Naturalism and Human Dignity

August 1, 2024 By Spiritual Naturalist Society

by Gregory Gronbacher Many adherents of supernatural forms of religion assert that human beings have an inherent, metaphysical dignity because they are created in the “image and likeness of God” as stated in Genesis. This same line of religious reasoning continues, that if it weren’t for that of God within all humans, if it weren’t for the divine spark in each of us, if it weren’t for our likeness to God – humans would simply be just one more animal among other animals. Therefore, the assertion... Read more

On Interconnectedness

July 25, 2024 By Spiritual Naturalist Society

by SNS Guest (Article is by guest writer, and former contributing writer, Brock Haussamen. See bio below.) On July 9, 2020, DT Strain presented here a forceful article titled “The Dire Costs of Ignoring Interconnectedness in 2020.” Strain argued that our worst miseries—economic injustice, police brutality, white supremacists, and others—“are rooted in the same foundational sickness: our inability or unwillingness to see, accept, and act in accord with the truth of interconnectedness. . . . The results of not having an... Read more

Creational Nature

July 18, 2024 By Spiritual Naturalist Society

by Thomas Schenk Photo by Susan Bolke A tablet, dated from the fourth century B.C., was found in a tomb in Southern Italy. It contained instructions on what to do after dying, including what to say when one met the guardians of the pool of Memory: One was to say to them “I am a child of Earth and starry Heaven, but of Heaven is my true lineage.” The idea of a separation between an earthly, bodily being and a celestial... Read more

The Surprising Spirituality of Richard Dawkins

July 11, 2024 By Spiritual Naturalist Society

by Eric Steinhart If we naturalists ever want to escape from irrationality and superstition, especially as they appear in society and politics, then we need to build positive naturalistic cultures. We need people who can help serve as pathfinders or cultural leaders. Cultural leaders are never perfect – and we can benefit by studying their flaws. At least because of the immense popularity of his writings, it’s fair to say Richard Dawkins is a cultural leader. He has his flaws and... Read more

The Purpose of Emotion

July 4, 2024 By Spiritual Naturalist Society

by SNS Guest (Today’s article is by guest writer Katherine Peil-Kauffman. With degrees from University of Washington and the Harvard Divinity School, she writes and speaks on the function, evolution, physio-chemical, and informational nature of emotion, its role in optimal health, development, psychological function, moral reasoning, and spirituality. Katherine is Founding Director of nonprofit EFS International, whose mission is fostering global emotional wisdom.) Philosophers and psychologists alike have struggled to answer the question: What is the nature of human emotion?... Read more

Notes on Poetic Faith

June 27, 2024 By Spiritual Naturalist Society

by SNS Guest Source: Wikimedia Commons Artist: Piet Mondrian (Today’s article is by guest writer Tony Wolf. For a brief bio, see below.) Poetic Faiths are those new religions that based on a skeptical, scientific worldview, but go on to ask “now what?” They tend towards: Rationalism/naturalism Creativity/artistry An open-source ethos Anti-authoritarianism They are, in various permutations, simultaneously post-theistic and post-atheistic; beginning with the premise that there is no literal supernatural and then honoring the actual power of myth, symbolism, etc.... Read more

Embracing Reality: A Parable

June 26, 2024 By Spiritual Naturalist Society

by SNS Guest (Article is by guest writer James Jarrett. See bio below.) The following is a parable of One Person’s subjective experience of reality. It is not intended as a template for others. Perhaps the moral is, however a person comes home to their true self in love is worthy of celebration: There once was a child who was born in a box. The box was in a tree house high off the ground. The child grew up in the... Read more

Defined by Something Larger

June 22, 2024 By Spiritual Naturalist Society

by Thomas Schenk Introduction To me, the point of sitting still is that it helps you see through the very idea of pushing forward; indeed, it strips you of yourself, as of a coat of armor, by leading you into a place where you’re defined by something larger. The quote above is from The Art of Stillness: Adventures in Going Nowhere, by Pico Iyer. This is one of a number of books published in the last decade that touts the benefits of... Read more

How Spiritual Naturalism Could Save Our Future

June 22, 2024 By Spiritual Naturalist Society

by SNS Guest (Today’s article is by guest writer, Alexander Cheruk. For a brief bio, see below.) In Religion is Not About God, American philosopher Loyal Rue presents a series of plausible doomsday scenarios that merit our attention. Citing ecological discontinuities, unpredictable chemical synergisms, runaway greenhouse disaster, infectious diseases, worldwide crop failures, and bioterrorism, Rue highlights a sobering reality: the possibilities for global catastrophe are endless. This is not idle speculation: it’s a warning. As we push beyond the limits of sustainability... Read more

Religious Ritual from a Spiritual Naturalist Perspective

June 15, 2024 By Spiritual Naturalist Society

by Gregory Gronbacher The sociologist of religion, Mircea Eliade, observed that religious ritual is a powerful means of creating “sacred space” and “sacred time,” pulling the participants out of the normal confines of the mundane moment. The question I’d like to explore is what meaning and purpose might ritual play from a spiritual naturalist approach? For those who subscribe to a supernatural worldview, religious ritual is often an actual opportunity for encountering God or the gods, for working and channeling... Read more