The Origin of Spiritual Atheism

I was a teenager in the 1980s. At the time, there was an extremely significant difference between the general perspective held by traditional hard line Theists and my own personal perspective. There was also an extremely significant difference between the general perspective held by traditional hard line Atheists and my own personal perspective.

Among other things, there is a significant difference between an mythical creator and ruler of the universe and the actual universe itself, even with all of its mystery; yet the term "God" was (and still is) used interchangeably. This troubled me greatly for many reasons which I have written about elsewhere in far greater details; but the crux of the matter is that the more clearly we think and communicate, the more effectively, efficiently, and enjoyably we can create an ever-better world together.

I did not want to identify as (or especially promote what I perceive to be the critically faulty perspective of) either a traditional Theist or a traditional Atheist. So, I coined* and begin using the term "Spiritual Atheist" to classify and contrast my "beliefs-about-God". This made clarifying conversation almost unavoidable. And this is how ideas spread!

To clarify, I consider myself to be "spiritual" because...

I believe that the universe** is best understood when it is thought of and interacted with as both one thing and a collection of many things. One important extrapolation of this belief (among many!) is the belief that we are both one and many; and that every part of the universe is connected to, affects, and is affected by all other parts of the whole. Therefore, I believe that my personal thoughts, emotions, words, and actions are extremely powerful; and I try (try!) to live in a way that nurtures the wellbeing of everything that exists.

And, I consider myself to be an "atheist" because...

I do NOT believe in the existence of God; when defined traditionally, as the creator and ruler of the universe. That said, I believe that God is the personification of the universe; just as you are the personification of whatever part of the universe you use to experience the universe. One important extrapolation of these two beliefs, is the belief that traditional "believers" are actually idol worshippers who worship the finger that points to the moon.

For me, Spiritual Atheism embraces the mystery of ultimate oneness and everything that means; while embracing genuinely spiritual paths & symbology (when their meanings are understood) and scientific methods & tools (when their limitations are understood).

My intention for the hopeful spread of awareness of the concept of Spiritual Atheism was (and still is) that it helps Atheists embrace spirituality (first, by recognizing that God, as the personification of the universe, does exist); and helps Theists embrace science (first, by recognizing that God, as the external creator and ruler of the universe does NOT exist).

My perspective of Spiritual Atheism was (and still is) that it is like a powerful seed whose awakening, empowering, and unifying flower (message) gradually disappears as it expands (spreads)... and gradually becomes less and less relevant... along with Theism and Atheism. Then, we can finally work together effectively and efficiently for the good of one and all***.

Obviously, things have changed radically since the 1980s. While I deeply miss all of the fabulous post-punk-era music & art, most changes have been for the better. For instance, I have observed that the term God is used ever less often to refer to the mythical creator and ruler of the universe and ever more often to refer to the universe itself. While this massive shift in perspective naturally raises some new misunderstandings and challenges; it has liberated an incalculable number of people from fundamental ignorance and division and gives those people an opportunity to expand and refine their common perspective, common interests, and common ambition to create an ever-better world.

I confess that I sometimes wonder what role, if any, the concept of Spiritual Atheism (and my efforts in particular) have played in this shift. The truth is that I have absolutely no idea. It seems extremely minimal, if any; but you never know... considering the "butterfly effect" and all... haha! In the end, we can only do what we can do and hope our efforts are helpful.