According to the logic of the so-called “skeptics,” spirituality and religion is craziness. By that definition, the bulk of humanity is mentally ill, as the bulk of humanity has one or another form of spirituality. This leaves these people thinking that they are the only sane people out there. If there is such a thing as narcissism, I can think of no more glaring narcissism than that. Most “skeptics” are not even scientists. Real scientists are curious, and many are as curious about spirituality as they are about everything else. I am good friends with a distinguished scientist who openly talks about having had very real spiritual experiences. He has a vast body of academic knowledge, is very well-reasoned and uses scientific method to excellent standard. That has not prevented him from having a spiritual life. Spiritual experiences happen all the time, at least they do in my life. I've had many experiences with less than a billionth chance of happening; and I am nowhere close to being the only one. Many people either forget the experiences that they have or deny them; but if you dig enough you will find in many cases that they have in fact had very real spiritual experiences. The problem is that they do not know how to make them parse with what they know about the world from science and mathematics. This results in many of them denying these experiences; and toward that effect any number of people have come up with any number of tricks. Some want to say that experience is “anecdotal” and does not count as valid evidence. Others want to ascribe it to being on drugs, or being depressed or anorexic, or being otherwise non compos mentis during the time of the experience. Others still start going into beliefs such as that truth itself is relative. In all cases we find dishonesty. It is dishonesty that comes from dischordance between the logical implications of the experience and the worldview. Is science wrong? No, it isn't. Materialist fundamentalism however is completely wrong. I seek an explanation that will be consistent with both scientific fact and the facts of my and other people's spiritual experiences; and I am continuing to look for this explanation in any number of paths.
Yes there are scientists that see no problem with conducting science and thinking Intelligence played a role in this virtual reality we call the universe. Absence of eevidence isnt evidence of absence . The politics of academia shuns anyone who isnt an atheist .And so you need to keep your spirituality close to the vest. This may change one day as older scientists die. Science can move ahead at the pace of tombstones. My agnosticism is safe for now. I think all people of conscience are agnostic.
We are fond of our conceits, aren't we? Perhaps, it is narcissistic to assert that "spirituality and religion is craziness" but I think it is more of a matter of being narrow-minded and overlooking the obvious. We perceive and we think, naturally we are curious little monkeys, and one doesn't need to see clear to the bone of Being to know there is more to us than our individual selves. How much more is the question and naturally that is the question we like to explore. What's the problem? Most if not all of us want to know who and what we are, and science, spirituality and religion are all ways of reaching that understanding. I don't know why we have to be arrogant about how other people choose to approach this understanding. Does it really matter to other people what you believe? No, it really doesn't. They just think it does, and really I don't care. By the way, Merry Christmas, or whatever you want to be merry about...
