You know, I meant to reply to this for days, and never quite got round to it. Guess I should do so now.
I don't believe there is such a stark dichotomy between being valued for one's work, or for one's humanity. Ultimately, human beings need BOTH. Either/or simply won't cut it.
Oh, agreed. But being valued for what you can, or what you do, do is not the same as a transactional relationship. Someone saying "oh, you do that?" is neat, it makes what you are doing with your life important. On the other hand, what we're really talking about here is not about what you can or do do, it's about what you do for that other person. What experience am I gaining from our relationship, what networking opportunities do I get, that sort of thing?
What you are able to do, and what you do with your life is in fact part of your Genevieve-ness. But the product of that, and what benefit I may or may not gain from that, is not.
I think that the notion of a "spiritual vacuum" to be filled, while valid, is also dangerous. It leaves the left open to the same trap which the right fell into, which is that LACK of spirituality is somehow to blame for all the ills in the world.
I guess that's a risk. Rather, I think that the ills of the world are compounded and reflected in the current ills of the world. The worldview that we're currently seeing dominate is one which encourages a lack of spirituality - the antidote to that may be an increase in people's spiritual value of themselves and others, but that will be useless if it is not accompanied and complimented by a change in overall worldview.
There are COMPLETELY secular philosophies that encourage caring for one's fellow (wo)man, and valuing humanity over (or as well as) productivity.
See both I, and Rabbi Lerner, would argue that those philosophies are spiritual, just not religious. Secular Humanism is, undoubtedly, a spiritual philosophy despite its lack of religious faith. English is, perhaps, lacking the appropriate terminology for what we're really trying to talk about here, but I certainly feel it as what I'd define as spirituality. I'd hate to see atheists locked out of that conversation, though.
I don't believe there is such a stark dichotomy between being valued for one's work, or for one's humanity. Ultimately, human beings need BOTH. Either/or simply won't cut it.
Oh, agreed. But being valued for what you can, or what you do, do is not the same as a transactional relationship. Someone saying "oh, you do that?" is neat, it makes what you are doing with your life important. On the other hand, what we're really talking about here is not about what you can or do do, it's about what you do for that other person. What experience am I gaining from our relationship, what networking opportunities do I get, that sort of thing?
What you are able to do, and what you do with your life is in fact part of your Genevieve-ness. But the product of that, and what benefit I may or may not gain from that, is not.
I think that the notion of a "spiritual vacuum" to be filled, while valid, is also dangerous. It leaves the left open to the same trap which the right fell into, which is that LACK of spirituality is somehow to blame for all the ills in the world.
I guess that's a risk. Rather, I think that the ills of the world are compounded and reflected in the current ills of the world. The worldview that we're currently seeing dominate is one which encourages a lack of spirituality - the antidote to that may be an increase in people's spiritual value of themselves and others, but that will be useless if it is not accompanied and complimented by a change in overall worldview.
There are COMPLETELY secular philosophies that encourage caring for one's fellow (wo)man, and valuing humanity over (or as well as) productivity.
See both I, and Rabbi Lerner, would argue that those philosophies are spiritual, just not religious. Secular Humanism is, undoubtedly, a spiritual philosophy despite its lack of religious faith. English is, perhaps, lacking the appropriate terminology for what we're really trying to talk about here, but I certainly feel it as what I'd define as spirituality. I'd hate to see atheists locked out of that conversation, though.
Reply
Leave a comment