Religion vs. Spirituality

Oubliette

Religion is for people who are scared to go to hell. Spirituality is for people who have already been there. - Bonnie Raitt

Oubliette

Here are a few other salient thoughts on the subject by some people unafraid to think for themselves:

“Science is not only compatible with spirituality; it is a profound source of spirituality.” ― Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark

“The possession of knowledge does not kill the sense of wonder and mystery. There is always more mystery.” ― Anaïs Nin

“How hurtful it can be to deny one's true self and live a life of lies just to appease others.” ― June Ahern

“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.” ― Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

“We are all connected; To each other, biologically. To the earth, chemically. To the rest of the universe atomically.” ― Neil deGrasse Tyson

“Re-examine all you have been told. Dismiss what insults your soul.” ― Walt Whitman

“I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do because I notice it always coincides with their own desires.” ― Susan B. Anthony

“You become mature when you become the authority of your own life.” ― Joseph Campbell

Q: “Do you have any advice for your readers? A: Lead the life that’s yours instead of faking someone else’s.” ― Sandy Nathan

“Except for the point, the still point, There would be no dance, and there is only the dance” ― T.S. Eliot

“It is taboo in our society to criticize a persons religious faith... these taboos are offensive, deeply unreasonable, but worse than that, they are getting people killed. This is really my concern. My concern is that our religions, the diversity of our religious doctrines, is going to get us killed. I'm worried that our religious discourse- our religious beliefs are ultimately incompatible with civilization.” ― Sam Harris

“I've always been spiritual but I've never had a proper context, and it took me a while to find the proper context. It's hard to realize you can have any kind of relationship with God you want... and so I now have a punk rock relationship with God” ― Billy Corgan

Julia Orwell

Yes. I find religion and spirituality are separate things. For instance, my mum is into science and reads all about evolution and stuff, but there's some indefinable spiritual quality about her, probably in her good works to others, forgiveness and understanding, and the peace she has despite her suffering. It's hard to articulate what is about her that makes her spiritual. She does not have a religion, but she glows with spirit or something indefinable that makes her a light to many lives.

Satanus

I find that spirituality brings me closer to nature. I find myself seeing many of the animals as brothers: the hawk skillfully riding the wind as it looks for its food. I also work skilfully, to get my food, for example. The grass, each blade strives for its share of sunlight and moisture, as i strive for my needs. Another example. We are part of nature, products of nature. Our cycles; nature and ours, are similar, n many ways.

Religion tends to divorce people from nature. It tells them that they are better than it, special, above nature. In religion, nature is to be dominated, rather than danced w, so to speak.

S

cofty

It's a shame the word spirituality has been hijacked by the woo-woo community.

I am deeply spiritual but would never use the word for that reason.

caliber

The term spirituality lacks a definitive definition although social scientists have defined spirituality as the search for "the sacred," where "the sacred" is broadly defined as that which is set apart from the ordinary and worthy of veneration

The use of the term "spirituality" has changed throughout the ages.[4] In modern times spirituality is often separated from Abrahamic religions,[5] and connotes a blend of humanistic psychology with mystical and esoteric traditions and eastern religions aimed at personal well-being and personal development.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirituality

Does it not come down to what is worship ..to what we hold as sacred, set part for special honor ?

How do we chose to honor and who or what is it ? Honor nature ? honor God ? or honor self ?

What is the meaning and purpose of all we see above and beyond us ?

Worship I believe , is a natual response to what we hold in awe ...a deep gratitude ....which seeks to express itself...

for knowledge we have come to know... for things that move the soul ... to celebrate great wonderment.

Phizzy

I think each person's vision of what spirituality is varies from that of others to some degree. It is a bit like ones choice in music or Art.

A very personal preference.

For me, anything which is not purely a physical function has something of the spiritual about it. Having said that, what is purely a physical thing for some, with no transcendent element, can be partly or mainly spiritual to me.

Be it food, drink, sex etc, all have to have a spiritual dimension to them to me to give me real joy. Of course the things that are generally considered to be "spiritual", a beautiful Sunset, piece of Music, countryside or other beautiful place on Earth, along with Art , Music etc all of these are spiritual to me.

Religion does not really enter in to any of these apart from inspiring some wonderful Music.

For some time before leaving the WT I described it as a "spiritual desert", which is true, nothing spiritual is there, it may be ihn other religions, but is not necessary for me to be very spiritual, by my lights.

Fernando

Great quotes, thank you Oubliette.

"The idea of being spiritual — not religious — is increasingly popular among the scientific community as well as in American culture at large... Historically, there are no boundary disputes between spirituality and science, unlike religion and science" - Prof David Yamane.

Satanus

Spiritual, to me, has nothing to do w worship or purpose. It springs a deeper level than pure thought. Pure thought is from the part of the mind that fabricates. It can be good or bad. Good, as in scientific exploration based on observation and experiment. Bad, as in theology.

A deeper level is to alter the brain state in order to stop thought and merely become 0bservant, without judging. It's being more aware of what your mind is doing and your surroundings. It has served me well while driving in that i may have avoided accidents. As well, walking among crowds, it has helped me avoid problems. My mind could have distracted me from what was going on, if my mind had been engaged in thought. Instead, it was in nuetral, on stand by.

The spiritual, or being more aware, as i like to call it has practical applications as well as esoteric ones.

S

Religion vs. Spirituality

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