What's a Spiritual Atheist?

Question

My aunt just called, she's in London and she just read my questions (she's atheist) and she said there are different kinds of atheist. She was telling me what a spiritual atheist was but the call dropped and we can't reconnect. We watched a movie called "The God Who Wasn't There" it was different and made you think but it didn't show any different types. So are there different types?

Answer 1

What your Aunt may be referring to is "weak" vs. "strong" atheism:

"Strong atheism is a term generally used to describe atheists who accept as true the proposition, "gods do not exist". Weak atheism refers to any type of non-theism which falls short of this standard. Because of flexibility in the term "god", it is understood that a person could be a strong atheist in terms of certain portrayals of gods, while remaining a weak atheist in terms of others. Historically, the terms negative and positive atheism have been used to denote this distinction. Within negative or weak atheism, philosopher Anthony Kenny distinguishes between agnostics, who find the claim "God exists" uncertain, and theological noncognitivists, who consider all God-talk to be meaningless."

"Since many self-described agnostics specifically distinguish their stance from that of atheists, yet would also fit the general definition of "weak atheism," the validity of this categorisation is disputed. Another problem is whether "strong" atheists must consider themselves able to prove authoritatively that a god does not exist, or rather, if they must only disbelieve in such a god in order to qualify. Prominent atheists such as Richard Dawkins avoid the strong/weak distinction. In The God Delusion Dawkins describes people for whom the probability of the existence of God is between "very high" and "very low" as "agnostic" and reserves the term "strong atheist" for "I know there is no god". He categorises himself as a "de facto atheist" but not a "Strong Atheist"

For more on spirituality itself: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirituality
For more on the different types of atheists: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atheism

Answer 2

There are many religions in the world that do not have gods. An atheist is a person who does not believe in gods. It would be possible to be a spiritual person, even a religious person and be an atheist provided a belief in gods was not required.

Most people who call themselves atheist are not spiritual people either but there is nothing to stop people calling themselves spiritual atheists if that is how they think of themselves.

Answer 3

I guess it's possible to be a spiritual atheist, but the vast majority are secular. Why believe in ghosts and telepathy but not God?

Answer 4

Something like me I guess (Though I go with Agnostic-Theist). I don't believe in God or the Bible, but I do believe in life after death. I just don't think that the Bible is right on the matter, and don't think that there is God as Christians see him.

Answer 5

i think it applies to people who dont believe in a supreme being, but think there is more to existence than the physical.....i think

Answer 6

Jared....why not believe in ghosts and telepathy and not god....Why is it that you make that sound like you think that is stupid....You can believe in ghosts and not be religious....Why not....