Spirituality without Religion

[Ouroboros]

Religion is in relation to dogma, traditions, and pre-set paths how someone is supposed to believe and experience something.

Spirituality is about the person's own experience. You can have a spiritual experience within the framework of a religion, but it's not necessarily so. People can belong to a religion and practice it but never be spiritual or have a spiritual experience.

Spirituality also has to do with the person's psychological and emotional growth.

For instance, I can feel a moment of spiritual enlightenment or exaltation from listening to certain kinds of music. It's a moment of realization, an awakening to something particular in life.

Spirituality is very personal in the end and there's no clear or precise definition because of it.

 

[Ouroboros]

Spirituality is figuring out how you fit in with the universe. Religions are ways to channel it, but sometimes I think they actually do more damage than help, as they have too much dogma, shame and guilt involved in them to be pure and beautiful.

Yes. I agree.

Religion can hold a person back instead of helping them forward in their journey. That's why I think it's important to step back from one's faith once in a while and let it all fall to pieces and start building anew (wasn't that what Descartes did?), and the person can find new facets of their faith.

 

[Skeptisch]

Sam Harris is a very thoughtful defender of human rights . He also has the courage to tackle subjects that seem to be taboo to too many of us. In return he often gets some of this:

http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/on-the-mechanics-of-defamation

 

[Chetan_C]

I agree with Thirza Fallen,
Spirituality means something different to everyone. It is all about doing the right thing and having compassion for your others throughout your lifetime.
And, religions are the ways to channel, as Thirza said.