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Two days ago, in the morning I was driving in the car and had the radio on. Not really paying any attention to what I was listening. The interviewer and the man being interviewed said something about Spiritualism and my ears popped up and very quickly had my interest dashed.
It was a man who collected everything to do with Orca whales. This was a description of a stone that had been sculptured out of itself as in its spiritual journey and of course is was as an Orca whale. Conversation moved onto the main topic.
But it got me thinking all day along several different lines. People use the word spiritualism all the time without really realising that there is a religious movement of Spiritualists. Here in the UK that movement is recognised as a religion by Act of Parliament after the court case that had a medium jailed after world war two. Another story for another post.
But how many religious called themselves spiritualist? Now I am not trying to copyright the word. It would be like the Catholic Church saying that no other church could call itself a Christian church. But then again, the word Christian does have a specific meaning. And, in the UK so does the word Spiritualism. It is the USA definition that is wide.
How many people on line describe themselves as spiritualist and do not really recognise what they are saying? Or have a completely different understanding of the word.
So, I asked for a google definition:
· a system of belief or religious practice based on supposed communication with the spirits of the dead, especially through mediums.
· the doctrine that the spirit exists as distinct from matter, or that spirit is the only reality.
Okay well that clears up the legal definition, absolutely no room for confusion as the what we should all mean.
But in the context of the radio discussion the individual was not claiming that the stone had a spirit. Though it is true that I did not listen long enough to define his actual religious beliefs.
So, looking further as I said the American definition of the word would cover it’s use here:
· The philosophical doctrine that all reality is in essence spiritual; idealism
or Spiritual quality
Well the second definition from Collins for the American definition of Spiritualism seems more in context to how the word was being used.
So, then what is a spiritual quality? How do you define that out with the use of the spiritual beliefs?
· having a mind or emotions of a high and delicately refined quality
Collins
This is getting even further away from a pure definition of Spiritualism as in my beliefs lol.
Then yesterday I saw something spectacular. I had parked and was on the tram on my way into the Edinburgh Book Festival. A blind woman with her guide dog. The animal was lovely. Extremely well trained and a working dog. If there was ever an example of spiritual context there it was standing looking at me. Animals of course go to spirit after death just as we do. I know this from experience based on the number of connections I have made for people. Some people are happier to be connected to their loving dog rather than the ex-partner that is also trying to come through.
But I digress.
I just will have to live with the fact that the term Spiritual means different things to different people and must look at it in context. As we all must. But take comfort that there is living evidence of love and spirit if you just look for it. And I know that saying look is yet another example of using a word out of context of its direct meaning, re the women herself was blink. Just making an example of my own point I think.
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