Spiritual Naturalist Society

[Alex]

Spiritual Naturalist Society
http://spiritualnaturalistsociety.org



Alex's comment:  譯：靈性自然主義會

[Alex]

What is Spiritual Naturalism?
http://spiritualnaturalistsociety.org/index.php/about-us/what-is-spiritual-naturalism

Spiritual Naturalism (also called religious naturalism) is a worldview, value system, and personal life practice. A religion to some, philosophy to others, Spiritual Naturalism sees the universe as one natural and sacred whole – as is the rationality and the science through which nature is revealed. It advocates principles and practices that have compassion as their foundation, and it finds wisdom and inspiration in innumerable rich traditions and ethical philosophies from around the world.

The focus of Spiritual Naturalism is happiness, contentment, or flourishing in life, and a relief from suffering. It is a spirituality whereby we work to become wiser and to live better over time through continued learning, contemplative practices, and character development. It is by walking such a path that we become more capable of helping to make the world a better place, and in so doing, come closer to the flourishing ‘good life’.  ...



Many communities now have subsets growing toward a common naturalistic spirituality


It may help to compare Spiritual Naturalism to other belief systems you may have heard of:
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Atheism / Agnosticism
Since Spiritual Naturalists do not have supernatural beliefs this would make them either atheist and/or agnostic on the subject of gods. But while all Spiritual Naturalists are atheists or agnostics, not all atheists and agnostics are Spiritual Naturalists. To be such, they would also have a focus on the principles and practices of Spiritual Naturalism, and be interested in those kinds of pursuits. Also, Spiritual Naturalists are not generally concerned with telling believers they are wrong or with religious criticism, while this may be a concern of some atheists. For those atheists and agnostics that do share its values and concerns, they could easily be Spiritual Naturalist simultaneously.

Humanism
Humanism is very similar to Spiritual Naturalism, such that nearly all Spiritual Naturalists would fall under the definition of Humanist. The modern conception of Humanist since the first Humanist Manifesto in 1933 has been those who are (a) naturalistic and (b) have a concern for their fellow human being. So, there is certainly a great deal of overlap and compatibility. However, there are some individuals for which overlap may not apply. While Humanism has a strong tradition of supporting and even helping to birth the animal rights movement, some Spiritual Naturalists may not prefer the term ‘Humanist’ because of their concern for all beings. Some Humanist gatherings may also tend to be more academic and secular in feel for other Spiritual Naturalists. On the other side, many Humanists relate more to the strictly secular humanist tradition, whereby they find words like ‘spirituality’ and the rituals and practices of Spiritual Naturalists to be too religious in tone. Further, many Humanist organizations focus on social issues, political activity, and religious criticism, whereas Spiritual Naturalists are more concerned with living rightly by example and inner development as a starting point. The founder of the Spiritual Naturalist Society, Daniel Strain, is a past president of Humanist organizations, and currently a Humanist minister certified by the American Humanist Association.

Unitarian Universalism (UU)
Many of Spiritual Naturalism’s modern outlooks, tolerant dispositions, ritual and spiritual practices, and tendency to take wisdom from many traditional sources may seem very UU. Indeed, many Unitarians are Spiritual Naturalists and vice versa. However, one difference with UU congregations is that they also include supernaturalists and are not expressly naturalist and empiricist in their worldview. In that regard Spiritual Naturalism is not as broad as Unitarianism, but a good number of Unitarians are also Spiritual Naturalists and certainly a very welcome part of the Society.

Freethought / Skepticism / Rationalism
Spiritual Naturalism includes a reverence for rationality – both the rational order on which the universe operates, as well as the human capacity for reason. This certainly includes freethinking, rationalism, and a healthy skepticism (not cynicism). Like these groups, we believe that extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. However, Spiritual Naturalism goes further by including a focus on personal practices and wisdom teachings designed to enhance happiness in life. This additional content may not be of interest to some freethinkers, skeptics, or rationalists, but could easily be of interest to many of them. Again, in these cases there would be simultaneous overlap.
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[Alex]

Spiritual Naturalism appeals to my churchless non-soul
Brian Hines
March 22, 2013
Church of the Churchless
http://hinessight.blogs.com/church_of_the_churchless/2013/03/spiritual-naturalism-appeals-to-my-churchless-non-soul.html

[Alex]

Living in a world without cosmic justice
Jennifer Hancock
26 August 2013
http://spiritualnaturalistsociety.org/living-in-a-world-without-cosmic-justice

"Our desire for justice is so strong, that almost every religion in the world has apologia and theodicy to explain away this problem and reassure the faithful that justice will be done, eventually.

Naturalists have no such comfort. We have to accept the stark reality that sometimes the bad guys win. There is no cosmic justice."

"This is why the absence of cosmic justice is so empowering to me. The universe is not sentient. It isn’t concerned with justice. It just is. This means the universe isn’t capable of taking on the job of punishing bad people no matter how much we might want it to.

If bad people are going to be brought to justice, it will be because good people stood up and did something."

"I find the idea of cosmic justice disempowering precisely because it takes the tools of justice away from us. Knowing that the only way justice will be served is if I make it my responsibility to do something empowers me.

So the next time you find yourself lamenting the lack of justice in the world, remind yourself that if justice is to be found, it will be through the actions of your fellow humans. Then come and join us and commit to making a difference."