What is spirit, exactly?

by Viviane 609 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • jgnat
    jgnat

    Well now I am gobsmacked. I saw this thread as an example how to streams of thought can use the same language yet fail to communicate. It comes from a fundamentally different world view.

    For one, reality remains with the observable, testable which also includes such things as electromagnetism, behavior of light, and bosons because their existence has been confirmed through theory and ingenious testing. We have built knowledge upon knowledge and suddenly our universe is much larger, much finer, and more complex than we had ever imagined.

    The other stream of thought depends on an agreed doctrine or teaching, and is not dependent on any outside confirmation for belief. In this category are beliefs in the afterlife, reincarnation, auras, spirit, the nature of God, and soul. Anecdotal "evidence" notwithstanding, such things have not been independentlly confirmed by the first group.

    The second stream cannot fathom why their explanations are not adequate. It comes from not orienting themselves to a completely different world view.

  • Viviane
    Viviane

    Those who assert such a things as spirit and spirits exist are in fundamental disagreement over what it is or stands for.

  • jgnat
    jgnat

    Vivianne, if there were a convention of believers of all faith, and a worldwide statement of "spirit" were developed, would you then believe it exists?

  • Viviane
    Viviane

    It all depends on what the statement said.

  • cofty
    cofty

    Believers ought to feel an obligation to explain exactly what they mean by a basic term they use all the time.

    From previous experience I am convinced theists talk in metaphors so much they don't even realise they are doing it.

    Eventually they make the mistake of thinking the metaphor actually stands for something real.

  • jgnat
    jgnat

    Would the statement have to include some testable/measurable elements that could be independently verified?

  • new hope and happiness
    new hope and happiness

    To sum it up for Viv its a word which created a conversation veiled in interlectual terminology...can i take a little schnapps .

    Vivianne i am signing off here because i cant answer your question to your sattisfaction, and my answer that words dont exist are a language we dont share.

    I hope my take care is received both in spirit and words...and as its saturday evening its the schnapps kind of spirits.

  • cofty
    cofty

    jgnat - It would be a start if believers could even define spirit without resorting to esoteric waffle.

  • Viviane
    Viviane

    Jgnat, I can't draft the statement for tthe beleiver convention AND wait to see what it says :)

  • new hope and happiness
    new hope and happiness

    Cofty i am an athiest, and i think the phrase " esoteric waffle" will be understood by few on this international site.

    As for the question " what is spirit exactly?" its a word that for belivers is living in its meaning and intensity, i dont see the point in amputating a word from somebodys vocabulary and calling there explanations "esoteric waffle". If so the war is over " you win" and other peoples interpretation of language has lost its meaning to you.

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