Why do "Spiritual, NOT Religious" people get so upset....?

Question

Why do people who claim to be "Spiritual, NOT Religious" get so upset when you disagree with a purely religious dogma?

I've noticed that the ones who say they are "not religious but are spiritual" are usually more religious than most. Why are they ashamed of being religious?

Answer 1

The assertion that spirituality is not a religious belief is that it doesn't pass the litmus test of religion: the existence of a "revealed" text, a charismatic leader, and laws governing the rites and acts of its people and a heirachy of service and control.

The founders of the 12-step program of A.A. wanted people to believe in Jesus, but were willing to settle for a belief in anything that would act as a gateway to conversion. This has been very successful. Also, A.A. needs to have converts to support its financial investments. So, instead of being a religion which may be hindered by law from court ordered participation in the A.A. program, it monololistically asserted to be "spiritual" not religious.

I find any belief in the supernatural to be religious.

Answer 2

First let me take you through what is spiritualism and religion

SPIRITUALISM:
Why many people have developed an allergy to spirituality is because somebody always told them, ‘spirituality means leaving everything and going to the mountains.’ Even if you want to go, there is not enough space for all of you there. You had better learn how to be spiritual in your office, in your home, on the streets, wherever you are. You had better learn that because spirituality is about your interiority, not what you do outside. Spirituality is an inner science to create a conductive inner atmosphere because the quality of your life is dependent on how you are within yourself. That quality this moment depends on how joyous, how peaceful you are. This dimension you have completely neglected. Unless you do something to the inner, you will not know what it is to be peaceful, to be joyous, you will not know how to go beyond the limitations of being just a physical body and mind.
See, your body is simply accumulations of what you have gathered from the Earth - when you leave you can’t take an atom of this body. So this body is not really yours. Your mind is not yours too. It is also just an accumulation - what you have gathered from the backgrounds in which you were brought up in life. So there is something else which needs to be looked at beyond these dimensions.

Even if I erase all your memory, still you will be here. Yes? Your family will disappear, your status will disappear, your business will disappear, everything that you own in the world will disappear. But still you are here. So beyond all the things that you identify yourself with, still there is something called you. That you is not subject to what you accumulate from outside. But unfortunately that you has been so much covered, so much crowded with other things that you never allowed yourself to look at that. You always thought that what you are identified with is much more important than who you really are. Now if your focus shifts, then the other dimension can start opening up for you.

The whole process of spiritual science, yoga in particular, is to somehow elevate you to an experience that is beyond the five sense organs. When you transcend the limited experience of what you know as yourself, your experience of life is naturally in a different dimension. Then you begin to experience that which is not physical, the spiritual, the divinity of your true nature. If you are ready and willing to experience life in a deeper dimension, to be truly happy, I have methods. Then you can begin to experience the joy, the blissfulness of knowing who you really are.

RELIGION:

The moment man became religious it should have been the end of all conflict, but unfortunately, everywhere in the world, religion has become the main source of conflict. This has taken the maximum number of lives and caused the maximum amount of pain on the planet for thousands of years. This is only because people believe in something that is not a reality for them. Somebody believes in something, somebody else believes in something else, and naturally conflict cannot be avoided. Today or tomorrow they are going to fight. They may avoid conflict for some time, but some day they will fight. As long as you believe that only your way is right, and somebody else believes his way is right, you are bound to fight.

Though all religions started as an inward path, over time they have gotten twisted up and have simply became a set of beliefs. Though all religions have taught about the value of a human life, for the sake of the same religion, today you are willing to take each other’s lives.

Unfortunately, much pain and conflict has risen in this planet because of this. This basic problem has not been properly addressed. People are always trying to do patch up jobs between one group and the other, but they do not last for long and somewhere conflict will arise - the basis being, people only believe in something, something which is not yet a reality for them. If you come down to reality, it is the same reality for everybody, no matter what religious background you come from. When you come to belief, each group has their own belief of what is right and what is wrong, what is true and what is false. You believe in things that you have not seen and experienced. This has become the basis of all conflict.

RESULT:

If you understand these two concepts clearly. you can chalk out the difference. Now here is a basic question that separates these two.

DOES GOD EXIST?
RELIGION:

religious follower: i believe god exists
not religious : i believe god does not exist

SPIRITUAL: I don't know

do you get the difference in ideologies?

Answer 3

they are ashamed of being religious because that definition comes with the implied flavor of fanatism. and when they can't explain or defend a religious dogma that they beleive in, they automatically fall under the category of "Religious". So, they get so upset when you disagree with them because you are disturbing their self-assigned image of "spiritual" people; "religious" is outdated and "spiritual" is a more fashionable way to be. So they are in self denial and they don't want anyone reminding them of that; hence is a higher level of being upset. these people fail to see that it does not matter label they put on; whatever is under the label reveals its true self with its actions and behavior.
i am personally not ashamed to say that i agree with many writings found in religions. but i agree with these writings because i view them from scientific point of view (meaning these writings reveal undiscovered by science principles and laws) and am able to back up my beliefs.
getting upset about someone disagreeing with you just demonstrates insecurity, closed minds, and inability or unwillingness to see beyond the commonly accepted interpretations. and none of it falls under definition of "spiritual".

Answer 4

I find people who say they're "Spiritual but not religious" have a cafeteria religion where they pick and choose what they want. Trying to seperate religion from spirituality is like trying to seperate flour from bread.

Answer 5

Might be guilt. I personally myself believe in my religion 100%, but dont' follow it much. I'm not allowed to drink, but i drink more than most people i know. Lately i feel guilty everytime. (i go to penn state and its sort of our culture).

Addiction is not an issue, i've gone months without drinking (summer break), then soon as i get back i'm right back into it.

I recognize its a sin in my religion, but am "weak" to follow it.


Guilt is a factor, or over compensation for their downfalls.

I personally think its better to recongize your shortcommings than go with the flow and not have any real belief in your actions.

Answer 6

Sorry, I used to be that why....but then my Karma ran over my Dogma.

Answer 7

They equate religion with the blind acceptance of authority. And blind acceptance of anything is reprehensible, IMHO.