spirituality or religion?

Question

I recently heard that closer to the end of days there will be more people who practice being spiritual than there will be of any one religion...what do you think that means, will that be a good thing or bad?

Answer 1

Overall there seems to be a global movement towards finding the Divine within onesself rather than adhering to specific religious doctrine and looking outwards. A lot of people do not like the fact that many faiths tell people how to live, what to do, and damn people for not living correctly or believing in God a certain way. After all, many of the scriptures and religious texts are written by humans rather than God him/ herself. How can they possibly know how to become close with God, what s/he has intended and even if there is a right or wrong way if they are not in direct contact with the Divine? Who are we to decide the "correct" religion or the "right way"? There's absolutely no such thing and those who believe it are simply blind and put too much faith (no pun intended) in human *imperfect* and incomplete spiritual beliefs.

Personally, I think that is a very good thing. Why blindly follow someone who really doesn't have a direct connection to God or adhere to a religion that tells you what to do and how to find God the right way, than to seek the Divine in your own way? And honestly I absolutely cannot STAND when Christians cite the Bible and traditional Judeo- Christian teachings as proof that the only way to be spiritual and close to God is to believe in Jesus and the Bible. Do not impose a system of beliefs on someone else. And thank you -Apple- for saying that God does not impose himself on us........ Take a hint those of you who impose the Catholic beliefs on others. If God doesn't, then you shouldn't, either.

There isn't one way. I say look within yourself to find God and you will truly be connected with the truth.

Namaste.

Answer 2

It will be a great thing. Religion is generally in place to control us and to restrict our thinking. As we gain in consciousness, we will reject controlling influences and become free thinking beings.


Spirituality has nothing to do with religion. Religion is another insurance scam for the ignorant and the gullible. People for the most part are born into a religion and never get beyond it. Their parents, meaning well but not really very knowledgeable either sent their kids to the local church and Sunday school because it was the thing to do. As the kid grows up he or she becomes very resistant to outside criticism of their faith because we don't want to think our parents and teachers might be wrong. That then becomes the first hurdle to becoming an adult - you've got to start thinking for yourself. Meaning just because you were born there does not mean you have to stay there. However, we become so busy with family and career and bringing home the bacon we're usually just too tired to think much beyond it. Indeed 95% of people never get beyond this point. They spend their entire lives ignorant and gullible and seldom even dreaming there might be something better. That is just exactly where religion seeks to keep them. They want to keep you deaf dumb blind and stupid where you are, so they can continue to fleece you. And you, too busy or too tired, let them do it because it's easier to give someone some money and ask to be told what to do than to figure it out for ourselves. It's easier to fork over some dough than read a book or do anything that might threaten our time. We think we have bought some insurance with the man upstairs if we give some money,even though we never took it very seriously.
Spirituality, on the other hand will try to enlighten you and show you how to think for yourself. Exactly what the religious people will not do because then you might get away,then they couldn't control you.
Then when they preach hate and violence and promise you 70 virgins in heaven if you only kill some people you won't believe it. Then you have learned to think for yourself.
Now you have graduated to the top 5% of humanity who are at least open to the possibility that there might be something better. If you are smart enough to realize you need to read up on these things and study with an open mind,then everything you encounter becomes an avenue to it, to further your understanding. By now you have discovered Hinduism and Buddism and maybe you have read Plotinus and Plato and Alice Bailey and Jane Roberts and A Course In Miracles and a thousand and one other worthy authors each with their own variation on things,and you begin to discover these people are really all saying the same thing, each in their own way. They are all talking about truth, the same truth. Indeed there are as many paths as there are people but they all lead to the same place. They all lead home. No matter how diverse you were when you started out you begin to suspect we might really be all the same. Not only the same point of view but the same person. Beginning to suspect we might be playing all the parts all the time and only pretending to be different we arrive at some clarity as to what the "son" really is. He is us and when we begin to accept that is the "second coming". The Holy Spirit, long a trusted companion and guide and infallible advisor begins to be seen in a new light as our higher self. And with further clarity we realize no difference between us and we are one. And this is the Grail Quest, and we realize we have been on it all our lives,and we are the "Grail" and we have discovered ourselves and all the time we thought we knew ourselves and didn't even know who or what we were looking for. We look back and marvel at how far we've come and we see it's but a single step and all the others are still there, still blind in their cocoons of unknown search and to some of these we reach out a hand and they bite and kick and we endure and try again and seldom do they listen or even seem to care and we see ourselves in them and we know it's as it should be and we smile and go among them as the road unfolds before us.

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Answer 3

That would be an awesome thing. If people stopped worrying about what religion everyone was and truly work on their own spirituality, the world would be a better place.

Blessed Be

Answer 4

Where are you getting your info from? What are you referring to when you say "spiritual" vs religion? To have a faith is to accept God reaching down to man through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ. Religion is man struggling to reach God by doing good works etc.We are told faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. In the end times man is going his own way and society wants no part of God ( we've kicked Him out of the schools, we aren't to say "Merry Christmas" etc). After the Rapture occurs then comes the 7 year period called the "Great Tribulation" where the anti Christ sets up his rule in the temple in Jerusalem. After 3 1/2 years the Jews now recognize he is not the messiah it was really Jesus Christ. It is then the Lord sends out 144000 to go out and convert thousands throughout all the Islands of the Sea. This 7 year period will see 1/4 of the earth's pop will be destroyed and then a time when 1/3 will be eliminated. At the end of the seven years Christ will return to set up His millennium kingdom on earth to display to man peace can be achieved on earth with Christ in control. The millennium will end and the Great White Throne Judgement will take place.......

Answer 5

If people are spiritual it is better than being religious according to the Bible. Jesus condemned the religious people and loved the sinners. They knew they needed Him. The religious people thought they didnt. They thought their religion was all they needed. So if by spiritual you mean Jesus and His Spirit, then yes it will be a good thing.

Answer 6

First of all there is a difference between religion and relationship with Christ. Christians for instance have a relationship with Christ rather than a "religion". You could think of spirituality in the same way, there are many of what are called in the bible "false religions". People try to attain something like going to heaven by doing things that are spiritual. The problem is that sort of thing isn't what God requires, and doesn't assure us an eternity with God in heaven.

And it is true that the closer we get to Jesus' return the further people seem to be straying from the truth of the bible.

The only way to eternal life with God in heaven is by believing in and following His Son Jesus Christ.

Regarding the end of days here is what it says in 2 Timothy 3:1-5
"But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, HOLDING TO A FORM OF GODLINESS, ALTHOUGH THEY HAVE DENIED ITS POWER, avoid such men as these."

I hope this helps answer your question. If you are seeking after God, I would recommend reading through the book of John in the New Testament. Then find a good bible study to get involved with. (One that goes through a book of the bible at a time, rather than something topical).
I hope this helps. If you have other questions feel free to email me.

Answer 7

Call it what you want. As a Christian, I believe that the only way to the Father is through Jesus. Call it religion or spirituality...I call it salvation. The great thing about salvation is that it's a choice. God doesn't force himself on us.

Answer 8

It simply means religion is on it's way out and that's a good thing.

Answer 9

God calls for us to worship him in truth and spirit. So in that context, being spiritual is awesome.

But some people answering this are going to say that being spiritual without God is GREAT! Wow really? I didnt know eternal judgment could be so wonderful! People that want to be spiritual without God are basically animists, new agers, and spiritualists. ICK

Answer 10

spirituality comes with religion by definition and in every other sense. practising religion is very important and jesus showed us how and what religion to follow. the religion gives us the guide lines to gain true spirituality.these guidelines are in the bible. the church he established ws universal/catholic. being spiritual will be dead if it isn't with the spirit of truth. if we just needed spirituality jesus would not have instituted a church and pass the keys of the church to the apostles.