Faith does not equal religion. Christianity does not equal faith. Spirituality does not equal religion, nor faith. Dogma does not equal spirituality, faith, or religion. Athiest do not equal lack of faith, or dogma. Let us also not forget Agnostic does not mean Atheist.
Too many people throw these terms around like they are interchangable.
Science deals with the physical verifiable universe and the abstract systems of rules by which it is governed. These are things that are universal and varifiable. That is the realm of science.
The definitions of some of those others gets fuzzy at the edges so bare with me on some of this.
Spirituality is an awareness and maybe even a perception of a seperate model and paradigm of existance. One that is personel. No one can verify that a mothers comfort is powerful, there is no system of measure. Personel truths and perspectives on reality can only be personel, nobody else can experiance anything from your perspective.
Religion is an attempt by several people to find commonalities within personel spiritualities.
Dogma is a traditional codified position on personel truths. This can also be seen in those who have codified that the only truths are those verifiable in the outside world, or others who say that it is unknowable. Dogma usually comes with a sense of self assurance that their perspective is the one right one and a destinct "do not cross" line.
Faith is simply an expectation without conciously attributable reason that something is acceptable or right. This can apply to personel truths and scientific truths.
So essentially Faith, and Dogma are tools that can be applied in the two reals of personel truth and universal truths.
Religions is a common language of symbols and words used connect perspectives on common grounds. Sadly too many see fit to use religion as a means to judge others rather than as a means to understand themselves. And they often pair it with dogma.
Atheists, by definition do not believe in a god or gods, they exist outside of the theistic mindset. This does not equate to without spiritualism, or without faith or dogma.
Agnostics by definition believe that these question do not have answers that can be known. Much like you cannot know what number I am thinking of right now. and by the time I read this tomorrow I won't remember. From here on out the answer to what number was he thinking of, is unknowable. Agnostics apply this to establishing what is the universal truth of personel truths. They acknowledge that it an uncrossable paradigm gap. you cannot measure love in inches, nor awe in pounds, you cannot even verify that two beings experiance the color red in the same way. There is know way in which to know the universal truth that is applicable to all personel truths.
I know plenty of folks from all sets. I know an agnostic that none the less reads the runes and has an alter to Odin.
I know an atheist who would tell you clearly that the reason he does good things and loves life is because that is all there is. You don't pee in your food just because you don't believe in a god. You enjoy the experiance of food and good company and you seek more of that enjoyment and fulfillment through living.
I know a Christian who will gladly attend a pagan ritual and support the rights of people to connect with whatever divinity is theirs.
I know a pagan who believes that the dieing on the cross was an act that transcends mortal humanity and established a wake up moment in some few of the observers who spawn a meme of waking up to their ways of culture and becoming conscious deciders in how to be as human being, and sees that as a divine act. (but still say he most definately isn't christian).
I know scientist who use faith, dogma or both while being atheists.
I know religious people that couldn't find faith with search helicopters and blood hounds. But they'll more than make up for it with dogma.
I know spiritualists that use a bit of faith from time to time and occasionally borrow some dogma from their neighbors before returning it and who use Religion to relate and connect but just as easily realise it's a system of words and symbols for relating and is not always needed to get by in life, and a person can be 'multilingual'.
I also know those who propound science as the only truth, and then when pressed reveal that science is their religion. They use science as a god by simply changing the language and symbols (religion) of personel truths to be represented by physical science. They expect to find the consciousness particle ect.
PS. I also know several people that find the concept of a war on christmas assanine. 1) Your not even celebrating the birth of christ at the right time. 2)almost all of the traditions are coopted from pagan faiths, which were often converted by force and actual war. 3) wishing not to have to be exposed to it at every turn as if it is the only or correct way is not war. Ask yourself how often you have had somebody assume you are spending the day of the dead connecting with passed family members and honoring their memories through celebrating your connections with them. Nobody assumes it of you, nobody drowns you in it every year to the smothering of your own religious or secular practices. It's that cultural assumption of christmas time of all the people that is offensive and war like. War like in that in invades their homes and their lives and forces them to accept it in their routines and in their foods. If it were Communist propaganda you'd be up in arms but it's christmas and it's yours, so you don't see it. Try talking with family and friends about the past christmas and this coming holiday and as people talk edit the word Christmas out and put in it's place some way of life that is not yours, and then imagine that conversation is your life from thanksgiving to new years.
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