Spirituality (atheist, dogmas, religion, divine, humanism)

[Jaiket]

What do people mean when referring to spirituality? I still find myself confused by the term.

Is this an entirely religious concept?

[No*s]

That's kind of a hard thing to define. I tend to use it for the "spiritual" life and practice of any person, whether that is good or bad, lacking or in abundance. It's a pretty broad term, and it's hard to define...

[Master Vigil]

Spirituality is the connection to the divine. Religion is acting on that connection.

[Jaiket]

Originally Posted by Master Vigil

Spirituality is the connection to the divine. Religion is acting on that connection.

What is spirituality if there exists no divine?

Does religion become lunacy in this event?

[Feathers in Hair]

Originally Posted by truthseekingsoul

What is spirituality if there exists no divine?

For some of us, that's the beauty of it. Divinity, or the concept thereof, doesn't have to exist. It is in the path to understanding that some of us grow closer to ourselves and to others, and, if you chose to seek it, the divine. Not knowing what lies at the end of the trail does not make the journey any less beautiful.

[skyglass]

Originally Posted by truthseekingsoul

What do people mean when referring to spirituality? I still find myself confused by the term.

Is this an entirely religious concept?

Every living being has a spirit, even an atheist. It is that part of us that drives us to do things. It can be compared to our personality. It helps us to make decisions, whether good or bad, right or wrong. You could say that the judgements we make are influenced by our spirit.

Now to go deeper. There are spirits that exist outside of us, that do not have a human body. Some of these are good and some of these are bad. They can influence our spirit. In some cases they can possess our spirit, causing us to do things that we do not want to do or to do things that we want to do but cannot find the courage to do them.

Those people of a religious nature invites a religious spirit to influence them.

[painted wolf]

spirituality to me is a deep, moving connection to something outside of yourself. This may or may not involve a Deity or Deity concept. Humanism is a spirituality for instance. Religion is a set of dogmas and rules that govern the practice of Spirituality. IMHO

wa:do

[Master Vigil]

"What is spirituality if there exists no divine?"

Nothing, but when I say divine, I am not necessarily implying the Judeo Christian God. What is divine in some spiritualities can be the simple life of a tree. Which is why spirituality is so prominent when discussing nature.

"Does religion become lunacy in this event?"

If there is no divine, religion's surface areas become lunacy yes. But as I always say, at the heart of all religions is goodness. Whether or not a divine exists.

[jewscout]

I think spirituality is acknowledging the existance of the divine and believing in it. Religion to me is the act of adding some sort of recognized regement and structure to that spirituality.