My Intergalactic Sermon last night

[DRA6N]

Just thought I would share this with anybody out there who may be interested. Last night I attended a presentation by the owner of a local telescope shop here in Tucson Az. His presentation was a very religious interpretation of the constellations and to make a long story short, reintroduced me into religion.

Where am I going with this story? Well I originally was interested in astronomy because "the starts and stuff looks cool". But now I have a greater reason for this infatuation with my hobby. I am more eager than ever to search the deep dark skies and capture - either with my camera or my own eyes, any glimpse of stars and DSO's that are out there. These objects in the sky help me feel more spiritual in a way.

does any body else feel like this?

[Moonshane]

I am an atheist but feel that being spiritual and being religious are two completely different things. Personally, I am of the view that the 'spiritual feeling' or the 'feeling of wonder' people get when they look at a beautiful landscape or the night sky, or their child is what has partly created the belief that there is the hand of a supreme being in the mix.

I recently visited Bruges and there's a small church (I bizarrely 'love' churches - the architecture etc), The Basilica of the Holy Blood, which is said to contain a phial with a few drops of Jesus' blood. This may indeed be true and I suspect that the man did exist. I felt a real sense of peace and 'spirituality' in the building as it was so beautiful and steeped in tradition. I got the exact same feeling when I approached Stonehenge for the first time, and when I saw the Orion Nebula for the first time. Visiting this church certainly did not change my views on religion.

It depends on viewpoints of course but for me there's no 'need' for an omnipotent god; the reality based on the evidence seems even more incredible and amazing than the existence of a god.

[daz]

And here endeth the sermon.

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Many thanks