying 2 convince me your coming from somewhere, and I can never find it. I'm bigger on understanding than I am on being grammatically correct, I've always felt the bigger crime was pretending not 2 comprehend. If your not gonna tell your friends or strangers, you've found someone claiming to have the answer, I can't find any use for you. I am the fool of God already. Unblocked

[urcorrect]

@StarApostle "A perfect example of a Oxymoron." What was the oxymoron?

Btw, he used the common noun form, "atheist". Perhaps you were confused by the use of capitalization common to media titling conventions.

[adam4bomb]

Such a wonderful video!