There is a distinction between two different modes of relating with the divine source: religion and spirituality.
Religion describes the social, the public, and the organized means by which people are taught to relate with a divine source. Religion is an institution established by man for various reasons. Exert control, instill morality, stroke egos, or whatever it does. Organized, structured religions all but remove god from the equation.
You confess your sins to a clergy member, go to elaborate churches to worship, told what to pray and when to pray it. All those factors remove you from god. Religion was created to cause separation.. Since religion is man defined, Religion is a manifestation of the flesh.
Spirituality describes such relations that occur in private, on a personal level. Spirituality is born in a person and develops in the person. It may be kick started by a religion, or it may be kick started by a revelation. Spirituality extends to all facets of a person’s life. Spirituality is chosen while religion is often times forced. Spirituality, on the other hand, is defined by God. Spirituality, as defined by God, is a manifestation of His nature.
True spirituality is something that is found deep within oneself. It is your way of loving, accepting and relating to the world and people around you. It cannot be found in a church or by believing in a certain way. Spirituality defines all life as one.
One separates, and one unites.
Is such a distinction valid? In answering such a question, it is important to keep in mind that it presumes to describe two fundamentally different types of things. Even though I describe them as different ways of “relating to the divine or the sacred,” that is already introducing my own prejudices into the discussion. Many (if not most) of those who attempt to describe them as two aspects of the same thing.
We can better understand why such incompatible definitions (each representative of how many, many others define the terms) appear by observing what unites them: the denigration of religion. Religion is all about people controlling other people. Religion distances you from God and from the sacred while spirituality, whatever it really is, is good. Spirituality is the “true” way to reach God and the sacred. Spirituality is the right thing to center your life on.
It’s true that there are valid distinctions between the two, but there are also a number of problematic distinctions which people try to make. In particular, supporters of spirituality tend to try to argue that everything bad lies with religion while everything good can be found in spirituality. Is this a self-serving distinction which only masks the nature of religion and spirituality?
One principal problem with attempts to separate religion from spirituality is that the former is saddled with everything negative while the latter is exalted with everything positive. This is a totally self-serving way of approaching the issue and something you only hear from those who describe themselves as “spiritual.” I am sure you are all aware of those self-professed religious people who inprison themselves into a system with no positive characteristics whatsoever.
Another problem with attempts to separate religion from spirituality is the curious fact that we don’t see it outside America. Why are people in Europe either religious or irreligious but Americans have this third category called “spiritual”?
Are Americans special? Or is it rather that “distinction” is really just a product of American culture?
In fact, that is exactly the case. The term itself came to be used frequently only after the 1960s when there were widespread revolts against every form of organized authority, including “organized religion.” Every establishment and every system of authority was thought to be corrupt and evil, including those which were religious — but of course, Americans weren’t prepared to abandon religion entirely. So, they created a new category which no longer included the same traditional authority figures.
They called it Spirituality. Indeed, the creation of the category “spiritual” can be seen as just one more step in the long American process of privatizing and personalizing religion, something which has occurred constantly throughout American history.
Spirituality is a form of religion, but a private and personal form of religion. Thus, the valid distinction is between spirituality and organized religion.
We can see this in how there is little (if anything) that people describe as characterizing spirituality but which has not also characterized aspects of traditional religion. Personal quests for God? Organized religions have made a great deal of room for such quests. Personal understandings of God? Organized religions have relied heavily upon the insights of mystics, although they have also sought to circumscribe their influence so as not to “rock the boat” too much and too quickly.
Moreover, some of the negative features commonly attributed to religion can also be found in so-called “spiritual” systems. Is religion dependent upon a book of rules? Alcoholic’s Anonymous describes itself as spiritual rather than religious and has such a book. Is religion dependent upon a set of written revelations from God rather than a personal communication?
It is important to note the fact that many of the negative things which people attribute to religions are, at best, features of some forms of some religions (usually Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), but not of other spiritual beliefs such as Taoism or Buddhism. This is perhaps why so much of spirituality remains attached to traditional religions, like attempts to soften their harder edges.
Spirituality is Spiritual. Organized Religion is religious. One tends to be more personal, and private, and brings about awareness as one consciousness. The other tends to incorporate public rituals and organized doctrines, thus forcing a belief onto the sheep for which it sheppards.
The lines between one and the other are very clear and distinct.
Religion does not require one to be inwardly spiritual. I’ve attended numerous religious services that were far from a spiritual experience. You sing some bad songs, your told what to pray and how to pray it, and do a dog and pony show of man-made traditions. How does that give anyone a spiritual experience?
I recognize the mystery of life, and marvel at everything I learn that deepens the truth of our existence. The only difference is I don’t feel the need to create gods and religions to explain everything.
"How can you interrogate and understand new evidence when you believe to posses irrefutable truth and no longer question anything”?
Christians love to say, “don’t put god in a box, let him be god.”
But the same people who make this statement live their lives in a comfortable little “box” containing all of their answers to life’s questions.
Why live your life with blinders on? If your god is real and as big as you believe, you shouldn’t be afraid of finding evidence that would disprove him. You should only find evidence to deepen your faith. Life is much more exciting when you don’t dilute yourself into thinking you have all the answers.
Spirituality says that God is within us, and that we do not need anyone else to make this particular divine connection for us.
Religion says that we are separated from God, and that we need to communicate with and worship this ascended entity in order to make the divine connection.
Spirituality says that we are free to make choices on our own, and that we must accept personal responsibility for our actions.
Religion says that we must make their choices and act their way, depending upon a given religious denomination's belief systems.
The theme of spirituality is fellowship through the employment of unconditional love.
The theme of religion is fellowship through fear and guilt.
Spirituality does not require us to make donations.
Religion has become a big business.
Spirituality says there is no Hell, no judgment, no angry God, and that we are loved unconditionally.
Religion says there is a Hell, God gets angry and judges us. Therefore, we are not loved unconditionally.
Spirituality says we are free to choose our own path to God.
Religion commands us to do it their way, depending upon a particular religious denomination's beliefs.
Spirituality says we should not be ashamed of our sexuality. Rather, it should be a sacred celebration of love.
Religion has taught us to feel ashamed, guilty and dirty about our sexuality.
Spirituality says God is within everyone and everything.
Religion says God and His messengers reside in Heaven and that "they" are the only intermediaries for us.
Spirituality says we are born in innocence and purity.
Religion says we are born with sin.
Spirituality teaches that we are on a long spiritual adventure and journey which will ultimately end by reuniting with our Source.
Religion says we have got one life to get it all right, and there is nothing but Heaven or Hell after that.
Spirituality says we are free to express.
Religion, over time, fostered the dreaded inquisition.
Spirituality teaches unconditional love for all.
Religion, over time, fostered the Crusades in which many were killed and slaughtered in the name of God.
Spirituality teaches peace and harmony.
Religion has caused more wars and more killing than any other reason.
Spirituality says we have all the answers, that we can find them by "going within."
Religion teaches us that it has all the answers and only its answers are the right ones.
Spirituality teaches us to search for the Universal Truths, wherefrom our hearts will tell us when we have found them.
Religion teaches we have no choice but to accept their version of the Truth.
As long as you use your logic and reason (mind), you'll make sense of it.
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