Religious or Spiritual?

[GypsyButterfly]

Originally Posted by undomiel_perian

I have often heard people say that they're not really religious and that they're more spiritual. I never knew what that meant until recently. I’ve always believed in God or at least there’s something out there bigger than us. I grew up Catholic but felt like I never belonged. I don’t agree with all of the Catholic Church’s teachings. When growing up, I never really went to church. I thought to myself, “Shouldn’t I be going to church more? Am I bad person because of this?” My mother was spiritual/religious teacher and she taught me well even though she didn’t have a formal education. She taught me you don’t have to go to church to pray to God or speak with him. My mother taught everything I needed to know about God. Just because I don’t go to church doesn’t make me a bad person. I believe that I’m a very good and giving person. For me, I think that I have a great personal relationship with God. That’s why I say I’m more of a spiritual person rather than religious because I don’t exactly a particular church’s traditions. Now I want to say, this is just my personal view and this is what works for me. This may not work for other people and that’s okay! If you feel more comfortable going to church by all means go! I just suppose that you’re more of a religious person if you go to a specific church and strictly follow their teachings. I believe whatever brings closer to God then you should go do it.

I see it more that way. Though, I subscribe to a particular faith, I consider myself more spiritual, rather than, religious. I do believe in God, pray, read the Bible & other literature from the church. I don't attend church as much. More so due to changing life events. Things are settling, so, we may go a little more again. If you follow the Golden Rule, treating people with kindness, acceptance & respect, that goes a long way. If a person holds to that, it doesn't really matter to me what beliefs they have.

[Seawolf]

It's interesting that in Eastern cultures there is a respect for religion, and the spiritual is not thought of as something separate as we do.

In the West we think of spirituality and religion as separate in order to try to be more spiritual, but try as we might, we're not that spiritual compared to Eastern cultures. Of course, they have much richer religious history going back much farther.

Perhaps more respect for religion and giving up the idea that 'spiritual and religious' are separate things might help us on our way. The idea that we're having a spiritual awakening by trying to be separate is nice, but there isn't any evidence of awakening, we're just the same as we've always been. Now that we're being told to be against religion and are following that idea, we're becoming even less spiritual.

[norseman]

Religion is organised Spirituality. Spirituality forced into a straight-jacket of rules and do/do not. Spirituality is individual, religion is under the control of a formal priesthood. Religions cause conflicts, spirituality does not !

[Lilyth Von Gore]

Originally Posted by norseman

Religion is organised Spirituality. Spirituality forced into a straight-jacket of rules and do/do not. Spirituality is individual, religion is under the control of a formal priesthood. Religions cause conflicts, spirituality does not !

Says the guy who calls himself a norseman and has a picture of a viking.
The Vikings had a religion. They were not bad people.

Hello, Lilyth. Hope you're well.

This subject is unlikely to be resolved. People following a religion will exhibit spirituality but it's possible for an individual to carve her/his own path, to be a one-person religion if you like. What's important to me is being true to one's principles in the Great Work.

[norseman]

Originally Posted by Lilyth Von Gore

Says the guy who calls himself a norseman and has a picture of a viking.
The Vikings had a religion. They were not bad people.

Given that I live in an area that was extensively raided and looted, well, you can guess the rest

[Seawolf]

Originally Posted by Lorelyen

People following a religion will exhibit spirituality

How generous of you lol.

People that see themselves as different from the religious here in the West are actually following a religion themselves. It's called New Age. The spiritual only aren't as different as they think they are. It's just way to feel more spiritual than others by rejecting religion, but actually it makes people less spiritual. People need each other, we're social beings.

Also, having to deal with all the problems that go with groups of people is not something to run away from, it actually makes you stronger. Separating ourselves from others because we don't like them isn't really spiritual, there's alot of resentment in it.

Originally Posted by Seawolf

How generous of you lol.

People that see themselves as different from the religious here in the West are actually following a religion themselves. It's called New Age. The spiritual only aren't as different as they think they are. It's just way to feel more spiritual than others by rejecting religion, but actually it makes people less spiritual. People need each other, we're social human being. Also, having to deal with all the problems that go with groups of people is not something to run away from, it actually makes you stronger.

i do not call myself religious. that is because i do not go to church, believe in the god of the bible or believe i have to be saved by jesus.

i also am not 'new age'.

i follow the cherokee tradition. it is spiritual, not religious.

i respond because you seem to imply if you aren't religious, then you've got to be new age.

i do not feel 'more spiritual' by rejecting other religions. i simply don't agree with them.

generalizing is not a good thing.

[Seawolf]

Originally Posted by elisi

i do not call myself religious. that is because i do not go to church, believe in the god of the bible or believe i have to be saved by jesus.

i also am not 'new age'.

i follow the cherokee tradition. it is spiritual, not religious.

i respond because you seem to imply if you aren't religious, then you've got to be new age.

i do not feel 'more spiritual' by rejecting other religions. i simply don't agree with them.

generalizing is not a good thing.

Native American religion was a wonderful thing, it was also very organized and social. Just because it's different than today's religion doesn't mean it's not religion. People have been having spiritual beliefs since early human times, it's called having religion. It's just popular to reject the word religion these days in the West because of resentment for Christianity, but resentment as a basis doesn't really make us any more spiritual, actually less.

And very very few New Agers will call themselves New Age. It's just kind of a trait of New Age.

It's also interesting to note that the religious (Christians), also say the exact same thing, that they are 'spiritual, not religious'. Isn't it funny that the enemy is very much like us?

[Baile]

Originally Posted by Seawolf

Isn't it funny that the enemy is very much like us?

Nobody calls religious people the enemy, you need to lay off the rhetoric in that regard otherwise it weakens the rest of your argument.

Here's something I can't wrap my head around: I'm supposed to feel bad for religious people, yet, I go the the Christianity forum and I see:

1: Fundamentalists who are incapable of communicating without insulting and ridiculing anyone who isn't hardcore religious. Oh and damning them, let's not forget that.

2. Religious posters who seem incapable of having an actual dialogue with anyone, they're too busy posting Bible quotes and calling that conversation.

At some point, it is okay to acknowledge that religion appears to turn people into mindless, anti-social robots. (Same can be said for new agers and new age theories as well I admit)