But the issues that most trouble patients and their families at the end of life are not these. To them, the end of life is a spiritual crisis. As I use it, spiritual refers to concerns about the ultimate meaning and values in life. It has to do with our deepest sense of who we are and what life is all about. Spiritual does not imply any belief in a supreme being or in a life after this.
Atheists have spiritual concerns just like everyone else.
Spiritual , then, does not mean religious. Certainly many American churches do not talk much about death and dying. But we skip pretty quickly over dying itself, except to say to make your peace with the Lord. As a result, Christians can still find that their faith gives them no guidance about how to live the final chapter of life. These are all spiritual issues, or at least quickly bring spiritual questions into view.