by asilentone 54 Replies latest jw friends
Also, "spiritual" does not refer to the super natural.
Agreed. The spirit and soul are the non visible and non physical core of a person.
If it is non-physical, then is it non-natural? If it is non-natural, then how can it exist if there is no super or sub natural? An alter natural? An Other?
BTS
To be religious means to follow instructions religiously as in JWs are very religious because the follow their religious instructions. They are spiritual too as in they believe in the invisible demons and God and they reach out for privileges like bethel, and pioneering because they are so spiritually minded.
Me I consider myself neither religious nor spiritual,, I'm fleshly. wanna feel.
A spiritual person is open and responsive to their inner knowing that the universe is intertwined and connected on a conscious level. A spiritual person seeks to comprehend and understand this interconnectedness and does not necessarily need nor desire a religious group in order to commune or interplay with this subtle spiritual energy. A religious person, on the other hand, seeks to understand this connectedness through the writings and dogma of others' experiences and their writings. To each his own. It's all in the playing.
Being religious is following set pattern where as being spiritual is seeking a connection with something greater than any human rituals. Being spiritual is more of an attempt to connect with the universe or the power behind it. A person can be both spiritual and religious or one or the other. Athanasius made good point when he said that JWs are religious but not spiritual. I think the spiritual ones usually find their way out. Religious ritual can be part of someone who is spiritual's life but knocking on peoples doors trying to place magazines and filling out time cards barely even qualifies as religious ritual and it isn't the type that will increase a person's spirituality.
I once heard a simple explanation of the difference. It makes sense to me: Religion divides, spirituality unites.
Stephen Covey talks about the 4 human needs -- Physical (To Live), Social/Emotional (To Love), Mental (To Learn), and Spiritual (To Leave A Legacy) in his book "First Things First". Here is an excerpt on what he says about Spiritual Needs:
"....the wisdom of literature of thousands of years of history repeatedly validates the reality that the greatest fulfillment in improving ourselves comes in our empowerment to more effectively reach out and help others. Quality of life is inside-out. Meaning is in contribution, in living for something higher than self. And the results of the illusion and the reality are as different as the Dead Sea -- a stagnant end in itself where there's no outlet and no life -- and the Sea of Galilee, where the waters flow on and nurture abundant life along the way."
"To Leave a Legacy is also by definition, interdependent. It's contributing to society, contributing in meaningful ways to the lives of others. The world we live in is the legacy of those who have gone before us. The choices we make in it create a legacy for those who will follow."
I have yet to see the WTS's teachings "nurture abundant life". I have experienced the legacy from the WTS. They have not embraced "True North Principles". When you ignore these, your legacy is one of destruction. My family is just one example of how the WTS does not work.
Being religious means believing and following dogma/doctrine. This mostly revolves around meeting with others to listen to someone tell you what that belief/dogma is.
Being spiritual is a being, an essence of who you are, you being a part of a whole. You don't need another person to feel the spirit, you don't need a book, you don't need someone to explain doctrine or have rules. You simply are the spirit and live your life accordingly.
And, by the way, this is not restricted to christians, in fact, I think the most spiritual people I know are not christian.
Ada
Spiritual = awareness of something beyond the material. Ideas of this "something" are often discovered through personal experience and internal questioning.
Religious = following dogmatic rules and regulations. These rules are often accepted by rote from a visible organization.
Wow good thread. Stephen I think you're on to something.
"not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith."
OnTheWayOut
I vote that sex is spiritual. (NO JOKE.)
What happens to those who for what ever reason can't have sex? Also, look at all those who have been hurt by sex (or it's abuse).
It means focusing on things that are not "material." So many people are focusing on love and peace and doing good toward others and aiding the sick and poor.
Some may say sex IS focusing on ones "self".
Religion = Organization - "Get out of her my people......." Rev 18:4
Should A Pastor Rule Over You?
"Authoritarianism in the church is one of the most serious problems that Christian churches face today. Authoritarian regimes and political machines within Christian churches are not only totally unbiblical, but they empower men to take a church anywhere they wish, bypassing the normal checks and balances found in the Bible. A church that has given control to a single man (often called a Senior Pastor) or to a small group of men (often called a board of elders) is helplessly tossed about in very dangerous waves..."
Read More...http://www.truthguard.com/
