Re: virus: Spirituality?

Dan Plante (danp@CS347838-A.gvcl1.bc.wave.home.com)
Tue, 23 Jun 1998 18:53:23 -0700


At 11:13 PM 6/22/98 -0600, you wrote:
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Dan Plante <danp@CS347838-A.gvcl1.bc.wave.home.com>
>Date: Monday, June 22, 1998 9:54 PM
>
>
>> There seems to be a pervasive (and possibly subtle) distinction between
>>'the human spirit' and 'spirituality', especially in the context of the
>>original post. I tend to equate it to the 'metaphysical concerns' of an
>>individual.
>
>Along those lines, would you say spirituality is identical to the human need
>to transcend the mundane?

I'm not sure I'd use the term 'identical' in this context. If I've read
the prevailing social angst correctly, I'd say that the common understanding
of the term 'spirituality' is a /manifestation/ of the typical human need
for an answer to the question 'why?'.

Science, as a cultural phenomenon, is a tool; it is a procedural tool
designed to answer the /physical/ questions: where, when, what, who and how.
It has nothing to say regarding non-physical or 'meta-physical' issues.
It can't answer the question 'why?'.

Spirituality is a catch-all phrase people use to describe their vague
emotional response to a question left unanswered for a long time.

Dan