I got a daily calendar in India, each page having a different picture of Ganesha and a quote. The one I saw today is: "God talks to His devotees through intuitive feeling, through friends, through light and through a voice heard within."

I really like that intuition and "a voice heard within" are separate. Having grown up Baptist, "friends" were often considered to be the devil for sure. But best of all is "light." Inspiration and clarity, no doubt, but things look different in different lights. Mountains and clouds, lately, for me and Holly. http://justaddlightandstir.blogspot.com/

As happens sometimes with the photos of tourists and amateurs, I did not plan this lighting and drama. I only saw it later, in the photo. Just seconds later, the same angel, different angle, there are modern details the angel sees every day, plus Linnaea Waynforth, and across on the other wall, art by children. This was in a church in Bunwell, in Norfolk, one town over from where Schuyler Waynforth lives. We were there to hear bell ringers practice, on a summer day in 2009. Same, with notes on perspective and art, at Just Add Light

I'm not a Unitarian. I'm not positive I'm an atheist. I know for sure I'm an agnostic who doesn't believe in God.

The past few weeks intensively, and the past few months semi-intensively, I've been working with some mostly-self-selected adults on character-building and morality issues. We've been working lately (half a dozen of us) on virtues, centering around compassion and humility.

Is that spiritual? I think so, but it's not in the prayer/spirit vein. No angels are alighting. It's a change of mental posture and attitude, which is designed to improve the thinking, decision-making basis [i.e. philosophy], and the integrity of the individuals. That changes behavior. Or sometimes people change behavior without really believing there's going to be a resulting change in belief or others' reactions, and when the reaction comes, the belief follows, and the transformation starts cookin'.

People can believe that there is centeredness, balance, and right-living without any belief in God.

Although I've been working with these folks from six to two years (and more in a couple of cases, off and on), I could not tell you which of them believe in God, or whether any of them do. I know two were raised Catholic. One had a Catholic dad and Baptist mom and I haven't asked where he went to church.

So the question is, what do you mean "spirituality"?

Sandra

I've been a fan of Rumer Godden for some years now and finally got my hands on her autobiography - done in two parts/two books. One of them is called A House With Four Rooms. She begins with.......

There is an Indian proverb or axiom that says that everyone is a house with four rooms, a physical, a mental, an emotional and a spiritual. Most of us tend to live in one room most of the time but, unless we go into every room every day, even if only to keep it aired, we are not a complete person. R.G.

I am not a particularly spiritual person and neither is my husband. It was never our intention to keep religion or spirituality from our son and most of our family members and friends are practicing members of some religious organization. We have always tried to answer his questions in a non biased way, ( I hope we succeeded ) and if he had specific questions we tried to find answers.

I recently found some books on different faiths and they have been helpful.

Well, here it is. My son is becoming a spiritual person. He recently lost both his grandfathers. He was close to both of them and close to their deaths as well as they were in our care at home during their final illnesses. This may have a good deal to do with his pondering's lately, I know.

He's not troubled, only curious. I know faith is a very personal thing. I know my opinions have an influence on him. I'm just trying to be a source of help and security to him while he finds answers that make sense to him, without unduly influencing him to my way of thinking. This must sound extremely naive but not being religious, it really never occurred to me he'd have more than passing questions.

Any thoughts?
Deb L

There were fifteen responses, then, in November 2001. You can read them here if you're a member of that discussion list: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AlwaysLearning/message/1?threaded=1&l=1

Peace for Unschoolers Being How to Unschool