Spirits Aren't Just For Drinking, or, Elf Booty Got Soul

[shanmonster]

I never know which definition people are referring to when they talk about spirituality.

According to Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1913), spiritual means:

1. Consisting of spirit; not material; incorporeal; as, a spiritual substance or being.

It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.
--1 Cor. xv. 44.

2. Of or pertaining to the intellectual and higher endowments of the mind; mental; intellectual.

3. Of or pertaining to the moral feelings or states of the soul, as distinguished from the external actions; reaching and affecting the spirits.

God's law is spiritual; it is a transcript of the divine nature, and extends its authority to the acts of the soul of man.
--Sir T. Browne.

4. Of or pertaining to the soul or its affections as influenced by the Spirit; controlled and inspired by the divine Spirit; proceeding from the Holy Spirit; pure; holy; divine; heavenly-minded; -- opposed to carnal.

That I may impart unto you some spiritual gift.
--Rom. i. ll.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings.
--Eph. i. 3.

If a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one.
--Gal. vi. 1.

5. Not lay or temporal; relating to sacred things; ecclesiastical; as, the spiritual functions of the clergy; lords spiritual and temporal; a spiritual corporation.

Only definition number two applies to me. Somehow, however, I don't think most people are speaking specifically of intellectual qualities when they refer to someone's spirituality. They seem to be talking about something else, more in line with the third definition than with anything else, I suspect.

Now, I do all sorts of things which most people would consider spiritual. I study martial arts. I'm a belly dancer. I can control elements within my dreams. I like to go out into the forest and just be. I think that for a lot of people, this makes me spiritual in a way which relates to the soul.

But what is a soul? If it's just the difference between me when I'm alive and me when I die, then sure, I believe in a soul. It's synonymous with life, and I have plenty of that. I can even believe in a soul which is equatable to personality. I have lots of that, too. But if it has to do with some sort of immortal and incorporeal thing, then I just don't have any belief in it. I categorize this sort of soul with ghosties and leprechauns.

Then again, last night, f00 claims I was speaking in tongues in my sleep. Maybe I have the soul of a holy-roller, and I just don't realize it.

Comments

Souls

[angel-one.livejournal.com]

It's very likely that your view on souls is a remnant of your upbringing as a JW, because that's what we were taught. Blood=Life=Soul, when you're dead, your soul is dead, and there is no immortal soul.

I think my own view on souls is somewhere in the middle. I don't believe the soul dies, per se.. I do see it as like this ephemeral ghostly echo, like a shadow, attached to your body while you're alive.. but I don't believe its this solid whole thing, like a person.. i dont believe the soul goes from body to body or becomes a ghost or goes to heaven, etc...

You should tell them to tape you when you speak tongues in your sleep, it might be amusing the next day.

Re: Tongues

[(Anonymous)]

Perhaps you are trying to speak ICQVert/L33tsp34k out loud? :)

Re: Souls

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

I see what you're getting at, but I don't think so. I think it's pretty standard skeptical thought. And, I'm a bit rusty on this, don't JWs believe humans have souls, but animals do not? Also, the JWs believe in some sort of almost technological data thing where if you die, Jehovah has a sort of floppy disk with your personality (soul?) on it, so when Armageddon passes and all those folks are being reintroduced to Earth, he just uploads the souls into new bodies.

But if those people should mess up at the end of the thousand years when Satan comes back "for a little while", well, God kills you and destroys the floppy.

Of course, it wasn't described quite so computerishly when I was going to the KH, but the metaphor seems to work.

Anyway, I don't believe all that stuff, of course.

As for the speaking in tongues, I really wish it had been tape recorded! I'd love to hear it! As it stands, I have absolutely no recollection of it.

Re: Tongues

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

I don't think so. f00 recited part of it back to me, and it didn't sound recognizable at all. Maybe I can get him to transcribe it, and we'll hold a poll to see what it means.

Re: Souls

[angel-one.livejournal.com]

Nah they believe animals have souls... I think its somewhere in Genesis.. not sure... says that animals and humans have souls and when they die they are not "aware" of anything....

As for the floppy disk analogy, yeah that's all pretty accurate...cute analogy....

Re: Souls

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

Ok. I wasn't sure about that one. The memories and recollections do fade, even after over two decades of "The Truth."

Fading memories

[angel-one.livejournal.com]

How long have you been out? I was in from birth til age 22, and was even a pioneer... been out like 7 years now... only recently are things starting to fade in my memory... I'm just glad I'm free.. and well, glad you are too.... I am happy for anyone who escapes them...

Re: Fading memories

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

From when I was born until I was 20 or 21, I adhered to JW beliefs, but I never became baptized. I've never pioneered, but I was out on service pretty regularly. I've been out for about eleven or twelve years, now. My parents are still JWs, though, and my Dad is now a ministerial servant, I think.

Re: Tongues

[f00dave.livejournal.com]

No chance of that: my brain doesn't hold gibberish very well. If I'd written it down right then, sure, but now? It's lost.

Sounded like fucked up baby-talk anyway. ;-)