Spiritual vs Religious

[Anonymous]

I’ll own religious but not spiritual (I have not read the other thread). I follow religious traditions because they are comforting to me and give me a framework to contemplate morality and I value the community. I’m pretty agnostic on the subject of souls and spirits and everything spiritual though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:op, are you the poster that has repeatedly posted in another thread that your opinion is that people who go to church say they are spiritual and not religious because saying they are religious is embarrassing?

if not, what is your opinion on the question you posted?

OP is definitely drawing from that other thread. OP is either housebound in Boston this weekend, or she really doesn’t have a life.

Please ignore this, OP -- and thanks for posting this question.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I do see a difference in the two. To me being spiritual means that you believe in some sort of other power, whether it be the earth, nature, whatever. Religion is a more formal dogmatic belief in a higher power that has been taught to you with rules created by humans and led by humans with a hierarchy in the setup, ie leaders and followers. There is an established set of beliefs, and they are to be followed by you.

People who are just spiritual can believe what they want, there are no rules, no one to dictate what to believe. I do think there is overlap. I am not religious but an spiritual.

I agree with this assessment. I am religious but not spiritual.

Really? Did you say that correctly?

No, they said it wrong. Yes they said it correctly. Why does everything here turn into the Spanish Inquisition? Meanwhile op, who already spent the better part of another thread over multiple days accusing everyone who posted in it of being “spiritual” so they didn’t have to admit to being “un-cool” and religious” won’t answer their own question.

I'm sorry to get you all worked up, and didn't mean my question to be the Spanish Inquisition. I was just wondering how one can be religious without being spiritual. Perhaps that pp would explain?

Are you the person who has been posting about this topic for multiple days in the other thread? Why will you not answer that? And what’s your opinion and answer ti the question you want everyone else to answer?

If you read that other thread, the answer is obvious. OP thinks people describe themselves as “spiritual” because they know “religious” is a bad word (supposedly). This is from OP’s perspective as an atheist who thinks “religion” itself is a bad word. YMMV and most on that other thread disagreed.

Also, nobody on that other thread even described themselves as “spiritual.” Instead they talked about finding “spiritual meaning” or “a spiritual community” in their churches. OP was asked to provide a time stamp for her claim that people on the thread were calling themselves “spiritual” and she never did.

So this whole thread is a bit of gotcha game based on false premises. But by all means, op, keep it up.

pp is Christian, an atheist-hater and a generally mean person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do see a difference in the two. To me being spiritual means that you believe in some sort of other power, whether it be the earth, nature, whatever. Religion is a more formal dogmatic belief in a higher power that has been taught to you with rules created by humans and led by humans with a hierarchy in the setup, ie leaders and followers. There is an established set of beliefs, and they are to be followed by you.

People who are just spiritual can believe what they want, there are no rules, no one to dictate what to believe. I do think there is overlap. I am not religious but an spiritual.

I agree with this assessment. I am religious but not spiritual.

Really? Did you say that correctly?

No, they said it wrong. Yes they said it correctly. Why does everything here turn into the Spanish Inquisition? Meanwhile op, who already spent the better part of another thread over multiple days accusing everyone who posted in it of being “spiritual” so they didn’t have to admit to being “un-cool” and religious” won’t answer their own question.

I'm sorry to get you all worked up, and didn't mean my question to be the Spanish Inquisition. I was just wondering how one can be religious without being spiritual. Perhaps that pp would explain?

DP: I think to be religious without being spiritual is to follow the rules of a religion, to believe that the religion's god and saints and angels (or whatever) are real, and follow the rules of the religion, yet not have an internal sense of a connection to the religion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do see a difference in the two. To me being spiritual means that you believe in some sort of other power, whether it be the earth, nature, whatever. Religion is a more formal dogmatic belief in a higher power that has been taught to you with rules created by humans and led by humans with a hierarchy in the setup, ie leaders and followers. There is an established set of beliefs, and they are to be followed by you.

People who are just spiritual can believe what they want, there are no rules, no one to dictate what to believe. I do think there is overlap. I am not religious but an spiritual.

I agree with this assessment. I am religious but not spiritual.

Really? Did you say that correctly?

No, they said it wrong. Yes they said it correctly. Why does everything here turn into the Spanish Inquisition? Meanwhile op, who already spent the better part of another thread over multiple days accusing everyone who posted in it of being “spiritual” so they didn’t have to admit to being “un-cool” and religious” won’t answer their own question.

I'm sorry to get you all worked up, and didn't mean my question to be the Spanish Inquisition. I was just wondering how one can be religious without being spiritual. Perhaps that pp would explain?

Are you the person who has been posting about this topic for multiple days in the other thread? Why will you not answer that? And what’s your opinion and answer ti the question you want everyone else to answer?

If you read that other thread, the answer is obvious. OP thinks people describe themselves as “spiritual” because they know “religious” is a bad word (supposedly). This is from OP’s perspective as an atheist who thinks “religion” itself is a bad word. YMMV and most on that other thread disagreed.

Also, nobody on that other thread even described themselves as “spiritual.” Instead they talked about finding “spiritual meaning” or “a spiritual community” in their churches. OP was asked to provide a time stamp for her claim that people on the thread were calling themselves “spiritual” and she never did.

So this whole thread is a bit of gotcha game based on false premises. But by all means, op, keep it up.

pp is Christian, an atheist-hater and a generally mean person.

What, if anything, is incorrect about the post? Please point it out. It seems more like pp is a troll hater.

[Anonymous]

OP here. I was intrigued by this question in the other post, but wanted to get away from the guy who thought spiritually was supplanting religion because religion is "uncool."
To answer my own question, I am religious and spiritual. I am a member of a religion and believe that theology. Religion is an organized group thing with defined beliefs. Spirituality is personal and more of a feeling, less defined. I can feel spiritual (close to God or one with God's creation) through prayer (personal or communal), hiking/being in nature, meditating, seeing a beautiful work of art, just enjoying a quiet cup of tea before the rest of my house wakes up, or in many other big and small ways.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I was intrigued by this question in the other post, but wanted to get away from the guy who thought spiritually was supplanting religion because religion is "uncool."
To answer my own question, I am religious and spiritual. I am a member of a religion and believe that theology. Religion is an organized group thing with defined beliefs. Spirituality is personal and more of a feeling, less defined. I can feel spiritual (close to God or one with God's creation) through prayer (personal or communal), hiking/being in nature, meditating, seeing a beautiful work of art, just enjoying a quiet cup of tea before the rest of my house wakes up, or in many other big and small ways.

^ this makes complete sense, but what do you make of the reply above from someone who said they are religious but not spiritual? If one believes in gods (which all religions have) then believe in the divine and supernatural - which is both religious and spiritual. And if someone believes in the Holy Spirit, that per se is spiritual by definition.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, but does "spiritual" mean belief in the supernatural?

If so, then the distinctions are of lesser importance.

How would you define supernatural? God and miracles? Or more like ghosts and witchcraft? I think those are majorly different definitions, both of which can claim the label of "spiritual."

There are spiritual elements that are important parts of religion. Christianity has the Holy Spirit and Judaism has Kabbalah (I assume other religions have spiritual elements as well; I'm just not as familiar with them). But those religious adherents might not call them "supernatural."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I was intrigued by this question in the other post, but wanted to get away from the guy who thought spiritually was supplanting religion because religion is "uncool."
To answer my own question, I am religious and spiritual. I am a member of a religion and believe that theology. Religion is an organized group thing with defined beliefs. Spirituality is personal and more of a feeling, less defined. I can feel spiritual (close to God or one with God's creation) through prayer (personal or communal), hiking/being in nature, meditating, seeing a beautiful work of art, just enjoying a quiet cup of tea before the rest of my house wakes up, or in many other big and small ways.

^ this makes complete sense, but what do you make of the reply above from someone who said they are religious but not spiritual? If one believes in gods (which all religions have) then believe in the divine and supernatural - which is both religious and spiritual. And if someone believes in the Holy Spirit, that per se is spiritual by definition.

Should have been: "then they believe"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ll own religious but not spiritual (I have not read the other thread). I follow religious traditions because they are comforting to me and give me a framework to contemplate morality and I value the community. I’m pretty agnostic on the subject of souls and spirits and everything spiritual though.

Thank you for this. But what is left of religion (any religion) if you don't believe in the supernatural? You do believe in God, yes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I was intrigued by this question in the other post, but wanted to get away from the guy who thought spiritually was supplanting religion because religion is "uncool."
To answer my own question, I am religious and spiritual. I am a member of a religion and believe that theology. Religion is an organized group thing with defined beliefs. Spirituality is personal and more of a feeling, less defined. I can feel spiritual (close to God or one with God's creation) through prayer (personal or communal), hiking/being in nature, meditating, seeing a beautiful work of art, just enjoying a quiet cup of tea before the rest of my house wakes up, or in many other big and small ways.

^ this makes complete sense, but what do you make of the reply above from someone who said they are religious but not spiritual? If one believes in gods (which all religions have) then believe in the divine and supernatural - which is both religious and spiritual. And if someone believes in the Holy Spirit, that per se is spiritual by definition.

At 01/29/2022 20:14 PP defined "religious but not spiritual" as adhering to religious traditions and practices while also being agnostic, because the traditions are comforting, even if she isn't sure about faith/belief in God/etc. That makes sense to me. I think there are plenty of people who celebrate Christmas and Easter or keep Passover and fast on Yom Kippur because it connects them to their family and the rituals are filled with memories of love and home, even if the spiritual connection to God isn't there for them.

Being religious can still be meaningful by being part of a community that will be there for you, who practice the same rituals and celebrate the same holidays.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ll own religious but not spiritual (I have not read the other thread). I follow religious traditions because they are comforting to me and give me a framework to contemplate morality and I value the community. I’m pretty agnostic on the subject of souls and spirits and everything spiritual though.

You follow the secular, non-religious aspects of your religion, eschewing the mystical, supernatural stuff. To me, this is more a third path -- not religious, not spiritual, but the very essence of someone who is an agnostic but likes the feeling of belonging to a community

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I was intrigued by this question in the other post, but wanted to get away from the guy who thought spiritually was supplanting religion because religion is "uncool."
To answer my own question, I am religious and spiritual. I am a member of a religion and believe that theology. Religion is an organized group thing with defined beliefs. Spirituality is personal and more of a feeling, less defined. I can feel spiritual (close to God or one with God's creation) through prayer (personal or communal), hiking/being in nature, meditating, seeing a beautiful work of art, just enjoying a quiet cup of tea before the rest of my house wakes up, or in many other big and small ways.

^ this makes complete sense, but what do you make of the reply above from someone who said they are religious but not spiritual? If one believes in gods (which all religions have) then believe in the divine and supernatural - which is both religious and spiritual. And if someone believes in the Holy Spirit, that per se is spiritual by definition.

At 01/29/2022 20:14 PP defined "religious but not spiritual" as adhering to religious traditions and practices while also being agnostic, because the traditions are comforting, even if she isn't sure about faith/belief in God/etc. That makes sense to me. I think there are plenty of people who celebrate Christmas and Easter or keep Passover and fast on Yom Kippur because it connects them to their family and the rituals are filled with memories of love and home, even if the spiritual connection to God isn't there for them.

Being religious can still be meaningful by being part of a community that will be there for you, who practice the same rituals and celebrate the same holidays.

Yes, I agree with the bolded but that's really not religious. It's agnostic. Maybe I should ask can you be agnostic and religious at the same time?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I was intrigued by this question in the other post, but wanted to get away from the guy who thought spiritually was supplanting religion because religion is "uncool."
To answer my own question, I am religious and spiritual. I am a member of a religion and believe that theology. Religion is an organized group thing with defined beliefs. Spirituality is personal and more of a feeling, less defined. I can feel spiritual (close to God or one with God's creation) through prayer (personal or communal), hiking/being in nature, meditating, seeing a beautiful work of art, just enjoying a quiet cup of tea before the rest of my house wakes up, or in many other big and small ways.

^ this makes complete sense, but what do you make of the reply above from someone who said they are religious but not spiritual? If one believes in gods (which all religions have) then believe in the divine and supernatural - which is both religious and spiritual. And if someone believes in the Holy Spirit, that per se is spiritual by definition.

At 01/29/2022 20:14 PP defined "religious but not spiritual" as adhering to religious traditions and practices while also being agnostic, because the traditions are comforting, even if she isn't sure about faith/belief in God/etc. That makes sense to me. I think there are plenty of people who celebrate Christmas and Easter or keep Passover and fast on Yom Kippur because it connects them to their family and the rituals are filled with memories of love and home, even if the spiritual connection to God isn't there for them.

Being religious can still be meaningful by being part of a community that will be there for you, who practice the same rituals and celebrate the same holidays.

This is beautiful. Thank you. Because it is what I hear all the time from acquaintances who shop around for a church that is just right, not too religious, doesn't emphasize God too much, but fits their needs for community and fellowship.

So maybe the religious/spiritual dichotomy is too over-simplistic. What I really see, and read on this forum all the time, are people who want religion-lite, you know, something emphasizing love your fellow man, forgiveness, etc. -- but not the other "heavy stuff" like the virgin birth or bodily ascent to heaven, and they don't agree you need to believe in a certain religious figure to get into heaven.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, but does "spiritual" mean belief in the supernatural?

If so, then the distinctions are of lesser importance.

How would you define supernatural? God and miracles? Or more like ghosts and witchcraft? I think those are majorly different definitions, both of which can claim the label of "spiritual."

There are spiritual elements that are important parts of religion. Christianity has the Holy Spirit and Judaism has Kabbalah (I assume other religions have spiritual elements as well; I'm just not as familiar with them). But those religious adherents might not call them "supernatural."

What “spiritual” means is up to the person claiming the label, I guess. As for “supernatural”, anything that there is no demonstrable evidence for existing in our natural universe is supernatural. To me, yes, ghosts would qualify pretty easily. As would miracles. As for God, it depends on the definition of course, but most definitions of God would qualify as supernatural..