What is the difference between being religious and spiritual?

Question

Some people say they are spiritual, some say they are religious. What is the difference? Are they separate or intertwined?

Answer 1

What a great question, I have often had students ask the same. To understand the differences you must look to history, Religions have always had dogma and beliefs that support themselves as The Way To God or Heaven etc. This form of belief induces radicalisms or extremist willing to do anything in the name of God, church so on and so forth. Indeed we have seen most major religions of the world engaged in act of violence against other humans throughout history for the most part incited and then justified by religious proclamation. Thus the leader of the church becomes the vehicles vast destruction by making such proclamation. Just type in religious war on the www and you will see page after page of sadness and cruelty enacted in the name of God. It also important to understand that many religions use fear as a means to compel their believers to behave in any way their church leaders wish to interpret the doctrines of that church and by the way these interpretations tend to change from leader to leader. What I have come to understand is that we all live on one planet we are all one race (human race) we all have flaws and we all have gifts.
The belief in religion tends to divide us while the belief in something unites us. This is the basis of the individual that proclaims to be spiritual, that the need to have dogma as the basis of belief is an out dated and belief that there is a higher power (if you will) than ourselves is enough to govern our daily affairs. All being must answer to their own conscious and when given a chance the vast majority of us will choose the right thing to do. I do not believe that this is the right way for everyone for it demands that you take individual responsibility for all of your action and quite frankly most people want to be lead by others, it is the easer path. Self empowerment demands a lot of work on your part but the rewards are immeasurable. A good friend of mine once said that there are many rivers that lead to one ocean each of us must choose ours.

All the best;

Answer 2

It all depends on the interpretation of the person because many people use them interchangeably and others use the words completely wrong. Religious is when you are completely into the idea and the customs and goings on that involve the church while being spiritual is completely different it involves being in a relationship with God and having a life that is centered around your beliefs. Even though these two terms are separate the best way is for a person to be both because you are not complete or whole if you only say you are one or the other. To be truthful one with out the other makes no sense especially if that person proclaims to be a believer.

Answer 3

Religious usually means you follow a particular creed or faith and are primarily concerned about its rules. Spiritual usually means you feel you have a relationship to God as you understand Him and try to do the best you can independent of any particular rules. However, some people call themselves spiritual just to avoid rules they do not like (usually concerning sex, drugs, etc.) and many religious people are correct that you need to learn and follow the rules of a particular religion to gain the discipline and insight to become spiritual. It's like saying you're a great fighter or tough, but never taking the time to learn to be a soldier or boxer or karate or even doing weights. A lot of people use spiritual to say they feel like they are religious or good without any idea of what their doing, just as some religious people get so involved in the rules that they forget to keep up a good relationship with God or other people.

Answer 4

Religion is a shared interaction between a person and a group of people, a leader of some type and a higher being. Spirituality is more personal being between the person and his her beliefs without a human intermediary. It is possible to be both, but not all people who are religious and necessarily spiritual and not all people who are spiritual are necessarily religious.

Answer 5

Ok, this is one of the most difficult topics to discuss. I have been asked this question soooo many time that I actually have an answer.

Being Religious: Being religious is simply going to church and being affiliated with a religion.

Being Spirtual: Being spiritual is believing in something bigger than you or your own beliefs.

It is possible to be spiritual and religious and it is possible to be spiritual and not religious.

Answer 6

Being religious doesn't necessarily mean being spiritual. One can be religious (e.g. going to church, praying, etc.) but not really be doing it from the heart. Being spiritual involves living your whole life obeying God and doing his will. It involves searching for the truth, and upon finding it, sharing it with others. It involves sincerely trying to have a close relationship with God, and using His name, Jehovah (Ps. 83:18) in everyday life. It involves having faith that God will fix mankind's problems by means of His heavenly kingdom (Dan. 2:44; Rev. 21:3,4)). It involves reading and trying to understand the Bible. Being spiritual means adhering to commandments set forth within the Bible, especially the two greatest, to love God with your whole heart, soul, and mind, and to love your neighbor as yourself. So many people claim to be religious, but do not practice any of the things mentioned above.

Answer 7

religious means following a religion (regular church attedance, agreeing with the basic ideas and views of the church about God)

Being spiritual means belief in the spiritual realm and respectful of its unfluence, welcoming it into your own life and celebrating it through ritual or meditation (with or without attending religious services or clergy). The spiritual person who has intertwined this is someone who follows their spiritual path and attends an organized church at the same time.

Answer 8

I believe being religious and being spiritual are, in themselves, separate concepts. To me, if a person is religious, they believe in a religious figure, whether it be God or Buddha or some other religious figure. If someone is spiritual, I would tend to think that the person believes in certain religious ideas or concepts, without necessarily believing in any certain religious figure or religious leader.

Answer 9

Some people intermix the terms. For my own personal identification, spiritual is centered with your own spirit. It means you feel and identify with the spirit of the self, and whatever doctrine you follow, it's something you've come to an understanding about on your own.

To be religious is to relate to a specific religion. Christianity, Islam.. whatever. You relate directly to that, identify with that, and follow the path set forth by that religion.

Answer 10

They both mean same in some contexts and entirely different in other contexts. Religion has to do something more with the customs and traditions followed by a religion and spiritual has more to do with god.