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Originally Posted by Indiana  That's true about Dawkins and Hitchens, but there are also plenty of mouthy spiritual people who are negative and condescending towards those who don't share their beliefs, so I find it best not to judge the value of a belief system on its fundamentalists :-) |
Thats very true. Not so much spiritualists, but it's definitely dogmatic religious people who are arrogant and condescending
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Originally Posted by Indiana Like Zeph, I don't think atheism is incompatible with high consciousness. I believe in acceptance, tolerance, moving towards oneness (in the sense of seeing the beauty and truth in all people), and I believe in karma in the sense of 'you reap what you sow'. But these are quite practical matters for me; they don't necessarily involve any kind of universal driving force - they just seem to be a more effective and integrated way of living |
I totally agree with that, especially the karma part. But thats not really what we're discussing though, atheists believe there is
no deity of any kind, I say there has to be one because how else was the complexity of human life created??
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Originally Posted by Indiana I have, from time to time, seen people who are really into the spiritual side of PD, New Age beliefs, etc, refer to people who don't believe in, say, oneness or astral planes etc, in quite condescending ways. One that seems to be a favourite is 'Muggles' 
To me, the highest point of consciousness would seem to be when you truly understand that you are one with everyone - that nobody is better or worse than you, and that judgment is pointless (or a reflection of self-judgment). So I don't think 'higher states of being' are necessarily reserved for those who believe in a spiritual realm |
And agreed again on the last part. Maybe I am being too judgemental re: atheists.
And sorry to say, Hitchens died today. While I didnt particularly like the man, I dont wish cancer on anyone
