That criticism is valid unless the supernatural being actually exists.
If you don't mind going into a lay-by, I've noticed you bring this thought up before. I take it you mean by no religious beliefs you say there is no God. If that is the case, how can you have spiritual beliefs? Surely an atheistic universe is material only, these usually go together, it doesn't leave room for anything spiritual which is by definition non-material; the end of physical life is the end of existence.
I visited the lost gardens of Heligan (fascinating place!) and bought Tim Smit's history of how it was restored - very interesting read. In it he has a chapter where he engaged the local vicar to 'exorcise' the place due to weird things happening. (I'm not altogether surprised at this - it wouldn't surprise me if some of those restoring the place believe they have been guided by the long-dead gardeners there.) In a later chapter he discusses why he thinks we live in a material only world. What struck me was that these two views of the world cannot be simultaneously true. I can only think he hadn't given much thought to this.
I don't believe in a 'god' in the way that the various god and goddess type figures are generally constructed by self referential human mind.
i'm more about human spirit, and indeed life force in all things.
It's interesting how those types of deities always to end up cheerleading and justifying the humans who are already overmighty - you know divine rights of kings - the patriachy - that kind of thing.
Which came first, the god? Or the human instinct to control others through invoking the ire of these outside forces .??
It's very possible to feel and connect the individual human spirit with what one conceives to be a universal consciousness or life spirit, through meditation and other practices, without having an imagined deity
There's plenty room for the spiritual , without having a external or personified deity to worship.
Buddhists for instance, do it all the time..
Although I can quite understand how and why people imagine up these deities to give a hook to hang the practice on, and to create allegories and support for a moral point.
Not such a terrible thing to do, if it leads to them behaving well towards their fellow creatures, its when they start using their particular 'mascot' to justify very poor behaviours.
Atheist is not a label I would attach to myself.
But at the same time I've met plenty of people who would call themselves atheists whose moral compass is perfectly sound.
I had a very nice lunch with Tim Smit over union business one time.
Lovely chap, but not really an 'instinctive' gardener - or necessarily a deep thinker, but hes got a lot done no doubt about it .
There are other people in I'd call in for advice on trees and the management of their life force, long before he.
He also struck me as a belt and braces type of person, so I could imagine he might give the old exorcism thing a go, in addition to all other options, to nominally chase away the disgruntled spirits of previous head gardeners, or even evil pixies from the pineapple house...
The human mind is as we know deeply suggestible.
And it makes for a good story as well - we all love a good story...
The Eden project is worth a look too.
No idea which particular creation myth they nicked that name from...
