Do Atheists Ever Experience Spiritual Discoveries & Revelations ?

[Daisy]

Really? So when a person dies, their soul is extinguished?

When life is gone, you are a dead soul...all humans die...

"The soul who sins is the one who will die." Ezekiel 18:4

As do animals...Ecclesiastes 3...

"19 for there is an outcome for humans and an outcome for animals; they all have the same outcome. As the one dies, so the other dies; and they all have but one spirit. So man has no superiority over animals, for everything is futile.

20 All are going to the same place. They all come from the dust, and they all are returning to the dust."

We all have the same spirit/breath of life, which returns back to God, who gave it...

"Then the dust returns to the earth, just as it was, and the spirit returns to the true God who gave it." Ecclesiastes 12:7

Notice the spirit is a different Hebrew word than soul/neʹphesh...

Life-force, or spirit, is impersonal. As noted, the Scriptures refer to the ruʹach, or life-force, as being not only in humans but also in animals. (Ge 6:17; 7:15, 22) Ecclesiastes 3:18-22 shows that man dies in the same manner as the beasts, for “they all have but one spirit [weruʹach], so that there is no superiority of the man over the beast,” that is, as to the life-force common to both. This being so, it is clear that the “spirit,” or life-force (ruʹach), as used in this sense is impersonal. As an illustration, one might compare it to another invisible force, electricity, which may be used to make various types of machines operate—causing stoves to produce heat, fans to produce wind, computers to solve problems, television sets to produce figures, voices and other sounds—yet which electric current never takes on any of the characteristics of the machines in which it functions or is active.
https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1200004211

 

[Questerr]

When life is gone, you are a dead soul...all humans die...

"The soul who sins is the one who will die." Ezekiel 18:4

As do animals...Ecclesiastes 3...

"19 for there is an outcome for humans and an outcome for animals; they all have the same outcome. As the one dies, so the other dies; and they all have but one spirit. So man has no superiority over animals, for everything is futile.

20 All are going to the same place. They all come from the dust, and they all are returning to the dust."

We all have the same spirit/breath of life, which returns back to God, who gave it...

"Then the dust returns to the earth, just as it was, and the spirit returns to the true God who gave it." Ecclesiastes 12:7

Life-force, or spirit, is impersonal. As noted, the Scriptures refer to the ruʹach, or life-force, as being not only in humans but also in animals. (Ge 6:17; 7:15, 22) Ecclesiastes 3:18-22 shows that man dies in the same manner as the beasts, for “they all have but one spirit [weruʹach], so that there is no superiority of the man over the beast,” that is, as to the life-force common to both. This being so, it is clear that the “spirit,” or life-force (ruʹach), as used in this sense is impersonal. As an illustration, one might compare it to another invisible force, electricity, which may be used to make various types of machines operate—causing stoves to produce heat, fans to produce wind, computers to solve problems, television sets to produce figures, voices and other sounds—yet which electric current never takes on any of the characteristics of the machines in which it functions or is active.
https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1200004211

“The spirit returns”

Once again, I reject the claim that any kind spirit exists.

 

[Daisy]

“The spirit returns”

Once again, I reject the claim that any kind spirit exists.

The spirit is the impersonal breath of life that God gives...it is not the soul, 2 different Hebrew words...

 

[Questerr]

The spirit is the impersonal breath of life that God gives...it is not the soul, 2 different Hebrew words...

Why should I care what the Hebrew words are?

 

[Daisy]

Why should I care what the Hebrew words are?

Don't you wanna be accurate in your disbeliefs? Soul is the whole being, mind and body and spirit is the impersonal breath of life that returns to God...nothing lives on when we die...unless God wills it...

 

[Questerr]

Don't you wanna be accurate in your disbeliefs? Soul is the whole being, mind and body and spirit is the impersonal breath of life that returns to God...nothing lives on when we die...unless God wills it...

I want to use the meaning of “soul” as it’s commonly accepted in English. Not how uneducated goat herders defined it.

What is the “God” you keep talking about?

 

[Dragonfly]

What is the “God” you keep talking about?

She’s a Jehovah’s Witness. That should tell you plenty.

 

[Eatomus]

There is no evidence that any soul exists. Why should anyone believe what a Bronze Age book of mythology says?

It has already been established here that some atheists believe in the Spirit Component of our being :


"Some atheists experience spiritual discoveries and revelations. Just as one example, many Buddhists are also atheists, but nonetheless seek spiritual enlightenment." ( AConcernedCitizen )

Given that even some atheists are on board with it would have to mean that the majority of human beings believe in existence of a personal spirit .
For me the discovery of it came at a very young age & had nothing to do with being taught or instructed that the very essence of me was something that no one else could see or know.
I have to believe that I am not the exception but more the rule as to how people come to this spiritual discovery.

 

[Dragonfly]

I have to believe that I am not the exception but more the rule as to how people come to this spiritual discovery.

Why do you “have to believe“ that?

 

[Dragonfly]

Given that even some atheists are on board with it would have to mean that the majority of human beings believe in existence of a personal spirit .

Why is popularity important?

Also, you do realize spirituality and personal revelations don’t necessarily have to be connected to god/religion. They don’t have to be tied to a belief in a personal spirit in a biblical context.

 

[Daisy]

Not how uneducated goat herders defined it.

Even though you seem to agree with them...ok, got it...

 

[Questerr]

Even though you seem to agree with them...ok, got it...

Except I don’t. I reject the claim the any kind of spirit exists and I am using the word “soul” in the context of the modern English interpretation of the word.

 

[Eatomus]

Why do you “have to believe“ that?

I counting fact that even some Atheists have discovered & are believers in the spiritual nature ?
For me self discovery would be the most likely way that an Atheist would come to the realization .

 

[Manc Skipper]

I counting fact that even some Atheists have discovered & are believers in the spiritual nature ?
For me self discovery would be the most likely way that an Atheist would come to the realization .

One of the earliest signs that a person doesn't understand what atheism is, comes when they spell "atheism" or "atheist" with a capital A in the middle of a sentence. In English, this is only grammatical with proper nouns, and thus this signals that the person imagines atheism to a be a proper noun—in other words, some sort of ideology or religion like Christianity or Marxism. When you see someone inappropriately capitalising atheism, beware.

 

[Dragonfly]

I counting fact that even some Atheists have discovered & are believers in the spiritual nature ?

To be clear, you do understand that “spiritual nature” does not have to be connected to a religious/biblical/god context at all? Right?

 

[Noodlegawd]

I ask this question from the perspective of one who held no firm belief in God or an afterlife at the time .
I can distinctly remember as a small child looking into a mirror & looking at the way my body moved based upon thoughts prompting it , and coming to a very real discovery that there was a part of me that was completely apart from the physical.
It was quite a startling revelation for me as a child I remember.
To the point that I can remember my mother becoming very alarmed over a one or two day period where I would do nothing but spend time gazing into a mirror .
Realizing for the first time that the physical part of me was listening and was being completely undergirded by a non-physical part of me ,

That's your brain. It's very physical.

Do atheists allow themselves to have any spiritual side to them at all, or is this strictly forbidden territory to them that they make a conscious choice to avoid .

There are no rules to being an atheist. It is a description of a state of mind.

 

[lurchadams]

I ask this question from the perspective of one who held no firm belief in God or an afterlife at the time .
I can distinctly remember as a small child looking into a mirror & looking at the way my body moved based upon thoughts prompting it , and coming to a very real discovery that there was a part of me that was completely apart from the physical.
It was quite a startling revelation for me as a child I remember.
To the point that I can remember my mother becoming very alarmed over a one or two day period where I would do nothing but spend time gazing into a mirror .
Realizing for the first time that the physical part of me was listening and was being completely undergirded by a non-physical part of me ,
Not only that , but realizing that this non-physical part , was a part that nobody else could ever see, touch ,or know .
The non-physical was the real me.
As opposed to the assembly of cells that I could see in the mirror .
My Spirit.
Do atheists allow themselves to have any spiritual side to them at all, or is this strictly forbidden territory to them that they make a conscious choice to avoid .
Or does it all depend on the individual ?
I have only ever heard Atheists focused exclusively on the disbelief in God, but never any other spiritual matter .
Just Curious .

Of course they do! Most athletes wear crosses and seem to be very religious!

 

[Daisy]

Except I don’t. I reject the claim the any kind of spirit exists and I am using the word “soul” in the context of the modern English interpretation of the word.

Of course you don't...you'd rather adopt the heretic meaning rather than the original by the original definers...figures...

 

[Questerr]

Of course you don't...you'd rather adopt the heretic meaning rather than the original by the original definers...figures...

Why should I care what the Hebrews consider “heretic”? They also believed the Earth was a flat circle covered in a dome.

 

[Dragonfly]

you'd rather adopt the heretic meaning rather than the original by the original definers

Explain to us exactly how YOU know the original meanings by the original definers.

You may also want to explain how YOU know who the original definers were.

Considering the vast VAST majority of the Christian/Abrahamic world does not agree with a great deal of what you “think you know”.

 

[Daisy]

Explain to us exactly how YOU know the original meanings by the original definers.

You may also want to explain how YOU know who the original definers were.

Considering the vast VAST majority of the Christian/Abrahamic world does not agree with a great deal of what you “think you know”.

You'll find all your answers in my previous posts regarding the original words in Hebrew and how they were used in the scriptures...as you well know, many get it wrong, so "VAST majority" is no litmus test...

 

[Mach]

I can distinctly remember as a small child looking into a mirror & looking at the way my body moved based upon thoughts prompting it , and coming to a very real discovery that there was a part of me that was completely apart from the physical.
It was quite a startling revelation for me as a child I remember.

As a child, you made a mistake is all. No big.

Most science classes and most basic human reasoning, leads people to understand that you can't see everything that's physical. Physics deals with all sorts of things you don't see with the naked eye looking into a mirror. Biology too. The study of the mind in psychology, etc. The study of history. The economy. Etc. Maybe you missed out on the fundamentals, but there is no rush, you an always pick them up now that you're aware.

As to spiritual stuff, generally not at all, it's not real. I have had fantastic experiences about things not real, and can see how some might term them "spiritual", but I know better.

 

[Overitall]

Explain to us exactly how YOU know the original meanings by the original definers.

You may also want to explain how YOU know who the original definers were.

Considering the vast VAST majority of the Christian/Abrahamic world does not agree with a great deal of what you “think you know”.

How Many Americans Believe in God?

Gauging Americans' belief in God depends on the threshold for "belief."

news.gallup.com

The highest level of belief (87%) comes from a simple yes/no question, "Do you believe in God?" which Gallup last asked in 2017.

I guess that settles that question. They must be right.

 

[devildavid]

Can anyone give an example of what is considered spiritual matter?

 

[Dragonfly]

Can anyone give an example of what is considered spiritual matter?

Watching your own child being born.
Watching a loved one take their last breath.

Things like that.

Or maybe escaping serious injury when things could have been deadly.


Maybe even just a long walk deep in the woods.