Answering Quora - Does spirituality provide anything that science cannot provide?
Recently on Quora, somebody posed the question, Does spirituality provide anything that science cannot provide? Below is my answer.
---
This question presents a false dilemma. Of course there are many, many aspects of our lives that science doesn't address, but why should we turn to spirituality to address those areas when there are other, better human endeavors to address those parts of our lives?
Science is great at what it does - answering objective questions. It's by far the best method humanity has developed for this purpose. But really, that's its only purpose. Science has nothing to say on right or wrong, beautiful or ugly, awe-inspiring or mundane. Surely, we may find wonder in some of the findings of science. Looking up at the night sky is so much more marvelous knowing what those stars actually are. And science can help inform our actions, using our morality that comes from elsewhere. We wouldn't even know about global warming nor its consequences without science. But our emotional reaction to the night sky, or deciding to do something about global warming, are not part of science itself. Science has only given us the objective information, and then we use other parts of our humanity to react.
The problem with 'spirituality' is that it's plagued by so many historical connotations and associations, that it's hard to know what people really even mean by the term. Just take a look at the Wikipedia entry, Spirituality, for how many different ways people use this term, from Christians ("A spiritual man is one who is Christian 'more abundantly and deeper than others' ") to Muslims to Buddhists to Hindus to New Agers and a whole bunch of others. The one thing that most of these definitions have in common is the mystical or supernatural. But if the mystical and supernatural aren't real, then those versions of spirituality aren't based on anything real. At best, they're noble human endeavors entangled with outdated superstition. So, why not just drop the superstition and focus on the noble parts? But once you do that, is 'spirituality' really the best term to describe it?
We're human beings. We have worries and passions and morality and wonder and all types of subjective concerns. We should spend time reflecting on and fostering these aspects of our lives. We should read literature, go to art museums, study philosophy and ethics, take time during the day to pause and reflect, or even meditate if you want to take that reflection further. But these can all be secular pursuits. There's no need to pretend there's anything mystical about them.
Image Source: Wikimedia with further editing by me
Comments
order atorvastatin 40mg online atorvastatin 10mg canada lipitor 20mg for sale
Posted by: Hwcvns | March 12, 2024 12:53 PM
buy atorvastatin generic buy atorvastatin tablets lipitor 80mg for sale
Posted by: Ofvxhg | March 12, 2024 1:57 PM
cipro 500mg uk - cheap cipro 500mg purchase amoxiclav generic
Posted by: Uxnfnf | March 13, 2024 8:34 PM
buy ciprofloxacin 500mg sale - buy cheap ethambutol buy cheap augmentin
Posted by: Vdjeiq | March 13, 2024 10:33 PM
where can i buy metronidazole - zithromax 500mg cost buy cheap generic azithromycin
Posted by: Pjzflj | March 16, 2024 4:10 PM
buy ciprofloxacin 500 mg for sale - ciplox cheap erythromycin buy online
Posted by: Jgyrbm | March 17, 2024 1:33 AM
buy valtrex 1000mg pill - nemasole where to buy acyclovir 400mg tablet
Posted by: Kkyjen | March 18, 2024 8:38 PM
ivermectin order online - order tetracycline generic tetracycline buy online
Posted by: Txbwno | March 19, 2024 5:29 AM
flagyl 400mg cost - cleocin 150mg canada where to buy zithromax without a prescription
Posted by: Urzjkg | March 21, 2024 3:49 AM
purchase ampicillin generic buy doxycycline tablets order amoxicillin
Posted by: Uemubz | March 21, 2024 8:30 AM
lasix 100mg oral - cost minipress captopril 25mg us
Posted by: Xitmbr | March 22, 2024 2:07 PM
glycomet tablet - buy epivir generic buy generic lincomycin 500mg
Posted by: Hfagff | March 25, 2024 1:51 AM
zidovudine ca - generic allopurinol 300mg
Posted by: Ssnurb | March 25, 2024 8:00 PM
buy clozapine without prescription - buy altace 10mg pills buy famotidine 40mg sale
Posted by: Bdilem | March 27, 2024 3:20 AM
seroquel 50mg oral - cheap bupropion generic order eskalith
Posted by: Zeqbrv | March 28, 2024 6:17 PM
order anafranil sale - order abilify 30mg without prescription sinequan price
Posted by: Hujvgg | March 30, 2024 2:28 AM
buy hydroxyzine pills - order sarafem 20mg generic order endep 10mg sale
Posted by: Axvvzu | March 30, 2024 8:00 PM
order augmentin 375mg for sale - order ampicillin online buy cipro sale
Posted by: Ygtefs | April 3, 2024 4:40 AM
buy amoxicillin pills for sale - order amoxicillin generic cipro online order
Posted by: Vpyeux | April 3, 2024 10:15 AM
buy cleocin no prescription - terramycin 250mg generic order chloromycetin sale
Posted by: Wtziap | April 8, 2024 6:14 PM
order azithromycin for sale - ciplox 500mg brand order ciprofloxacin for sale
Posted by: Yiujkj | April 9, 2024 3:30 AM
ivermectina online - ivermectin us buy cefaclor 500mg for sale
Posted by: Macsps | April 11, 2024 8:09 PM
albuterol inhalator online order - allegra sale where can i buy theo-24 Cr
Posted by: Antnmq | April 12, 2024 9:08 AM
buy clarinex generic - albuterol inhalator over the counter buy albuterol 2mg online
Posted by: Uptsdw | April 14, 2024 6:21 PM
buy methylprednisolone 4 mg online - buy astelin 10ml generic oral astelin 10 ml
Posted by: Nmmtun | April 14, 2024 8:11 PM
glyburide for sale online - buy glyburide pills order dapagliflozin 10mg online cheap
Posted by: Xmaxmf | April 16, 2024 7:43 PM
buy prandin 2mg without prescription - order generic repaglinide empagliflozin pills
Posted by: Yyiwok | April 18, 2024 7:35 PM
buy metformin 1000mg online cheap - buy acarbose 25mg for sale buy cheap acarbose
Posted by: Cagads | April 18, 2024 10:01 PM
lamisil buy online - buy generic terbinafine purchase grifulvin v pill
Posted by: Jpzvkm | April 21, 2024 12:17 PM
buy rybelsus pills for sale - buy generic desmopressin online buy DDAVP without a prescription
Posted by: Hbclot | April 21, 2024 11:01 PM
ketoconazole order online - ketoconazole 200 mg pills buy itraconazole without a prescription
Posted by: Nfhkih | April 23, 2024 4:02 PM
famciclovir order online - buy famvir 250mg online cheap buy generic valcivir
Posted by: Wqpila | April 25, 2024 12:23 AM
order generic lanoxin 250 mg - purchase verapamil for sale lasix 100mg generic
Posted by: Dxprtg | April 25, 2024 5:39 PM
purchase microzide online cheap - buy norvasc online cheap zebeta 5mg over the counter
Posted by: Cntqot | April 27, 2024 7:34 PM
order metoprolol 50mg online cheap - buy generic metoprolol 50mg buy generic adalat over the counter
Posted by: Bqvphu | April 28, 2024 3:46 AM
nitroglycerin without prescription - buy nitroglycerin pill order valsartan 160mg sale
Posted by: Lejqsv | April 29, 2024 7:46 PM
simvastatin chin - tricor splendid atorvastatin lurk
Posted by: Nrlxwo | May 1, 2024 9:18 PM
rosuvastatin online alive - rosuvastatin online four caduet pose
Posted by: Rmhyzz | May 2, 2024 11:23 AM
acne medication across - acne treatment head acne treatment break
Posted by: Drhlip | May 19, 2024 9:59 AM
asthma treatment element - inhalers for asthma inquiry asthma treatment central
Posted by: Xpubek | May 19, 2024 7:17 PM
treatment for uti prepare - uti treatment skill treatment for uti focus
Posted by: Cuznaw | May 21, 2024 6:30 AM
prostatitis pills whence - prostatitis medications eat prostatitis pills bath
Posted by: Omujbx | May 21, 2024 4:03 PM
valtrex pursue - valacyclovir pills justice valtrex although
Posted by: Evxyuj | May 23, 2024 5:19 AM