dyanaprajna2011
Dharmapala
What's your definition of these two terms, and how are they different and similar?
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Religion and spirituality
- Thread starter dyanaprajna2011
- Start date
Religion is the doctrine, dogma, rules, etc. of a faith. Being spiritual is prayer, meditation, the faith itself, etc. They are different yet often go hand in hand. You can be spiritual but not have any religion and have religion with no faith in any god.
Gjallarhorn
N'yog-Sothep
Spirituality is generally either the pursuit of awe or a cop-out for a syncretist or a lazy believer.
Religion is an institution of metaphysical teachings and codes of conduct.
Also, there's a certain mysticism or mystical aspect, imo, to being "spiritual but not religious". I find a certain "spiritualness" and mysticism in the universe being conscious.
Let's include a lazy syncretist like me.
psychoslice
Veteran Member
Spirituality is for those who see beyond mere teachings, religion is for those who are waiting to mature spiritualy, they are still clinging to their Scriptures and beliefs.
Contemplative Cat
energy formation
Religion is level one
Spirituality is level two
Spirituality is level two
I define religion as being of a more organized nature, akin to a pre-fab
structure, with rituals, dogmas, rules, doctrines, and regulations that
one must adhere to in order to qualify as a certifiable adherent of that
particular group.
Spirituality, on the other hand, I view as a more individualized, authentic
approach.
It's like the difference between using an established, paved highway and
hacking one's own path through the jungle (it feels a lot like
the latter at times, too
). -
FunctionalAtheist
Hammer of Reason
I view religion as an institution. Join up and get a card! We'll put you on the mailing list and call you if we don't see you two Sundays in a row.
I know most people see spirituality as necessarily related to religion. To me spirituality is a search for meaning as it relates to our persons. What is the meaning of me?
Sees
Dragonslayer
What is the difference between spirituality and philosophy?
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Religion is an ugly term now because it became something foreign to the rest of our lives. A relic of the past that we are supposed to belief in, whether we believe or not, or pretend to celebrate on special days. Instead of a holistic path of life it is a narrowed area dealing with supersititon, metaphysical, conscience rules, etc.
Yesterday's religion became today's "spirituality"...today's "spirituality" is becoming tomorrow's philosophy. The terms are all sorts of jacked up. The only religion, spirituality, philosophy with any public dignity is "this is what I think today...before lunch at least"
FunctionalAtheist
Hammer of Reason
Em, good catch. I suppose any difference would be superficial.
Sees
Dragonslayer
Well for me spirituality is anything that provides internal transformation, growth, etc. It can be actions, practices, philosophy, parts of a religious tradition, you name it.
Spiritual in old sense and some today was whatever dealt with the "heart", the "soul", meaningful in a deep sense down to your bones - compared to the most mundane of things very transitory, done on auto-pilot, serving base immediate functions.
Spirituality and religion both often get lumped with philosophical truth claims or superstitious, repetitive actions.
I think it is related to the specific way we like to bottle up and label things to make life easier....it leads to oversimplification and separation that wasn't necessarily needed or ideal.
Irreligious tend to see all religiousness in light of their own childhood indoctrination and superstitions. It is easy to process and makes a neat little world. Religious tend to see irreligiousness in light of their own doubts and uncertainty, so clumping the irreligious as seemingly always without path, goals, meaning, and eternal confusion.
Everybody is religious, spiritual, and philosophical...no matter what they say. It might not match up with a conceptual ideal of one or more historic traditions, but these are human things...and if you are a human they are there.
Since spirit means "breath," I like to think of spirit as being one interface between the internal and the external. You mentioned "heart" in connection to spirit. Have you ever noticed how your heartbeat is tied to your breath?
(This would be like the "external" manifestation. With the "internal" manifestation, "heart" means "mind," and spiritual transformation is the transformation of the heart/mind, imo.)
mystic64
nolonger active
Spirituality n., 1. The state, quality, manner, or fact of being spiritual.
Spiritual adj, 1. Of, relating to, consisting of, or having the nature of spirit; not tangible or material.
Spirit n. 1a. The vital principle or animating force within living beings. b. Incorporeal consciousness.
Incorporeal adj. 1. Lacking material form or supstance.
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Religion n. 1a. Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe. b. A personal or institutionalized system grounded in such belief and worship.
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Awesome topic and question! According to my really big dictionary you can be spiritual without being religious. I didn't know that and religion and spiritualality have always been my life. I guess to me there has always been no difference between religion and spiritualality because the creator and fellow in charge is an incorporal consciousness . The problem now is that spirituality does not necessarily have to include the belief in the creator. I guess now when I wander around in the worlds of the incorporal beings, I have left the world of religion . Thinking back, I think that my Christian brethren might have pointed that out to me, only I didn't listen . Cool topic awesome question it made me think about stuff!
Spiritual adj, 1. Of, relating to, consisting of, or having the nature of spirit; not tangible or material.
Spirit n. 1a. The vital principle or animating force within living beings. b. Incorporeal consciousness.
Incorporeal adj. 1. Lacking material form or supstance.
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Religion n. 1a. Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe. b. A personal or institutionalized system grounded in such belief and worship.
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Awesome topic and question! According to my really big dictionary you can be spiritual without being religious. I didn't know that and religion and spiritualality have always been my life. I guess to me there has always been no difference between religion and spiritualality because the creator and fellow in charge is an incorporal consciousness
. The problem now is that spirituality does not necessarily have to include the belief in the creator. I guess now when I wander around in the worlds of the incorporal beings, I have left the world of religion . Thinking back, I think that my Christian brethren might have pointed that out to me, only I didn't listen . Cool topic awesome question it made me think about stuff!
psychoslice
Veteran Member
spirituality is also beyond words and dictionary meanings.
Caladan
Agnostic Pantheist
As of late the term 'Spirituality' became a code name for the longer and more exhausting paragraph: 'I'm well beyond the ignorant masses around me. I have an authenticity and truth, while all they have is mindless dogma'.
But in truth the term is widely used in a way which implies an equally longer and exhausting paragraph: 'I read this book or a website once, and this demagogic shot at 'organized' religion opened up my chakras and now I radiate an aura of wisdom whenever I type on line'.
Sees
Dragonslayer
I think it makes things alive - our religiousness, spirituality, psychology, etc. It connects the various parts of who we are/world inside and world around us and nudges us to stay open-minded and able to adapt.
Awareness is a crucial element to many tasks/jobs and actually living the day itself. Personally I think it also has to be paired with openness.
This fad of discarding proper use of the term "religion" and substituting "spirituality" in this fashion is exactly why I'm quite against the use of the term "spirituality" entirely. I view the increased use of the term "spirituality" as a product of ignorance about religion because people incorrectly think that organized or traditional Western religion is all there is to the term. Add to that media hype that slanderously defames the word "religion" by locking it in to extremes of authoritarian, exclusivist fundamentalism and people who are religious start calling themselves "spiritual" to avoid association with something they perceive to be a negative. It's frustrating, depressing, and I refuse to be a party to the trend.
Interesting. Do you think that perceived/projected "snobbery" on both sides might be responsible for the separation of the terms?