My take is that Its like art, aesthetics and love in that it is another experience that means different things to different people.

I assumed it to be metaphorical, but will unfortunately provide fuel unto the Ken Ham-boneheads and the Ray Comfort-ablefits of this world.

NDGT is philosophically aligned with Carl Sagan, who famously said:

“Science is not only compatible with spirituality; it is a profound source of spirituality. When we recognize our place in an immensity of light‐years and in the passage of ages, when we grasp the intricacy, beauty, and subtlety of life, then that soaring feeling, that sense of elation and humility combined, is surely spiritual. So are our emotions in the presence of great art or music or literature, or acts of exemplary selfless courage such as those of Mohandas Gandhi or Martin Luther King, Jr. The notion that science and spirituality are somehow mutually exclusive does a disservice to both.”

@p-nullifidian this is one of my favorite quotes

@LenHazell53 Which part is the metaphor?

@RobertLudwick The use of the word spiritual

@LenHazell53 ok. Why do you assume he meant it metiphorically?

@RobertLudwick I don't, as I said in my post I said that I assumed it(the statement) to be metaphorical, since as an atheist I cannot in good conscience take the word spiritual to have any other form of use, however I make no judgement and would not have the temerity to presume upon Doctor Tyson's personal intent, belief or usage.

@LenHazell53 in your statement “...I cannot in good conscience take the word spiritual to have any other form of use...”, what “other” form of use can you “not in good conscience” take. I’m just trying to understand your comments.

@RobertLudwick don't worry about it, I have no more time to waste on this

@LenHazell53 I apologize for wasting your time with a posting. However, you freely chose to comment on it. I’m just trying to understand your comments. I honestly have no idea what you’re trying to convey. Either you’re afraid to say what you really mean, or I’m just out of touch with this community. I’m going to assume (as humans often do) that you’re going to see this as a deficit on my part. So, I’ll play devil’s advocate (for lack of a better term) and say I am out of touch. However, how can that be a surprise when I ask questions and I don’t get a straight answer. You’re really starting to remind me of the runaround I got as a child when I asked my priest questions that were uncomfortable to his worldview.