Do you know the difference? between religion and spirituality? explain?

Answer 1

What is the definition of religion?

The definition of religion is not easy to find. There are many interpretations of what defines a religion but not one that can be said to be the most accurate.

Some of them are:

A strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny.
An institution to express belief in a divine power.
A belief concerning the supernatural, sacred, or divine, and the practices and institutions associated with such belief.
The sum total of answers given to explain humankind’s relationship with the universe.
In dictionaries, religion is defined as “any specific system of belief, worship, or conduct that prescribes certain responses to the existence (or non-existence) and character of God.” Also, “a set of attitudes, beliefs, and practices pertaining to supernatural power.”

The problem lies when the definition includes a deity or superhuman power. For example, atheism is called a religion but the belief denies any power other than man.

Other “religious definitions” are so broad as to include cosmology and ecology which most people regard as scientific studies and non-religious in nature.

The terms “spiritual” and “sacred” add to the complexity of defining religion. Unless there are supreme beings or deities, most beliefs would not fall into this religious category.

Native Americans believe their spiritual beliefs are a necessary part of their existence and cannot be separated from their life experience.

The beliefs of atheists and agnostics are that there is or is not a God and ethics do not necessarily matter. So are they a religion?

New Age is sometimes called a religion, but in reality they embrace whatever appeals to them the most and add them to an existing religious order.

Christians do not define Christianity as a religion but as an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. It is the only religion that you do not have to work to be saved, it is by the freely given grace of God.


Origin of Religion - Ancient Foundations
The origin of religion can generally be traced to the ancient Near East and classified in three basic categories: polytheistic, pantheistic and monotheistic. Atheism is really a modern belief that resulted from the "Enlightenment" period of the 18th century.

Origin of Religion - Polytheism
The origin of religion and polytheistic systems: Polytheism (a belief in many gods) is thought to have originated with Hinduism in about 2500 BC. Hindu beliefs were recorded in the Bhagavad Gita, which revealed that many gods were subject to a supreme Brahman god. Polytheism was also the religion of many other ancient cultures, including Assyria, Babylonia, Egypt, Greece and Rome. The ancient polytheistic belief systems viewed gods as being in control of all natural events such as rainfall, harvests and fertility. Generally, polytheistic cultures believed in sacrifices to appease their gods. For instance, the Canaanites sacrificed to the male god, Baal, and his female counterpart, Ashteroth. Baal controlled the rain and the harvest, while Ashteroth controlled fertility and reproduction. The Greeks and Romans developed polytheism to a highly structured pantheon of gods and goddesses.

Origin of Religion - Pantheism
The origin of religions and pantheistic systems: Pantheism (a belief that all is God) prevailed in numerous ancient cultures. The belief that the universe itself was divine was typified in the Animism beliefs of the African and American Indian cultures, the later Egyptian religion under the Pharoahs, and Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism in the cultures of the Far East. Pantheistic beliefs are also finding resurgence among various New Age movements. Generally, pantheism is the principle that god is everything, and everything is god. Therefore, nature is also part of god. We must be in harmony with nature. We must nurture it and be nurtured by it. Mankind is no different than any other animal. We must live in harmony with them, understand them, and learn from them, focusing on the relationship between mankind and the elements of nature.

Origin of Religion - Monotheism
The origin of religion and monotheistic systems: Monotheism (a belief in one God) is the foundation of the Judeo-christian-muslim line of religions, which began with a man named Abraham in about 2000 BC. From this point in history, God began revealing Himself to the world through the nation of Israel. The Jewish Scriptures record the journey of the Israelites from slaves in Egypt to the "promised land" in Canaan under the leadership of Moses. During a period of about 1500 years, God revealed what became the Old Testament of the Bible, relating the history of Israel with the character and laws of God. During the period of the Roman Empire, Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem as the long-awaited Messiah. The ministry of Jesus ended in about 32 AD with His crucifixion and resurrection. After Christ's ascension into heaven, the Christian church grew in His name and the New Testament was written. About 600 years later, Muhammad began preaching in Mecca. Muhammad believed he was the ultimate prophet of God, and his teachings became the precepts of Islam as recorded in the Qur'an.

Origin of Religion - Important Dates in History:


c. 2000 BC: Time of Abraham, the patriarch of Israel.
c. 1200 BC: Time of Moses, the Hebrew leader of the Exodus.
c. 1100 - 500 BC: Hindus compile their holy texts, the Vedas.
c. 563 - 483 BC: Time of Buddha, founder of Buddhism.
c. 551 - 479 BC: Time of Confucius, founder of Confucianism.
c. 200 BC: The Hindu book, Bhagavad Gita, is written.
c. 2 to 4 BC - 32 AD: Time of Jesus Christ, the Messiah and founder of Christianity.
c. 32 AD: The Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
c. 40 - 90 AD: The New Testament is written by the followers of Jesus Christ.
c. 570 - 632 AD: Time of Muhammad, who records the Qur'an as the basis of Islam.

What is the meaning of religion?

Religion is a fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a group of people. These set of beliefs concern the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, and involve devotional and ritual observances. They also often contain a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.

Ever since the world began, man has demonstrated a natural inclination towards faith and worship of anything he considered superior/difficult to understand. His religion consisted of trying to appease and get favors from the supreme being he feared. This resulted in performing rituals (some of them barbaric) and keeping traditions or laws to earn goodness and/or everlasting life.

Christianity has always stressed a personal relationship with God as the touchstone of religion. When God created Adam and Eve, He walked with them in the Garden of Eden, in the cool of the day, and enjoyed their fellowship. Religion was, and still is, a close, personal, and satisfying relationship with the creator God.

Down through the ages men have devoted their entire life to enjoying this personal relationship with a God who loves the fellowship of human beings. Abraham was called the ‘friend of God’ in 2 Chronicles 20:7 and James 2:23. Genesis 18:17 -- “Then the Lord said, ‘Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?’” Exodus 33:11 says, “The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend.” David is called a man after God’s own heart in 1 Samuel 13:14 and Acts 13:22. The list is endless.

Blaise Pascal (French Mathematician, Philosopher, and Physicist 1623-1662) said, “There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the creator, made known through Jesus.”

Christianity is more than a religion; it is a relationship with Jesus Christ. John 15:9 says, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now continue in my love.” John 15:15, “I have called you friends.” John 17:24, “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am.” John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this that he lay down his life for his friends.” In John 10, Jesus makes several statements demonstrating His deep love for us -- “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. I know my sheep and my sheep know me -- and I lay down my life for the sheep.”

Jesus summarized the true meaning of religion in Matthew 22:37-40, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Answer 2

first of all, most peopel falsely equate "religion" with "organized religion."
Organized religion is a structure that attempts to direct people, whether for spiritual (rarely) or (more commonly) de facto political purposes.

Religion is one's individual link to spirituality.

Spirituality is the act of experiencing the sacred aspects of the universe (by whatever specific termonology/name(s) one uses).

In a short allegory, religion is the telephone, organized religion is the automated corporate machine system in which one usually keeps getting bounced between a repeating array of menus, and spirituality is the actual connection to people and places one cannot directly observe.

Answer 3

Religion divides while spirituality brings unity.
Religion narrows down thinking while spiriuality expands self.
Religion makes you look small while spirituality takes you to peak of self.
Religion contracts mind while spirituality expands mind.
Religion brings limited joy while spirituality takes joy to infinite level.
Religion makes you belong to a confined religion, while spirituality makes you universal.
Religion solves limited problem while spirituality capable of solving any problem.
Religion makes you think that you belongs to only one group while spirituality makes you a universal being.
Like that we can go on and on and on.....

Answer 4

there are people who grow in knowledge and wisdom
and learn well that we are more than just a body
and practice and practice and make things real

just as Man/Woman CANNOT ride a bicycle
but with practice can learn to such that it becomes completely natural

Exceptional people have grown to know and utilize the latent innate potential possibilities of the humans
and attempted to educate many that do not do the practice
those that know well but also do not care to endure the practice kill them off to shut them up then write books saying what they taught

religion is the systems that have grown up around the books that the killers authorize

spirituality is growing to comprehend who you are that joined the fertilized egg that your parents provided and making those potentials actuality and living that remarkable life

Answer 5

Spirituality is instinctive, an extra sense we are born with, and can grow into full awareness of.

Religion is a set of behaviors and beliefs, imposed or learned, that attempt to explain, cultivate, or distort our innate spiritual sense.

Answer 6

Religion is an act of doing something repeatedly. When you say someone is religious it could be in hand washing. Being spiritual means to have that inner drive to communicate with something higher than yourself, in my case God.

Answer 7

religion is created by god , we should respect it and spirituality is also given by god we should follow it . in all the religious books we have given brief description about this two religion and spirituality just go through . in my opinon religions are different ways to reach god , so that we lead spritual life .happily.

Answer 8

Religion is a bunch of rules, spirituality to me is a relationship with my Father.

Answer 9

religion is somthing people practice but some are just pretending and do not follow what they are praciticeing.
spirituallity is something that is in the person themselves the people practice the religion and follow it all the way through and believe it with all their heart.

Answer 10

Religion was created by MAN!

Spirituality refers to the qualities that God pocesses & bestows on those who choose Him.

Answer 11

Religion = external.
Spirituality = internal.