Untheism, by disregarding the supernatural, can still claim a lot from the territory that supernaturalists refer to as “spiritual”.
It should be noted that not all “untheists” disregard the supernatural. Many buddhists are atheistic but accept the supernatural, for instance. And I’m sure there are atheists out there who believe in various flavors of magic or the paranormal.
Point taken, Thom. In my eyes, those positions (atheist magicians or supernaturally minded Buddhists) are still seeking the same things as a single-deity theist, such as, a sense of control of their destiny or the possibility of being reunited with lost loved one. In saying “we can speak about those things you want when you look for God (or magic, or the paranormal)”, I believe rationalists open up a better avenue of dialog than by saying “you aren’t talking about anything important”. This might help people to improve their lives not by looking into the arcana of the faith they were raised in, but the possibilities held in the world around them.
It should be noted that not all “untheists” disregard the supernatural. Many buddhists are atheistic but accept the supernatural, for instance. And I’m sure there are atheists out there who believe in various flavors of magic or the paranormal.
Point taken, Thom. In my eyes, those positions (atheist magicians or supernaturally minded Buddhists) are still seeking the same things as a single-deity theist, such as, a sense of control of their destiny or the possibility of being reunited with lost loved one. In saying “we can speak about those things you want when you look for God (or magic, or the paranormal)”, I believe rationalists open up a better avenue of dialog than by saying “you aren’t talking about anything important”. This might help people to improve their lives not by looking into the arcana of the faith they were raised in, but the possibilities held in the world around them.