What does it mean to be spiritual but not religious?

by asilentone 54 Replies latest jw friends

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  MsDucky

  Not having to turn in a time slip to show that you love others or god.
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  Soledad

  IMO to be aware, in the way you are aware when driving a car of what is going on around you even if you are engaged in a conversation with a passenger in the car. Aware like turning on a flood lamp instead of a spotlight. When you are aware of yourself, you naturally transform. God, Christ, Buddha, Krishna, whomever, would rather that you be transformed by their teachings, not just be keen to worship.
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  journey-on

  I found this in some of my old stuff and don't remember where it came from, me or someone else. But, I like the description.

  Sprituality is more about your whole soul's journey and the process itself and yourself being open and aware of the energy and dynamics involved in this process. It's about reverence for Life and aligning oneself with it.

  It's about searching and living your life with conscious intention.

  Religion is a vehicle that tries to follow after this spiritual energy, but sometimes fails. Religion attempts to explain the journey and put it into a readable form.

  In other words: Spirituality is the experience....the trip itself. Religion is like reading the travel guide

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  Deputy Dog

  OnTheWayOut

  We don't all have to have spiritual experiences from the same activities at all. But overall, sex between two people (I suppose more than two also) who are really into it for each other's sake, can be spiritual.

  So "spiritual" to you, is about felling good?

  (Not Judging, just trying to understand.)
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  AdaMakawee

  Frankiespeakin - as to your comment that spirituality is like mental masturbation. I think we have established that there is nothing wrong with masturbation. So what would be wrong with mental masturbation? Just saying... At any rate, the human mind is a powerful thing and the placebo effect is also very powerful. If you believe something will work, it often will. There are many studies that find that to be the case. No one quite understands this, but it's undeniable. Though that is most often geared toward health, it is still very apt for happiness and contentment as well.

  Deputy Dog - you are struggling with how sex can be a spiritual experience. For those hung up on the bible and the whole mindset that sex is sin, I can see how you would struggle to understand it. But others not only do not believe that sex is a sin, but actually believe it is a gift from the divine and that the sexual energy from two people united in an act of love is definately very spiritual. Nothing voyeuristic about it. Doesn't mean that everything that feels good is spiritual, but this particular act CAN be. (I think most often when this is experienced, the two people in question have very similar beliefs and are both very spiritual people, and their connection runs very deep, often called "soul-mates".) Also doesn't mean that if you can't have sex you can't be spiritual either.

  Stephen - spirituality has absolutely NOTHING to do with whether someone believes the bible or not.

  Ada
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  AdaMakawee

  Journey-on - I love that definition. I'm saving it for reference.

  Ada
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  shopaholic

  Spirituality is the experience....the trip itself. Religion is like reading the travel guide

  Very well summarized!!! Adding it to my list of quotables.
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  OnTheWayOut

  OnTheWayOut

  We don't all have to have spiritual experiences from the same activities at all. But overall, sex between two people (I suppose more than two also) who are really into it for each other's sake, can be spiritual.

  So "spiritual" to you, is about felling good?

  (Not Judging, just trying to understand.)

  No, not at all. I truly believe that "spiritual" has to do with things "not material" and primarily focused on the good of people, harmony, peace on earth, things like that.
  
  I am just demonstrating that forcing "spiritual" to mean something religious is so opposed to it's real meaning. I do this by showing an extreme example of true spirituality in the other direction- focusing on making another human being feel good and getting the same in return through the ultimate sharing experience.

  "Feeling good" is a biproduct of virtually any spiritual experience. Doesn't the mountain climber feel good at the top? Doesn't the typical person give to charity to feel good about themself? Doesn't even the religiously-inclined person want to feel good about his relationship with God?
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  african GB Member

  "sex between two people (I suppose more than two also)"

  now that's spiritual...LOL

  AGBM
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  BabaYaga

  "Spiritual people live the way religious people say people should live and they feel no need to talk about it."
  
  ~Farkel