Question by Pragun: How do you make any distinction between spirituality and religion?
We often use these words as if they were one and the same, or because we have seen them being used together. Has someone ever tried to comprehend what these two words “religion” and “spirituality” stand for in the exact sense. Is being religious means being spiritual or vice versa? I will love to hear your thoughts on this.
Best answer:
Answer by Free at last
They are often mutually exclusive. To me, religion is a collection of doctrines and dogma for the spiritually and intellectually lazy. Spirituality is finding the questions and the answers for yourself, from your inner-self.
Add your own answer in the comments!
Religious implies spirituality. Spirituality doesn’t necessarily imply religious. Religion is a set of rules, traditions, and structure. Spirituality is more general and freeform.
I find it bizzare when people DO use these words interchangably, because for me they are entirely different things.
to simpify it and go down to the basics..
Religion is a social construct.
Spirituality is the relationship, construct, and interaction between you, and the divine.
Simple. Spirituality is communication with God. Religion is basically an institution. You can be spiritually enlightened and also not belong to an institution. The terms are used interchangeably, however, so it is not improper to use them as synonyms.
Many people are strongly spiritual, although their spirituality may not mean they are religious. I believe being religious means being affiliated with a particular and named religion. I believe being spiritual can mean feeling thankfulness and acknowledging it in what ever manner they feel is right.
It is a very good and just question.
Imagine religion as faith below reason, which means that most religious practices, especially the orthodox or fundamental versions, require us to accept something, practices and beliefs, which are not our own, are basically given to us by our parents, priests, teachers, society, etc.
We have to follow these practices, beliefs without any proof, and many times against our own experiences, sensations. And most of these religions promise us a reward for our obedience, and most of these rewards will come after we have left this physical existence.
Now true spirituality is faith above reason. It means that we do not have to ignore, suppress, or deny our actual sensations, experiences, and we are not forced to accept anything. We are given a tested method to explore ourselves, in other words to research ourselves and our relationship to others and to reality. We accept, that there are things that we cannot yet sense, actually feel, as we do not have the necessary receptors for it, but as the method is tried and tested we trust it, and if we follow the path correctly, than within this lifetime, within the same physical body we will be able to reveal the spiritual existence, and the purpose of our being.
And most importantly true spirituality is open to anyone, any sex, any age, any beliefs, or country of origin, in fact all of us are invited.
So here you go, if you would like to learn about it in more depth, please follow the link:
http://www.kabbalah.info/course/main/?utm_source=Yahoo!%2BAnswers&utm_medium=forum&utm_content=text-link&utm_campaign=semester-winter-2008
I hope you find this helpful.
I know many religious people, the most part, going to church, observing rules and dogmas of their religion, but very few of them are living really in spirituality! This is a way of feeling life in order to achieve a direct experience in supernatural , both in intellectual or ecstatic way.
Spirituality is to be open to truth.
Religion is to conform to the ideas and concepts of that docterine.
I believe no religion is truly wrong and no religion is truly right.
Whatever works for the individual, you may be enslaved by the religion or create your own spirituality.
To me religion is structured and rigid in its beliefs. Spirituality is a way of being in the world. A way of looking at your life and others. Spirituality is living life through kindness and love for everyone and everything around you. Respecting others and nature.
That’s how I see it.