Can an atheist be spiritual?

If you do not believe in god or anything mystical, can you be spiritual?

And if the answer is no, are you missing out on an important part of the human experience?

I am athiest. I consider myself spiritual in a sense.

Just because I don't believe in God, doesn't mean I don't believe in all the colours of the wind.

Originally posted by Alliance
I am athiest. I consider myself spiritual in a sense.

How does atheism have any thing to do with spiritualism?

Spiritual definition
http://209.161.33.50/dictionary/spiritual

1: of, relating to, consisting of, or affecting the spirit : incorporeal <spiritual needs>
2 a: of or relating to sacred matters <spiritual songs>
b: ecclesiastical rather than lay or temporal <spiritual authority> <lords spiritual>
3: concerned with religious values
4: related or joined in spirit <our spiritual home> <his spiritual heir>
5 a: of or relating to supernatural beings or phenomena
b: of, relating to, or involving spiritualism : spiritualistic

If you don't believe in a god, how can you believe in a spirit? It's all myth.

Originally posted by Tangible God
Just because I don't believe in God, doesn't mean I don't believe in all the colours of the wind.

The wind is colorless. 🙄

Well being spiritual is rather vague, even with the dicionary definition. Maybe mystical is a better way of saying what I feel, but its a sence of purpose and possible connected to other people. That is not something controled by a god, but Human controled.
or something of the like.

Originally posted by Tptmanno1
Well being spiritual is rather vague, even with the dicionary definition. Maybe mystical is a better way of saying what I feel, but its a sence of purpose and possible connected to other people. That is not something controled by a god, but Human controled.
or something of the like.

I do get what you are saying, but you can't have your cake and eat it too. If you don't believe in god, doesn't that mean you believe in science? If the answer is yes, remember science does not support mysticism.

True,
Firstly, I don't exactly believe in human connectiveness, but I do know some Athiests that believe that.
Also, I'm not sure what you call it, but what do you call questioning reality, and wondering what exactly is true and what coupld possibly be imaginary.

Originally posted by Tptmanno1
True,
Firstly, I don't exactly believe in human connectiveness, but I do know some Athiests that believe that.
Also, I'm not sure what you call it, but what do you call questioning reality, and wondering what exactly is true and what coupld possibly be imaginary.

No one knows. Even science will tell you that at it's very core is a set of assumptions.

Someone greater then I once said: "To search for God, is to create God." So, if you are an atheist and wish to be spiritual, you have to somehow create God. You don't have to call it God, maybe something like the Mystic Law, but it is still God.

Originally posted by Shakyamunison
If you don't believe in god, doesn't that mean you believe in science?

no.

Originally posted by Alliance
no.

You ether buy into some mythology or you stick with observable reality, what other choice is there?

You can have your God without it being the one from the strict, Earth is 6000 this summer, Christian dogmas.

If you're spiritual, it defeats the purpose of being atheist, one would think.

The problem with answering such a question is that the term spiritual is so vague and ill-defined most of the time.

For some people, it involves a variety of very personal things like self-realization, philosophical searching, etc. For many others, it is something like a very deep and strong emotional reaction to the wonders of life. All of these and similar senses of spirituality are entirely compatible with atheism.

Originally posted by Shakyamunison
How does atheism have any thing to do with spiritualism?

Spiritual definition
http://209.161.33.50/dictionary/spiritual

1: of, relating to, consisting of, or affecting the spirit : incorporeal <spiritual needs>
2 a: of or relating to sacred matters <spiritual songs>
b: ecclesiastical rather than lay or temporal <spiritual authority> <lords spiritual>
3: concerned with religious values
4: related or joined in spirit <our spiritual home> <his spiritual heir>
5 a: of or relating to supernatural beings or phenomena
b: of, relating to, or involving spiritualism : spiritualistic

If you don't believe in a god, how can you believe in a spirit? It's all myth.

The spirit can also refer to your mind. Also, just because one of the myths, "God", is not accepted doesn't mean you can't believe in all other sorts of wacky stuff (Goblins, Dragons, Ghosts, Jesus).

For example I would claim you and debbie are in fact atheists, though you use the term God in ways that I would say you'd be better off in a mental asylum, and probably don't see yourself as atheists (or nutjobs for that matter)

So...answer: You can be spiritual and an atheist.

Originally posted by Storm
The problem with answering such a question is that the term spiritual is so vague and ill-defined most of the time.

For some people, it involves a variety of very personal things like self-realization, philosophical searching, etc. For many others, it is something like a very deep and strong emotional reaction to the wonders of life. All of these and similar senses of spirituality are entirely compatible with atheism.

No, it's not fair to say that spiritualism is generally compatible with Atheism, especially after your first statement, which is that the meaning of spirituality is quite expendable.

Many people believe spiritualism to be that they CONTAIN a spirit and have a connection with a higher power or that the said entity has a divine purpose. That would not collectively fit with Atheism, although other perceptions of spiritualism would.

Isn't Bhuddism spiritual and Atheistic.It's gone quite well for them.

No, of course not, as with god, spirits do not exist.

Many Christians and Muslims aren't spiritual, so likewise, why can't an Atheist be spiritual ?

Originally posted by Shakyamunison
You ether buy into some mythology or you stick with observable reality, what other choice is there?

Logic. Existentialism. General spiritualism.

You presented the choices as if:

1. People have an option to believe science
2. Science is anti- or the opposite of religion.
3. Science disproves god, which it does not.

So, i think it was a crappy statement.

Originally posted by Boris
No, of course not, as with god, spirits do not exist.

If spiritualism was about believeing in spirits, maybe you'd be correct.