"Spiritual but not religious"

[savagewind]

Isn't keeping a scripture about a tradition in many religions? Or is it just me?

No. Wisdom cannot be plucked out of the thin air. The inner voice must be fed information or it cannot speak.

 

[crossfire]

Isn't keeping a scripture about a tradition in many religions? Or is it just me?

Well yeah, in the sense of keeping the literature around and being actively read, I suppose it could be seen as a tradition.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

I have no idea. I have always conflated spirituality and religion as two of the same thing. One can always have a personal religion, and one can also express their spirituality with a 'spiritual tradition' or read from a 'book of spiritual wisdom'!

I am both spiritual and religious, and definitely not of the orthodox type at all!

Gaur Hari Bol!

I consider a religion to be a community of shared belief, so I think that a "personal religion" is a contradiction in terms.

Now... I should probably point out that I don't think that this implies one individual's solitary spiritual practice is any worse or has any lesser status than a religion.

 

[steeltoes]

If I understand it, religious implies organized beliefs and rituals set into place by a church that many follow whereas spiritual implies belief but going one's own way to find some sort of truth, winging it.

 

[Thief]

If I understand it, religious implies organized beliefs and rituals set into place by a church that many follow whereas spiritual implies belief but going one's own way to find some sort of truth, winging it.

For the most part I agree.

I've been 'winging it' as far back as I can remember.

Been exposed to congregation....but the stain failed to stick.

Been here at the forum four years.
Still no stains.

But that's not to say I haven't found some perspectives similar to my own.

I used to think I walk this earth completely unique.
That's what we are here for.
To become unique spirits.

But again, here at the forum, I have found some notion like my own.
So now I anticipate meeting kindred spirit...after my last breath.

 

[Warren Clark]

I consider myself "spiritual" in a sense. Its easy to explain to some people how I feel as an atheist when I look at the sky. =P

 

[LuisDantas]

In all honesty, when someone is described as "spiritual but not religious" it usually means that the describer (often enough also the described) would like to use religious concepts as a conversation matter, but wants to stop short from taking them seriously enough to cause arguments.

Far as I can tell that is the long and short of it.

 

[arhys]

Spiritual but not religious is a pretentious way of describing oneself or another as a weak agnostic.

 

[Sunstone]

Spiritual but not religious is a pretentious way of describing oneself or another as a weak agnostic.

Not always. Perhaps not even usually. Methinks you exaggerate.

 

[Alceste]

Spiritual but not religious is a pretentious way of describing oneself or another as a weak agnostic.

No, it's an honest way of describing oneself as an independent thinker who is open to the experience of profound awe and impenetrable mystery.

Being "spiritual" has nothing to do with accepting or rejecting the factual claims of a specific religious institution. It's a journey of self-discovery in tandem with a journey of exploration of the external world.

 

[Sunstone]

Einstein somewhere says, "The true value of a human being is determined primarily by the measure and the sense in which he has attained to liberation from the self". I would suggest that also happens to be a pretty good definition of a person's spirituality -- that is, the measure and sense in which he or she has attained to liberation from the self.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

No, it's an honest way of describing oneself as an independent thinker who is open to the experience of profound awe and impenetrable mystery.

Being "spiritual" has nothing to do with accepting or rejecting the factual claims of a specific religious institution. It's a journey of self-discovery in tandem with a journey of exploration of the external world.

I consider myself an independent thinker who is open to the experience of profound awe and impenetrable mystery, and I consider myself on a journey of self-discovery and exploration too. I don't consider myself "spiritual" at all. In fact, I find the implication that non-spiritual people aren't the things you listed somewhat insulting.

 

[Me Myself]

I consider myself an independent thinker who is open to the experience of profound awe and impenetrable mystery, and I consider myself on a journey of self-discovery and exploration too. I don't consider myself "spiritual" at all. In fact, I find the implication that non-spiritual people aren't the things you listed somewhat insulting.

Well, then probably someone who defines spirituality that way would think of you as someone who is spiritual but doesnt like that label.

I maybe would

They are just labels.

 

[Alceste]

I consider myself an independent thinker who is open to the experience of profound awe and impenetrable mystery, and I consider myself on a journey of self-discovery and exploration too. I don't consider myself "spiritual" at all. In fact, I find the implication that non-spiritual people aren't the things you listed somewhat insulting.

I don't mean to imply that anyone who doesn't describe themselves as "spiritual but not religious" is not an open minded person yada yada. Only that when people describe themselves that way, that is usually what they mean, IME. I've yet to meet anyone who means "I am agnostic" when they use the phrase. I live on the West coast. Just about everybody here is "spiritual but not religious", so I have considerable experience in figuring out what the heck that is supposed to mean. I didn't intend offense - sorry if I caused it.

 

[Thief]

Einstein somewhere says, "The true value of a human being is determined primarily by the measure and the sense in which he has attained to liberation from the self". I would suggest that also happens to be a pretty good definition of a person's spirituality -- that is, the measure and sense in which he or she has attained to liberation from the self.

I suspect he was speaking of his own value.
With spot light and cameras going about he likely had to rationalize his popularity.

The above quote though may not be so simple.
In keeping to the play of this thread.....

Liberation of the self.....for my perspective....
would be that hour we each in turn, participate.

When the chemistry fails and we stand from the dust.....in spirit.
Liberty...at last!

I don't need a religious practice for that.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

I don't mean to imply that anyone who doesn't describe themselves as "spiritual but not religious" is not an open minded person yada yada. Only that when people describe themselves that way, that is usually what they mean, IME. I've yet to meet anyone who means "I am agnostic" when they use the phrase. I live on the West coast. Just about everybody here is "spiritual but not religious", so I have considerable experience in figuring out what the heck that is supposed to mean. I didn't intend offense - sorry if I caused it.

I understand it wasn't intentional, and I wouldn't be surprised if the people who use the expression that way didn't mean it to be offensive... just as the people back in the day who used the term "white" to mean "good" or "honest" ("gee, that's mighty white of you!") didn't mean that term to be offensive either.

 

[Sunstone]

I suspect he was speaking of his own value.
With spot light and cameras going about he likely had to rationalize his popularity.

The above quote though may not be so simple.
In keeping to the play of this thread.....

Liberation of the self.....for my perspective....
would be that hour we each in turn, participate.

When the chemistry fails and we stand from the dust.....in spirit.
Liberty...at last!

I don't need a religious practice for that.

Please don't muddy the waters.

 

[Alceste]

I understand it wasn't intentional, and I wouldn't be surprised if the people who use the expression that way didn't mean it to be offensive... just as the people back in the day who used the term "white" to mean "good" or "honest" ("gee, that's mighty white of you!") didn't mean that term to be offensive either.

That doesn't sound like the same category of thing to me. Spirituality is a pretty arbitrary attribute, meaning different things to different people. White is kind of unambiguous.

 

[Thief]

Please don't muddy the waters.

Clarity? for a topic so cut to so many perspectives?

And how then to avoid the mud?
Are we not made of such a thing?

 

[NIX]

It seems that 'spiritual' is yet another of those words whose 'actual meaning' is impossible to pin down - with the possibility of great variation.

Though I'm not greatly inclined to use the word at all, I suppose I would say that a 'spiritual' person is a person who has a deep appreciation for the (at least metaphorical) 'spirits' of the things (and people) that surround them. The spirit-- or essence-- of water, air, earth, joy, justice, curiosity, giving, the spirit of 'chair' (sitting, resting), the spirit of 'bed' (sleeping, intimacy), the spirit of 'paper', 'pen', works of art...... whatever. The world around them.

Some people add mythology and ritual to their recognition of the many 'spirits' that (metaphorically) speak to them. Others do not. This is more a personality thing than anything else I think.