Can you be spiritual without being religious?

It shows hypocrisy due to the thinking of those who promote faith without facts.

Here are two examples.

Martin Luther.
“Faith must trample under foot all reason, sense, and understanding.”
“Reason is a whore, the greatest enemy that faith has.”

http://imgur.com/IBroXK9

Regards
DL

 

Would you say cheating is moral, if we assume there was no way of it becoming known?

 

Yes and no.

There are two answers to that question, I think.

Cheating is a breach of contract and trust and most including I would likely find that immoral, depending on the circumstances that produce it.

In marriage, part of that contract includes sex and if one of the parties does not live up to their end, that breach of the contract allows the other party to do the same as reciprocity is fair play.

Regards
DL

 

So, here, the immorality did not arise from harm. It seems "If there is no harm then it cannot be immoral. Right?" is not right.

 

A breach of contract and trust is indeed harm. As I stated.

Regards
DL

 

That's not something I gathered from your post. How do you define harm?

 

Subjectively. Just as you do.

Regards
DL

 

Then, a statement like "If there is no harm then it cannot be immoral. Right?" seems more specific than the definitions really support.

 

I named one. God the Holy Spirit is an extension of the spirit of God the Father.

 

What is the difference between being a homosexual and having same-sex desires?

 

You are confusing religious ritual with faith and spirituality. The first can be performed without faith or spiritualness.

 

Perhaps.

Do you have better?

Regards
DL

 

That God is a rather vile God.

Given the atrocities that God is shown to commit in scriptures, why do you admire such a putrid God?

Regards
DL

 

Indeed.

It might even be said, given that most Gods are vile and immoral, that a religion is antithetic to spirituality.

Thoughts?

Regards
DL

 

You have quoted his Son from the Bible in this thread haven't you?

 

No, I would advise against making any statements that rely on an absolute understanding of what is morally right or wrong. (Which is not to say that one can't have a partial understanding).

 

Well, immorality would certainly include "an action that hurts another human being" (if not in self-defense).

But if we limit it to just that, is that, too, not an example of our just making up our own morality?

 

What I am saying--please listen carefully--is that there is no immorality in having same-sex desires; but that it is quite immoral to act upon those desires...

 

IMO, anything beyond that most basic immorality is just some people wanting others to share their other values that they tag immoral on. Like its immoral to be gay, immoral to marry another race, immoral for a couple to indulge in oral sex, the list goes on...

 

A better question is can you be religious and be spiritual?

 

Can you confirm that you think that being a homosexual is simply having same sex desires?

 

"Religion is a Snare and a Racket,"

lecture by Judge J.F. Rutherford (1939).
Judge Rutherford was president of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (Jehovah's Witnesses).

This lecture was played on a portable record player in people's homes.

To me that means this, Jesus criticized Religions and the so called Religious leaders of that day as hypocritical, vipers, etc and various other non flattering terms, drove them out of the temple with whips.

After all,
Of what Religion was Jesus ?

My opinion always was, none of the above, as the recurring theme of the comedy movie, Brewster's Millions.

In my favorite fairy story, "The Monkey King" it was stated that the true scriptures were blank papers, however man's hard heartedness required writings and instructions.


"The ancients said, "To be virtuous without instruction is superhuman.

To be virtuous after instruction is reasonable.

To be instructed and remain incorrigible is to be a fool."

So no, Religion does not coincide with Spiritualty nor is Spirituality the possesion of anyone in particular.
Religion does not confer Spirituality.

"And if more people knew the true price of Spiritualty, more people would be Atheists."
Quote from the X-Files - Humbug episode.

All roads lead to Rome, and eventually all paths lead to enlightenment, sooner or later.

 

Superficially, that sounds reasonable enough.

But I would just say that one should seriously analyze each of these things--as well as others (as your list, no doubt, is not intended to be exhaustive)--in order to decide if a matter is immoral, or not.

 

Actually, I think that being a homosexual is acting upon those desires.

 

That is hardly you answering my question.

Answer mine and I will show the motivation for what I do.

Reciprocity is fair play fair and do not deflect again please.

I await an honest answer.

Regards
DL