spirituality and religion - what are the differences?

by soft+gentle 68 Replies latest watchtower bible

  • soft+gentle
    soft+gentle

    jeffro

    ( my apologies for not replying sooner - I was trying to put my thoughts into words but failing becasue of irrationality)

    what you are suggesting is true retroactively, imo, and applies to what has been rendered rational. During the intial discovery stages there is much irrationality and this irrationality can last for decades while hypothesis are subjected to inquiry. Druing this working/discovery phase even the language used to nominate what is going to be a new breakthrough in the future is often irrational. think of Galileo and the new (at the time irrational) terms he invented to give shape to his intuitions of truth.

  • NewChapter
    NewChapter

    From what I've seen of 'spirituality' on this board, it seems to be whatever the person feels is right. While a person may claim to be spiritual, and not religious, if religion is a form of belief, then much spirituality seems to be religion with a member of one. Whatever the worshipper feels like. I have seen spiritual people claim the bible is uneeded, others claim it is needed, some that take the flood literally, some that don't, some that accept evolution, some that believe creation, some that emphasize the law much more, some that only accept teachings that coincide with what they think should be, some claim to hear voices and see visions, some claim that bible books can only be fully understood when used in conjunction with physics and eastern writings--it's all quite dodgy in the end. Everything goes---it's all true---but each person has their own special truth.

    So I'd say spirituality is all emotion, and constitutes a religion with one member, or a few who like what a person says, and picks up on it.

    Religion is more established and organized with more members----and is much less mercurial than spirituality.

    But then, I don't really know what spirituality is. It seems that people that claim to be spiritual also have their own special definition for what that means, just as they do for how they view god. So I am only basing my observation on those that claim to be spiritual and not religious. I'm pretty sure a 'religious' person (someone following an established religion) would define spirituality differently. Perhaps an internalization of the thing they learn from their church, and something that goes beyond simply doing external things.

  • apostatethunder
    apostatethunder

    Spirituality is personal, but religion is social and public by definition, and it should be respected. It doesn’t belong to anyone to dictate if and how you worship your God.

  • THE GLADIATOR
    THE GLADIATOR

    Perhaps spirituality simply seeks.

    Religion declares that it has found and must proclaim.

  • Fernando
    Fernando

    I like the way you describe the freedom and variety aspects of spirituality NewChapter.

  • rip van winkle
    rip van winkle

    Religion is not spirituality- religion is about conformity, structure, a set of beliefs, rules to follow.It is non-compromising. It does not adjust.

    Spirituality is without confinement of thought or reason. It is searching. It is wonderment. It is a feeling or connection that is greater than a belief in something or someone.

  • soft+gentle
    soft+gentle

    oops rip van winkle, your post has become mangled with an ad to meet christian singles!

    edit: okay I can see it now. I like those definitions of spirituality -

  • rip van winkle
    rip van winkle

    S&G- Thanks!!! I have my moments of clarity-every so often!!!!!!LOL!!!!!!!

  • maccauk11
    maccauk11

    being SPiritual means the person lives and worships in the SPirit it cannot be seen or touched .It is not a set of rules or ordinances. It has no symbolism or visual represntation. Religion is counterfeit to the Spirit. Religion fllows aset of rules and observances. It is works based . God does not dwell in religion but in the SPirit. Jesus set us free from religion. We now worship in Spirit and truth . Jesus is the truth nothing else

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