To me I identify as agnostic because many atheists get annoyed when I say I just don't know what's out there .
Atheism, to many, means a militant disbelief but truth be known we just don't know. I choose to not be attacked for legitimate ignorance. I don't know what (if any) role consciousness plays in reality as we know it.
I've had too many unexplainable things happen in my life. I don't know what they are I just know I can't explain them scientifically. Just because something can't be measured YET doesn't mean it isn't there. Once upon a time humans had no idea that there were bacteria on our skin that is necessary for life.
With that said to ask me to believe in magic tricks, a zombie Jesus, a celestial virgin or a talking snake out of faith is just plain stupid.

@strgazr63 All Atheists are Agnostic as well, why should they be annoyed at you for being the same?
Perhaps they're annoyed because you haven't made up your mind as to whether you're a believer or a non believer, which has nothing directly to do with Agnosticism which is about knowledge, not beliefs.

@zblaze I am open to a belief in something that has not yet been scientifically proven yet - I just don't know what. It might just be my cat. I have been literally screamed at because I won't say that this life is all there is and nothing else. I don't know that. Militant atheists can be an angry lot. I simply refuse to partake in any form of organized religion.

@strgazr63 I'm a militant atheist. My weapon of choice is a word processor. Do I know that this life is all there is and nothing else? NO. I suspect it but none of us have any proof.

@strgazr63 I guess for some people, religious or spiritual, whether a proposition is true or not has no influence on their decision to believe it or not believe it.

I sure couldn't live like that.

,@Athena Very nicely said.

@Athena It simply has to do with a person's description of themselves, I consider myself neither, therefore I need not agree or disagree.
I hope that's an adequate answer to your question.
At the end of my life my body will decay and support new life. As far as my consciousness to quote porky pig "That's all folks!"

@Athena my last sentence said what I meant when I'm dead ? I'm dead. That's it the song is over.

Yeah give me spirits any day, Whiskey, Vodka, Rum, etc.

Are they like ghosts Nam? Do they live forever?

Why has no one liked this comment? It's like saying I believe in baby bunnies but not full grown rabbits that's why.

I do not believe in anything supernatural. Used to study it and believe it all, but not today. Why? There is no evidence. Many people say they know 98% of something is false but ask about the remaining 2 percent. They are fooling themselves.

@Athena Well, I didn’t much care for the dismissive tone of the article. I also don’t exactly agree with there being sides either. Truth does works that way, with rigid sides of true & false. I don’t think the same can be said of philosophy or religion.

If someone says they are spiritual but not religious, I’m fine with that, even if I don’t understand it. So long as it’s an honest statement, I won’t offer much criticism.

@Athena IMO, taking a “stand” on whether or not there is s higher power is the ultimate in blind arrogance. Why should you take a stand on something you can’t define or understand? The appropriate response to the overwhelming miracle of existence is abject awe and bewilderment.

Nature herself is a higher power—higher than our dream-like and illusory bubble of perception.

@Athena, @indirect76 I’m with you 100% indirect. You have made a profound statement.

@Athena The author might not be asking anyone to take a stand, but he is condemning those who don’t.

From the article: “The trouble is that “spiritual but not religious” offers no positive exposition or understanding or explanation of a body of belief or set of principles of any kind.”

In other words, the author sees trouble where people don’t conform to authority. He must be an eldest sibling. I fail to see anything weak or vacillatory about rejecting church dogma in favor of deep personal awareness and appreciation for the gifts of life and conscious awareness.

I intend to continue being spiritual, whether spirituality is religious or not. I simply don’t care—in fact I am religious. But I agree that atheists and agnostics can be spiritual as well.

@WilliamFleming You might just be a believer

@Athena There seems to be a lot of frantic concern over whether someone believes or disbelieves certain things, but belief is nothing but a value judgment, an emotion, and is of little significance. When it comes to the deep questions about ultimate reality belief or disbelief are totally inappropriate. As I see it, the only honest and logical response to reality is a sense of awe and bewilderment.

You are certain there is no evidence for a god, but you have not defined that god. There is most certainly an ultimate reality outside our sensory realm. I would not choose to call that God, but some people do, You can put whatever silly label you want on ultimate reality but its comprehension is out of our range.

God as described in the Bible is just mythical, but that in no way proves that all god concepts are invalid. And it does not invalidate spirituality as an attitude toward what is.

@Athena, @zblaze It’s not a question of belief. I am totally bewildered.

@WilliamFleming Atheism vs Theism is a question of belief the same as Fairies and Afairieism.

Bewilderment is a cop out IMO.

@zblaze My opinion is that belief and disbelief are both cop outs. Anyone can express belief or disbelief but bewilderment requires the courage to look directly at the stark implications of reality.

Childhood fairytales are not the same as ultimate reality or the deep implications of existence. There’s not the slightest bit of similarity. Your analogy falls way short.

It’s a good analogy if you are talking just about biblical myths. I’m with you on that part but have long since lost interest in arguing against what is obviously mythical stuff. Move on.