How many people here know the difference between religion and spirituality?

Question

For those people who may not understand what I am saying because of how I said it, do you realize that religion is an establishment of Man, and nothing else? That the church and GOD are two separate entities that have almost nothing to do with one another at any given point in time? If you haven't figured it out, or just disagree, as always I welcome your response, however I ask that you have some kind of intelligent backing for your thoughts on the matter instead of just a few angry words and a barrage of flagrant arrogant insults... If ya want to throw those in after or before you decide to back up your opinion you are welcome to do so, I have no reason to report anyone and if you do get reported it won't be by me... I'm just asking you to act intelligently whether you agree or not! Thanx! Peace and GOD bless!

Answer 1

I agree to a certain extent. However, I believe God and the church are connected. One can not say the church is religion and God is Spirituality or vice a verse. God called us to assemble our self together. This could be at a school or individual home, however, we in America use the church. We are not to have a form of religion ie follow rituals. We are to have a relationship with God. One on One with Him. The Holy Spirit lives within the Christian and allows this relationship through God's only Son Jesus Christ. I am not sure what your really looking for... the difference between the pharisees (who shows a form of religion) or the Christian who is saved by grace through the Blood that Jesus shed on the Cross for all our short comings, the relationship (Spiritual). This is not my opinion, it is my life.

Answer 2

Everything, Science, Logic Religion are all things created by man. They are nothing more than constructs. I prefer the word Meme, the idea of ideas being treated like a computer program, or virus, or even as a microorganism.

The Meme of religion starts as an attempt to understand God, to come to grips with a cosmic reality. Spirituality if you will. However, over time, this Meme will shift and change, mutate into a new creation, taking on a life of its own.

Growing into a Religion, it will then acquire the Temple, and when there is degree of organization to it, it will then become just another power structure, something for the power hungry to take control of...

As the Meme Religion grows more and more complex, and structural, the Meme of God looses importance, until the Religion is more important than the God.

So Religion is the organization, and spirituality is often the quest of an individual to "make sense of it all"

Answer 3

You said: "That the church and GOD are two separate entities that have almost nothing to do with one another at any given point in time?"

The Bible says:
Eph. 4:12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;

Eph. 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body.

Col. 1:24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body (which is the church) in filling up that which is lacking in Christ's afflictions.

Sorry, but Biblical doctrine says that the church (all believers in Christ, not some local church building, or even this denomination or that denomination) is the body of Christ.

When Paul was on the road to Damascus, the book of Acts tells us:
Acts 9:4 "and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?'"

The same thing is repeated two more times in the Book of Acts (22:7 and 26:14), as the Apostile Paul related what had happened to him when he was converted from Judaism to Christ.

Apparently Christ takes offences against His Body very personally. The Christain cannot be alone in their faith; Christianity, like Judaism and Islam, is a faith in community and fellowship. Everything we read about Paul doing in the Book of Acts, he did with the concurrence and commmission of the church.

So, I would disagree that Christianity and the church have nothing to do with each other!

Answer 4

I would like to be able to answer this question with some divine realization that everyone can agree on but I can't tell you how. In my opinion, religion is like a label to describe how spiritualiy is expressed or directed. I consider myself, for example, spiritual but not religious. My reason for saying so is that I do not associate with any religious group or belief. Sprirtuality to me is running my fingers through the grass and listening to leaves rustling in the trees, I know that I am part of something greater than myself.
I have been part of several congregations in the past as I child (a type of blind faith) but as I grew older I just couldn't bring myself to agree with their points of view and reasoning (though it did bring me some peace). I think it is very important for people to realize the difference between the two, have an open mind, and respect the beliefs of others, even if it is not what they believe. As the questioner requested, one who makes a statement about spirituality or religion should have the mindfullness and respect to back it up,

Answer 5

You are right when you say they are not 'necessarily' related, but could add that they 'should' be related in terms of what religion is for. Religion without the spirit is nothing but rhetoric. it is a means to control a number of people or even a civilization. it becomes the law. you cannot legislate someone's heart, only the body.
Spirituality comes with the deepseated belief in something, as I think you may be, in God. I am a mystic and can say that I do not believe in religion as I think it takes away lessons necessary for the spirit to develop and find that which is God.
For instance in life today, some muslims and some christians are so full of themselves that they are just 'full of it'. you determine what the 'it' is. Getting beyond the word, one finds such common ground as can be amazing to the unenlightened. As all sides seem to want to say, there is only one god. It is man who decided to give him different names.

Answer 6

Me for one as I am VERY spiritual and not at all religouse. I believe there to be a God(or higher power) of some form. I dont discount many of the religous ideas,simply open to what the truth may really be. I do the moral,ethical,value thing and try to do right by God. Many people dont understand this because they live in a world of black and white. Instead of using that God given brain of thiers to use logic and open mindeness,its either "my religion" or hell(or whatever it may be).

Answer 7

i know the difference and Hon it has nothing to do with God because I don't believe in God and I certainly do not believe in Man's so-called "organized" religion. however, that being said, I am still VERY Spiritual. What does that mean for me ? It means I am very well grounded and I am in touch with myself and the Earth. No I am not Pagan or Witch or anything like that. I believe only what I can see taste touch hear etc. That just means that stuff that cannot be explained, I don't try to explain (like the bible) I merely accept it. I know of the power of prayer and I know it works and HOW it works. But that has nothing to do with one almighty being. Because there isn't one. History has shown us that what people don't know, they make up a story for it. That's why ancient civilizations had rain gods and moon gods and volcano gods and why today we still have ghost stories. I don't believe in ghosts. I'm not discrediting peoples stories of what happened to them however I don't feel the need to explain something that we nobody knows anything about just to make me sleep at night. I hope you follow me on this one !

Answer 8

well, religion is always going to be a controversial subject. To me the main difference is a personal relationship with God. We are spiritual on many different levels, not just on a religious one. But to know and love God more than anything else on the face of the earth is what religion is all about. Going to church has very little to do with it, although the bible says we are supposed to witness. ie, worship. I love God and know Him to be my personal savior and I worship and trust Him. I'm not religious by some standards, but it is my personal relationship with God that guides me.

Answer 9

God is one- He is unlimited and has innumerable names (Krishna, Allah, Jehovah) Religious organizations are originally to be a place to enlighten one another on the truth and glorify God. but it becomes mans agenda and about money power and Things become misconstrued. Krishna says in the Gita "Whenever there is a decline in religious principals and the truth appears to be lost I appear again and again or send my representative to reestablish the truth." So originally in different time place and circumstance the truth is established and then it appears to be lost over time. Though it is never lost. Truth is truth no matter what religion. Spirituality is seeing God within the heart of all souls and within nature and being grateful and mindful of everything we do. Bhakti (devotional service ) is spiritual activity. Doing everything we do in love and devotion to the Devin. Go to http://www.stephen-knapp.com for universal truths

Answer 10

I agree with you. Spirituality is natural. Religion is man made. The Natural Laws of the universe are also natural and cannot be modified or controled by man. We can only understand them and work with them. Religions are created by man to satisfy a spiritual yearning, to fill a spiritual hunger, and to make sense of our purpose in this world. There are so many religions and denominations to agree with different levels of intelligence. Not one is correct or the true religion. Only the Natural Law is true.