What makes one spiritual rather than religious?

Answer 1

Accept that we make up our minds about self and world as individuals and one is spiritual.

Believe we should and can make up our minds about self and world as communities of faithful believers and one is religious.

Some have attempted to unite all minds under one way of ornamenting a model of self and world with myth. Those who claim to belong to a spiritual community of faithful believers worshiping exactly the same spirit delude themselves. Seminal religious organizations fracture into denominations, variations, combinations and permutations, because no two individuals, no two communities of faithful believers, no two ideological authorities, no two denominations have exactly the same way of ornamenting a model of self and world with myth. Rather than seeking to compel all to unite under one model of self and world, I will advocate diversity, variety, and freedom of expression.

Answer 2

A very interesting question. I had a look at the dictionary definitions of both to try to understand the difference.

Whereas religious "is a general word, applying to whatever pertains to faith or worship", spiritual simply means "of or concerning the spirit". This would explain why most people have the perception that being spiritual is something simpler, or purer than being religious, even though both are acceptable terms in the english language to describe a person who is of a particular religion.

MHO is that the word religious has long been associated with rote and obsessive behaviour, so even people who do belong to a specific religious denomination would rather be described as "spiritual" rather than "religious".

Answer 3

Being a spiritual human being comes from down deep within ourselves and religion is just a code by which we live to try and impress some deity into making us all look good and deals with the form side of life and the spiritual the formless

Answer 4

A religious person is involved in ritual- 'going to church' on a Sunday, for instance. A spiritual person is helpful, patient, kind, humble, ready to forgive, useful, generous, cheerful and peaceable. A spiritual person does not criticise others, and does not use language that degrades sexually, or in any other way. A spiritual person never wears 'religious' clothing.
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Answer 5

Aussie is right a spiritual person has no need of the brain washing and ritual of organised religion God gave us all an inner voice deep in our soul most people now either don`t know or don`t want to listen
the people who hear this voice are spiritual .

Answer 6

There is an excellent movie to watch which portrays it perfectly. "The Scarlett Letter" with Demi Moore.

Religion is human-created, limited and external. To try to put God into the box of ANY religion is like trying to stuff a blown up balloon into a tiny three inch box. No way.

Spirituality is open minded and internal, allowing the spirit to guide you, rather than the ego. In this respect, you can be taught by the spirit, and are not limited by the restrictions of culture, religion, sex or any other human created dogma.

Answer 7

Spirit= inside
Religion = Outside brought inside

Answer 8

how you relate to the world i suppose but a religiouse person will be a christion ,muslim etc a spiritual person will associate themselves more with one than another but won't exclude their thoughts or teachings. i think st francis of acesi (pardon my spelling) made no distinction to preaching to birds/animals or humans so i think that is more spiritual than religiouse, spiritual people will see dogmatic rules as a hinderance than a help although they may follow them.

Answer 9

nicely positioned. i've got had reviews with holier-than-thou non secular human beings too, no longer basically in Christianity yet in Wicca besides. it somewhat is like human beings decide to think of that their faith supplies them each of the solutions. So it does look like a front or a crutch (each so often, no longer all non secular everybody is jerks), or an excuse to experience better. So I do evaluate myself to be non secular because of the fact i've got created my very very own courting with in spite of better capability there is. i could by no ability tension it on yet somebody else, we are all on our very own paths.

Answer 10

Religion is dogma and habit.
Sprituality is questioning, reasoning and logic applied to the study of God's word for the purpose of discovering one's true nature, the self.