All atheists reject a belief in GOD but 1 in 5 of them beieve in higher powers or spiritual forces. How is that any different from GOD?

Can you give me an example of a "natural form of spirituality" Kg? I am not being smarta**. I'm seriously wanting to understand precisely to what you refer. I need an example because I'm not too good at winging it. Thank you for your reply and Happy Thursday to thee! :)

I am not even sure how to properly describe spirituality but it is a power or force or capability within a person and not needs to involve belief in a God. Some people 'have it' more than others.

It would be good to hear different people's opinions to describe spirituality.  This post was edited by Kittigate at December 26, 2019 6:40 AM MST

Self-reliance? Knowing that you are all that you need? Hmm. Well we went to church when I was growing up. I even taught Sunday School to "little kids" when I was 12. I don't remember a day that goes by in all my 82 years when I did not "talk" to God. Now could what I am talking to be my own inner self? I have no idea but I certainly would not rule out any possibility. Some say we are all COLLECTIVELY GOD. People have crutches on which they rely throughout their entire lives KG. Sex, alcohol, drugs, exercise, shopping, whatevering. Perhaps "religion" is a crutch as well. I don't fault those who don't believe nor do I fault those who do believe. It is a very personal thing and really no one has the right to denigrate it. It might not be your cuppa tea. Fine with me. It is mine and that should be fine with you too without your being condescending.. You might not espouse it but others do. Why isn't that enough for you? Since NO ONE KNOWS FOR SURE. Just my take. Thank you for your reply. And so it goes. This post was edited by RosieG at December 26, 2019 7:04 AM MST

That's a sales pitch for someone's product. 

A product that is intended to appeal to people who wish to claim themselves to have "natural spirituality" must have a few statements about the nature of the people to whole they offer the product.

I think an example of spirituality is the feeling you get when helping someone who really needed help or maybe just doing a good day's honest work. . I done Japanese forest bathing one time,  my experience was what a Christian would likely describe as 'being in the presence of God' . Was very a very healing sort of sensation. 

Two helpful quotes from two different internet sources: (Bold is my emphasis)

Spirituality is a broad concept with room for many perspectives. In general, it includes a sense of connection to something bigger than ourselves, and it typically involves a search for meaning in life. As such, it is a universal human experience—something that touches us all.


What is the difference between spirituality and religion?

Religion is a set of texts, practices and beliefs about the transcendent shared by a community, and involves a relationship with God. Spirituality on the other hand is about a person's relationship with the transcendent questions that confront one as a human being. This may or may not involve relationships with God.

Thanks for the link tom. I expect you expect me to click on it and then get back to you. Do you buy what is being sold therein?

I could find no agreed upon definition of "natural spirituality"---which indicates to me that someone took one word from some Column A and combined it with another word from some Column B and decided to invent a concept:  Natural Spirituality.

I read a few of the lines from the links and posted it as a possible reference for you or anyone interested in following up on the concept.

Personally, I just can't get excited about the concept---it's too nebulous for me.

Hahahahahahahahaha! Know what comes to mind? Going to a Chinese restaurant and picking one dish from column A one from column B! That is just too doggone funnee to me. Being a Foodie that is my default mode. I don't mind fuzzy. I can dwell in that land a very long time and never get bored. Since there are no definite answers to most of the important questions we can speculate and frolic about wherever our imaginations take us. Who is gonna tell us "NO YOU CAN'T"? Thank you for your delightful reply and Happy Monday to you tom! :) I think some people are NATURALLY nice and some are NATURALLY the opposite. Why has to do with genes and DNA and certain magic/mystery. People are what they are and if you are very lucky you encounter more of the best of them and fewer of the worst. Color me VERY LUCKY! :) Of course I'm gonna ask. This post was edited by RosieG at December 30, 2019 12:54 PM MST

I had forgotten about the Chinese menus.

There were two classic books Up the Organization (1970) and The Peter Principle (1969) that I read shortly after they were published. One of them had 3 columns of about(?) 15 words listed, with the instruction to pick one from each column to make a 3 word phrase. Any such 3 word combination sounded eminently reasonable and meaningful.

I read both shortly after they were published---about 50 years ago---but I couldn't remember which one had the list.  And I didn't have copies readily available to scan them---so I omitted any reference to them in my first response.

If there are different levels of understanding God, what are the outward signs that people who have reached the ultimate level of that understanding manifest to the rest of us?