The second post of Greta Christina I'm addressing in this mini-series of three called Not Religious, But Spiritual , and "attacks" who has precisely this form of "diluted religion", which rejects any organized religion or literal interpretation used by them, but at the same time he claims to have a personal connection with something "better", something "higher" without ever defining (or think) exactly what.
People use it to mean They believe in something other than the physical world: they do not know exactly what, but they're pretty sure it's something.
It would be much to criticize here, but we already there. 
Now, when I'm in a generous mood, I see this coming from a trope the totally valid desire not to be connected with the horrors of organized religion ... while, at the Same Time, still feeling some sort of personal, emotional experience That Thinks the trope-holder is a connection with God. (Or the Goddess, or the spirit world, or whatever.) The people who say it are Trying to separate the wheat from the chaff; What They need to take and leave the rest. And while I think Their Interpretation of Their experience is mistaken - I think it's all chaff - I Can Understand Certainly the impulse.
And sometimes, like deism , the "spiritual but not religious" trope is a gateway drug, a baby step out of Religious Belief. For people who are questioning but have religious Belief Been Brought Up to Believe That religion is the source of all morality and meaning, "spiritual but not religious" can be a way to begin to let go of Their Beliefs without feeling like they're stepping into the abyss. And I can definitely be generous about that.
But ...
When I'm in a less generous mood, though, I see this trope the totally smug and superior, without anything to back it up. I see it as a way of saying, "I am so special and independent, of course I do not have anything to with the hidebound That organized religion, I'm far too free a spirit for that ... but I'm Also special and sensitive, and in touch with the sacred things Powerful Beyond this mundane world. "
What if this was the worst ...
The problem, as the first citation of it in this post shows, is that all this is a tremendous intellectual laziness, "there is something higher, but do not know what ... I do not know." What is not important. I believe in "something", and ready, it makes me feel good, makes me feel superior to those who do not believe it makes me feel that I am not limited to the "cold materialism" of the physical world, and that's all that matter.
This turns out to be worse than a formal religion: instead of believing in something without any definite evidence, we believe in something indefinitely without any evidence. Is being "spiritual" is "believe," without knowing exactly what is believed.
She also criticized (rightly) the idea that morality comes from the supernatural:
Rather more importantly, I think the "spiritual but not religious" trope Completely That plays into the idea Religious Belief - excuse me, spiritual Belief - makes you a finer, better person. There's a defensiveness to it: like what the person is really saying is, "I Do not Attend any religious services or practice any religious practice ... but I'm not a bad person. Of course I still feel a connection to God / the soul. I totally have not descended to the gutter. What do you take me for? " It Gives aid and comfort to the idea That value and joy, transcendence and meaning, have to come from the spiritual - ie the world of the spirit, the world of the supernatural.
... Which is sad enough, and immoral (the idea that morality comes down to obedience to the whims of a particular being, however powerful he is, the greater corruption of morality that may exist).
But most of all, this attitude shows a totally cowardly lack of curiosity about the world we live in ... it is so cowardly that causes the rejection of this world by believers.
If being "spiritual but not religious" really does mean thinking of yourself as being in touch with the special sacred things Beyond this mundane physical world ... then I think That shows a piss-poor attitude Towards the mundane physical world.
The physical world is anything but mundane. The physical world is black holes at the center of Every spiral galaxy. It is billions of galaxies rushing away from each other at breakneck speed. It is solid matter that is anything but solid: particles That can not be seen by even the Strongest microscope, separated by gaping vastnesses of nothing. It is living Things That are all related, all with The Same great-great-great-to the power of a zillion grandmother. It is That space curves, That continents drift. It is of organic tissue cells generate That Somehow consciousness and selfhood.When you take the time to learn about the mundane physical world, you find That it is anything but mundane.
And I think That the "I do not follow any organized religion, but I know That there has to be something more to life than what we see" is doing a serious disservice to the astonishing and complex vastness of what we see.
I would also add that a truly honest person - as they seem to be few today - easy fix - or admit when you suggest it - that "I believe in something higher" almost always want to actually say "I want to believe something higher. "" I want there to be something higher. "And do not think it means ... childish? Believing in something just because we want it to be true, or because the belief in the comfortable?
Possibly related posts:
- Greta Christina and "shut up" to atheism
- FAQ: "I am also an atheist, but people * need * a religion! Where do you go to turn in bad times? "
- Ireland, the Catholic Church ... "ah, then, but atheism is that it is the real problem"
- FAQ: "You criticize the morality of the God of the Bible, but I did not I review this god! I believe God is good! "
- FAQ: "Is not it better to believe, just in case? After all, if I'm wrong, do not lose much, but if you're wrong ... "
Tags: Spirituality , Greta Christina
