Question by Phoenix Quill: What is the difference between Religion & Spirituality?
I think Spirituality is believing the Universe is alive.
& Religion is believing it expects something of you.
What do you think?
Best answer:
Answer by simon_wat
Religion is a belief system. But Spirituality is the application of religion in life
What do you think? Answer below!
spelling
Religion is the “peel”, and Spirituality is the “fruit”…..
I think spiritually is where we all should be, in awe of the universe and of God. Religions only serve to split people and cause wars and hatred. Spiritually unites.
Spirituality is what one feels; religion is what one practices.
they are alike
religion is the particular teachings that, as school books, make you become a better scholar and your spirituality develops
also there are not only books but practices (from religion also) and the practice of day to day life where you really prove and see for yourself who you really are and what you can become
peace!
Spirituality is a feeling of oneness with your environment and the feeling it causes you to have.
Religion is the heroin of the masses… just as addictive and those that “use” cant see the damage they do.. just say NO..
Religion is an organization, if you are a member of a religion you are a member of an organization.
Spirituality is the understanding that all beings and matter are a fragment of the universal consciousness, this not a separate invisible sky fairy, but an all pervading energy source. And as such we are all divine beings whose value is beyond measure.
Where is the spirituality in religions. There is none. If only the religions would follow even the first commandment, do not kill. Religions fail to meet the basic standard of success let alone promote enlightenment.
Practicing Shaman… quantum physics rocks.
Religion is composed of beliefs and stuff to follow because of a deity to worship. Usually, it’s composed of rites,rituals,ceremonies, or other things like that that show your devotion or piety.
Spirituality has to do with a person’s individual life in connection with the deity, and usually people say that it’s what they perceive of a very religious person.
Yes — Religion has become too dogmatic causing reality to be not understood. Spirituality can become very personal and very meaningful.
Religion is how people try to help others find a spiritual link to Our Creator.
Spirituality is the link between the individual and Our Lord.
One (religion or spirituality) need not be associated with the other.
When discussing such things it is always important to remember to:
Never confuse the practices of the people with the church,
Never confuse the practices of the church with religion,
And Never Ever confuse the practices of religion with God.
May Our Creator watch over you and your family
Religion is organized beliefs with a structure and a leader. Usually it has written text to follow but not always. It includes rituals and traditions. Spirituality is how you are connected in your beliefs. How you live your life!
Both involve a certain amount of assumption regarding the nature of the universe – religion just tends to be more arrogant about it.
Phoenix Quill…..”Religion” is a processional, a particular method of worship according to one’s beliefs. Having said that, be it known that “Religion” will not save your Soul. Jesus Christ did NOT say you must “Practice a Religion” in order to be saved and go to Heaven!! As a matter of fact…..the Sadducees and Pharisees….were very very “Religious” leaders…..and Jesus Christ called them “Vipers”.
Why is that??? These “Leaders” had the finest clothes, the best seats in the Synogues, they had the ear of Political leaders and they lived sumptous lives!! The Poor stayed poor, the sick stayed sick, the majority of people had little to eat, while these “Leaders” had their man bang a gong, as they put jewels and bars of gold and silver, in the offering plate. How sad. So….”Religion” is not the answer!!
“Spirituality”…..well here again, there is good and bad too.
Here again the Jewish “Religious” leaders made long prayers where ever they went, they were so “Pious”….better yet…Puffed Up!! It was all about themselves and how other people thought about them, but they weren’t “Saved” either. “Spirituality” is supposed to be about the “Nature of ones Spirit in relation to the Lord”. That is one thing too many people do NOT understand.
Your Body and Soul were created by God. And it is to God that you should be thankful……NOT the Universe.
YOU and everyone else that has ever lived, are here to answer ONE question; “Will you Beleive in Jesus Christ and be Saved or NOT”???
Choose carefully My Friend…the rest of Eternity…for YOU…depends on the Answer to that question. But either way, in 100 years from now, you and I and everyone else will KNOW the correct answer to that Question. My only concern then….according to what you want to beleive, will YOU be Right or Wrong??
That is not a bad interpretation at all. I like it.
I think by it being alive one an intelligent human being can derive meaning from all of it. So that we can derive beauty or inspiration from all things both both nonhuman beings and nonliving things. Even when man thinks only he can do those things with his mind and say those thoughts cannot exist. It is an untruth. It is not recognizing the order and words of wisdom that is there if men but open up their spiritual eyes to see it.
Scientifically there is no problem at all seeing the world spiritually. For example men have derived meaning and clarity of understanding of the universe. By observing nature and seeing laws that profoundly impact and govern the existence and sustain it. The laws of gravity, thermodynamics, magnetism, etc. These laws scientific minds men do not make fun of. They have found meaning and clarity and gained knowledge because they recognized it.
What some fail to understand is that other spiritual qualities exist there as well. The habits of other creatures enables man to better understand himself. The bird taught man how to fly. And Man went beyond them and coupled with his understanding the laws of the universe went on to explore space. The fish and whale taught man how to swim, ride a boat, and coupled with the laws of nature build a submarine.
As for religion it’s true. When man disobeys a law of nature he will pay the price. In nature in living things man can see creatures teaching their young right and wrong. That they have a big responsibility to take care of themself. Not for selfishness but most importantly for survival. If man does not hear the rattling of a rattlesnake he will get bit. A right and wrong does exist in the universe. And religion reaffirms only what is self evident in nature. Man has an obligation for doing what is right and wrong in nature because nature requires the same thing of itself for living and nonliving things.
But if this is the case and there is intelligence and wisdom hire than man that all nature and other living creatures live by then I believe man does too.
Again I like what you said. Thanks a lot.
Later.
I think your reasoning is well.
Hi PQ
nice question…
I think Religion is the shape (whatever..!)
Spirituality is the content (also whatever..!)
love and happiness
Pluto
I agree with you.
Spirituality for me is felt in unison by humanity while religion is spoken by different human races only to feel the spirit.
Thanks for asking. Have a great day!
Good question!
Pretty interesting way to put it.
I think spirituality is believing that the physical or natural world
is not all there is – that it was derived from a supernatural
world and we not only have a physical body, but we are each
are also spiritual beings with awareness, that our life can not
be described or explained by physical properties solely.
A rock has no spirit but we do, in other words. That the decisions
we make not only affect the physical but also the spiritual world
while a rock makes no decisions at all.
Religion has to do with guidelines to the decisions,
practices, and beliefs.
Religion ~From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion
A religion is an organized approach to human spirituality which usually encompasses a set of narratives, symbols, beliefs and practices, often with a supernatural or transcendent quality, that give meaning to the practitioner’s experiences of life through reference to a higher power or truth.[1] It may be expressed through prayer, ritual, meditation, music and art, among other things. It may focus on specific supernatural, metaphysical, and moral claims about reality (the cosmos, and human nature) which may yield a set of religious laws, ethics, and a particular lifestyle. Religion also encompasses ancestral or cultural traditions, writings, history, and mythology, as well as personal faith and religious experience.
The term “religion” refers to both the personal practices related to communal faith and to group rituals and communication stemming from shared conviction. “Religion” is sometimes used interchangeably with “faith” or “belief system,”[2] but it is more socially defined than personal convictions, and it entails specific behaviors, respectively.
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Spirituality ~From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirituality
Spirituality, in a narrow sense, concerns itself with matters of the spirit, a concept closely tied to religious belief and faith, a transcendent reality, or one or more deities. Spiritual matters are thus those matters regarding humankind’s ultimate nature and meaning, not only as material biological organisms, but as beings with a unique relationship to that which is perceived to be beyond the bodily senses, time and the material world. Spirituality in this sense implies the mind-body dichotomy, which indicates a separation between the body and soul. But spirituality may also be about the development of the individual’s inner life through specific practices.
The spiritual is traditionally contrasted with the material, the temporal and the earthly. A perceived sense of connection forms a central defining characteristic of spirituality — connection to a metaphysical reality greater than oneself, which may include an emotional experience of religious awe and reverence, or such states as satori or nirvana. Equally importantly, spirituality relates to matters of sanity and of psychological health. Spirituality is the personal, subjective dimension of religion, particularly that which pertains to liberation or salvation (see also mysticism and esoterism) .
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The spiritual and the religious
While the words religion and spirituality are often incorrectly used interchangeably, an important distinction exists between spirituality in religion and spirituality as opposed to religion. In recent[update] years, spirituality as opposed to religion often carries connotations of a believer having a faith more personal, less dogmatic, more open to new ideas and myriad influences, and more pluralistic than the doctrinal/dogmatic faiths of mature religions.[1] There are, however, non-creedal mature religions (e.g., Unitarian Universalism) whose adherents can be spiritual in the sense of having a more personal faith.[2]
It also can connote the nature of believers’ personal relationship or “connection” with their god(s) or belief-system(s), as opposed to the general relationship with a Deity as shared by all members of a given faith.
Those who speak of spirituality as opposed to religion generally believe in the existence of many “spiritual paths” and deny any objective truth about the best path to follow. Rather, adherents of this definition of the term emphasize the importance of finding one’s own path to whatever-god-there-is, rather than following what others say works. In summary: the path which makes the most coherent sense becomes the correct one (for oneself). But just as aspects of spirituality can be found in many religions and traditions, spirituality based on spiritual practice rather than belief, with the aim simply of developing inner peace, is another option. This secular spirituality (QV) is consistent with holding any supernatural belief, or importantly with holding none.
Many adherents of orthodox religions who regard spirituality as an aspect of their religious experience tend to contrast spirituality with secular “worldliness” rather than with the ritual expression of their religion.
People of a more New-Age disposition tend to regard spirituality not as religion per se, but as the active and vital connection to a force/power/energy, spirit, or sense of the deep self. As cultural historian and yogi William Irwin Thompson (1938 – ) put it, “Religion is not identical with spirituality; rather religion is the form spirituality takes in civilization.” (1981, 103)
Spirituality is personal religion, religion is empowerment of clergy and lobbying groups.
Religion and Spirituality are not the same and Spirituality is not dependent on religion. I personally see religion as just a tool for those that wish to use it when advancing on their spiritual path. It is not something that is needed but helps many. For some religion makes their spiritual experience complete and fulfilling and for others like myself it is of no use or value. It’s a completely personal choice!
http://www.spiritualvagabond.org
That’s an interestingly simple take on it. I think I’ll agree with you.
I think you’ve already gotten the best points above to add up into your very cleverly intelligent mind.
Religion is keeping it organized as it regulates a form of group in spirituality, So as ‘YES’ it requires one to follow through within its set beliefs and principles. It may call for a duty to abide the rules of a certain organization or formed group, whereas
Spirituality is much more free and uninhibited in beliefs and interactions with the living universe in one’s consciousness or creations.
However the only thing that relates similarity between religion and spirituality is that both have their own (composed) spiritual values regardless of whatever..(specifically whether good or bad)
xxPQ..
wow. you put things into perfect clarity. i had something to say but it left my mind when i read what you wrote.
I believe that spirituality is a belief in a driving force within all of us, while religion is something we have developed as a method of practicing spirituality in communion with others.