Beliefs
A while ago someone asked a bunch of people, including myself, the following for a class project:
what, if anything, attracts you to spirituality (whatever form of spirituality you follow)? I would like to know whether you are or are not a spiritual person and what is the reason for why you are/aren't.
My response was the following:
Spirituality in itself is an attractive thing. It gives people a sense of security, knowing that all things happen for reasons. It gives a set of guidelines to live by, and for many it promises eternal life. The idea that there is something more important is humbling and comforting at the same time. It's how a tired, sick, or hurt child feels when their parent picks them up, holds them, and promises they'll be OK. I completely understand why people find these things appealing.
While I do believe in many of the guidelines set out by various religions, I don't believe they were created by a God or gods. I don't believe in eternal life. Even if we were created, I don't believe that the creator is watching, guiding, or protecting us. I don't believe that religion is the (only) way the world becomes a better place or we can be good people.
Your friend mentioned religion as a crutch, but I think that analogy is unfair. I may not seek help from a deity in tough times, but I still need support from my family and friends. I may not think that religion's guidelines came from a deity, but I do believe that people created them trying to help people live good lives. Relying on a higher power is easier than relying on other people and yourself, because people are flawed and make mistakes. Even so, it's important for everyone to have someone or something to trust in, whether that's your Mother, your God, or maybe your Dog in his unwavering loyalty. I think that while none of these have the ability to truly change a disastrous situation (contracting an incurable disease or losing a close friend, for example), they all can make you feel better about what has happened. They can all help us to remember the good in life, and give us the strength to move on despite crushing emotional weight.
I do believe in a greater good for all people. I do believe in doing what's right, even if it's inconvenient or causes personal suffering. I believe that what's right comes from within, not from a rule book. I do believe that being a good person is a personal decision, and that living a good life has rewards in this world, if not the next. I hold a lot of beliefs and I do my best to live by them. They're based on intangible values, just not supernatural ones. I'll let you decide whether that makes me spiritual.
I thought his question was interesting for a couple reasons. First, I think the question was asked in a slightly biased way. It seemed to me that there was a preconception that there's no distinction between being attracted or repelled from spirituality, and actually being a spiritual person. I'm also unsure of his meaning of Spirituality, though it seems implicit in the word that being spiritual requires belief in the "spirit" or soul, or more generally a belief in things beyond the natural world. Wikipedia has a nice entry on Spirituality if you're interested. But for me this begs the question, "Can a moralist be counted as a Spiritual person?"
I favor the slightly more general idea that being spiritual requires only seeking to become a better person. There's two things a play here. The first part is that seeking implies action. I don't think that someone who states their beliefs but fails to live by them or makes exceptions is spiritual. Either they or their belief system must change in order to become spiritual, and I do think that adapting your beliefs is part of a spiritual journey. The second part is that "better person" is completely subjective. In my view, there's no absolute definition of the ideal person. There are many common attributes that people would ascribe to the ideal, but there are many others on which people disagree, or where the degree of an attribute can be argued. For example, is it most ideal to fully dedicate ones self to teaching beliefs, putting ones beliefs into action, or by striking some sort of balance? Most will draw a line somewhere in the middle, but everyone will place that line at a different spot. For me the most important parts of Spirituality are to continually discover and adapt the concept of ideal and to continually work to become as close to it as possible.
Another reason I found the question interesting was that it forced me to examine my own beliefs. People like to lump themselves into one category or another (Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, etc), but rarely does anyone whole heartedly and whole mindedly accept their claimed faith. Those who like to condemn the most are often the most hypocritical. Most people bend their supposed belief system around their lifestyle, picking and choosing what they like and making exceptions for every rule; and I find that contortion absolutely despicable. As such, I refuse to identify myself with any one grouping of beliefs, because I and my beliefs are not categorical.
I can say that I don't believe in God or gods or heaven or hell, but I'm not an Atheist. Being an Atheist requires that I assert that God doesn't exist, which I don't. I could be wrong. 90-95% of me says, "There's nothing supernatural about any of existence", but the remaining part of me says, "There's no solid proof, and all things can change". I suppose I could identify as an Agnostic, but to many that implies things like I can be swung one way or another, or that I'm just hurting and one day I'll "come back to God". I don't want to give anyone the idea that I'm like an undecided voter. I'm perfectly content not knowing. I'm perfectly content to live my life according to the things I consider important, even if that means I may get condemned for all eternity. I'm just not that concerned, because I don't think there's any good way for me to know if I've got it right or wrong. If we were given a heart to feel with and a mind to think with, wouldn't the Perfect Belief System click with both? I've had no such experience as yet.
If I'm ultimately supposed to serve some greater purpose, I'm sure that I'll be informed in some way. Until then, I'm gonna keep working with the best things I've got - my head and my heart. Science, Progress, Reason, and Equality, FTW BITCHES! ;)
Lates.