In Reply to: Re: Actually, I didn't get you yet!! posted by my take on February 04, 2007 at 22:08:27:
Does that disturb me?Well, first of all this is something you encountered.How atheists can be spiritual, I don't know.Do they believe in spirits?
I rather doubt it.It would contradict their pretty materialistic - meaning positivistic, natural science favouring - stance...where is there "room for a spiritual being"...may be as Susie wants God rather to be understood as a metaphor you are using it also for the term spiritual???With spiritual you mean being kindhearted, peaceful, joyful or the like??
You know, that I was witnessing a lot in TF on the street?!Germany is actually "full" of agnostics and atheists, to the point, that it became painful after years on the street...and yes, at times I met people claiming to be atheists having something really beautiful about them & later some actually had prayed with me (one happens to be a wife of a preacher now, not in TF...thank God)...what I mean is: may be we all know way too little of what we really are...in that regard I understand Susie...the objective label is hard to pin.I recently discussed with a preacher the difficult question, of whom can we say, that he/she is saved...the answer was for him too difficult & I admit, it's a nasty one (not all who say Lord, Lord etc. etc.)
So in the end, who is really an atheist??Could all change tommorrow too.I was/am aware of that.
But, if I am German I should be able to answer when asked which nationality I am & you can bet, it was pretty painful for me to have lived in a Kibbuz in Israel, knowing what the Germans had done to the Jews...it's not always easy to stick with a label...the truth, but that's what my comment was all about...you know, that you can change the nationality, as one can change also ones lifestyle & "religion", however taking it meticulously (as in physics), time & place, can't we simply say: as for today I am still an atheist even if I am not sure about tommorrow...there is something neat & beautiful about trying to be precise...even if total objectivity is not obtainable...but some things are not so difficult to define & describe either: like being hungry, thirsty or pregnant...it's either true or not
(not always vary the degrees of what we are...like being pregnant)
Thanks for the apt description of Benny Hinn...that's the problem with so many of the charismatic movement too...since many, many years I have come to shun them & it did me only good.