Any spiritual people who have turned to religion ?

[Gem]

Originally Posted by DoctorStrange

It doesn't matter if it is. I want to know why people who went from spirituality where you don't need salvation, to suddenly needing salvation through a person called Jesus ?

I need someone else to answer.

I don't know anyone like that, but I know spiritually insightful people who like Christian cultural/social life and the symbols and teachings of the religion. To be reasonable, no one actually needs salvation through Jesus Christ, and that's merely a belief, but the religious imagery can represent divinity and/or unconditional love, even though such icons are not divine or loving in and of themselves.

[Shekinah]

I do not consider religion a valid path to Spirituality. It's history is very troubled and violent. It has and continues to be a tool to subjugate the masses with myths perpetrated to instill fear and intimidation. Governments love it as it makes the people predictable, malleable and not much interested in seeking truth that might challenge their long held beliefs. I can imagine no God or Divine Being inflicting such consequences upon we ignorant humans for mistakes we all make in order to learn and evolve. We have been thrust into this deadly serious game of life without a full deck of cards. The human quest for Spirituality was alive and well long before the invention of religion. Early Pagans found the presence of Spirit everywhere throughout the Natural world and walked with reverence seeking affinity and communion with the Great Mysteries. They recognized that we are ONE with the trees and the stars. Christianity has a particular serious problem affirming that only those who accept their lord and master Jesus will qualify for an exulted afterlife.

[DavidMcCann]

Originally Posted by DoctorStrange

I'd like to know if any people here or that you know of, who were into spirituality, turned to religion ? The opposite happens all the time, but i'd like to know the reasons for turning to a religion and leaving spirituality.

I'm continually seeing this contrast of religion and spirituality on the internet, a contrast I've never encountered in speech or books. This is obviously one of those occasions where American English has gone its own way: in English English, spirituality just means regard for spiritual matters, which would seem a pretty vital component in any religion! Can some kind person give me an explanation, with definitions?

[SoulsInMotion]

Originally Posted by DavidMcCann

I'm continually seeing this contrast of religion and spirituality on the internet, a contrast I've never encountered in speech or books. This is obviously one of those occasions where American English has gone its own way: in English English, spirituality just means regard for spiritual matters, which would seem a pretty vital component in any religion! Can some kind person give me an explanation, with definitions?

I understand. Though there is certainly a divide when it comes to how different people view religion. Some only take away the judgment and hellfire and rules aspect, and of course all the OT stuff where God kills the sinners, while others focus on the NT message, miracles and grace and gifts of the spirit. The internet tends to be full of vocal people from minorities who felt only the former aspects - precisely because the internet is a place where people come to vent when they feel they're not listened to anywhere else.

[r6r6]

All are on a spiritual path, to whatever degree. Even those involved more with a religous group. None can escape their spiritual path even if that path leads to taking their-self out, it is still a spiritual path to quiet the spirit and find the peace they are looking for.

When the take out innoccent bystanders then their path is less spiritual.

And then there is just the brain wiring that is not functioning properly and some of those may not have a good grounding tool--- proper drugs, therapy, moral teachings, etc.... ---that help them to find a more spiritual path.

Here again religion may or may not be the correct tool. It may come too how and what they were learned.

An eye for and eye leaves the whole world blind.

r6

Originally Posted by r6r6r

... religon offers more community connections and outreach ergo a feeling of doing more to make a differrence.
Again, to be clear, their spiritual path takes them to a specific relgion or group of religons, so they have not left the spiritual path neccessarily only a less personal and more inclusive of group of beliefs that are supposed to be common to the larger religous group of people.

r6