Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnPlace  Because spirituality satisfies two basic human needs:
1) The need for answers to things science cannot provide
2) The need for hope from something beyond our understanding |
Do you believe spirituality actually provides answers? From what I've gathered through many discussions, and as confirmed by what you and Namaste have said here, spirituality provides emotional comfort, in various ways. It provides certainty, but not necessarily an answer behind that certainty.
If a man turns to some form of religion to decide on the morality of cheating, he's not looking for an answer, but rather the relief an authoritative source can provide from the stress of making the decision on his own. Neither science nor religion nor spirituality nor logic is necessary to answer the question of "is cheating wrong"; it's a matter of consideration for others, and of having the foresight to see that immediate gratification will have lasting repercussions. And while that message may be contained in, and learnt from, a religious text, it is not a necessarily spiritual concept.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnPlace And no matter how much we might prefer him to use his own logic, many people will always rely upon the book. You see, both logic and dogma can be debunked in the hands of a skilled debator. Some people want their law to come from something higher than themselves. |
I think we should make a distinction between religion and spirituality. As far as I'm aware, spirituality is less rigid than religion, and thus not so concerned with laws, but rather with personal interpretation of experiences. It's implicit where religion is explicit.
Jenny summarised religion and spirituality well, I believe.
Liara, or anyone else who has read Hawkins' work, do you know if he treats spirituality and religion identically?
And does he address the question of what effect the conflicting concepts of self-realisation/self-empowerment and adherence to divide law have on an individual?