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Spiritual but not religious

Karolina

Member
Not sure where else to post this.
I'm making my peace with the fact that I'd be happier if I focused more on my spirituality than my religiosity. Truth be told, I consider myself both, but I'm disillusioned with my attempts to fit in religion-wise.

I'm coming from a Catholic background. What I see as religion is the rituals and traditions, the moral and ethical rules, the prescribed prayers and holy days. Generally speaking, I think of religion in terms of rules, obligations, and limitations.

On the other hand, spirituality to me is about the inner experience of God. Meditation, contemplation, reflection, and anything that induced deep thought and emotion, including scripture study and singing of hymns. Generally speaking, I think of spirituality as freedom, potential, and connection to the Divine.

I recognize the need (for my sanity) to focus much more on the Spiritual, but I am both, spiritual and religious, so I'm not prepared to abandon all religious expressions of my faith. However, I want to distance myself from the religion and draw closer to the spirituality.

Any (serious) advice on how to do so within the context of the religion? My first step is to think of church teaching as food for thought, not binding on everyone. To take such teaching into consideration when discerning God's plan for my life.

I will need to hold my tongue around other Catholics, and that's perhaps my biggest worry. I don't want to hear their dismay at my "apostasy", but I also don't have an alternative group of theists to go to for community.

The groups that come to mind come with their own set of traditions, and I don't want to replace traditions I'm already comfortable with. Other groups are so open that there's no guarantee the people even believe in God, and that's pretty central to my beliefs.

So I'm trying to make due where I am and work with what I've got. And I'm not really sure how to proceed, other than "with caution".

Thanks for hearing me out. I welcome advice for being a more spiritual but less religious Catholic (or just person in general).
 

PoetPhilosopher

Veteran Member
There is a lot of Catholic theology. My advice is not to leave your religious group, but to prayerfully get online, read up, discover the conservative teachings and the refutations of it, and maybe a door will be more prone to open with the answer. My advice, anyway.
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
On the other hand, spirituality to me is about the inner experience of God. Meditation, contemplation, reflection, and anything that induced deep thought and emotion, including scripture study and singing of hymns. Generally speaking, I think of spirituality as freedom, potential, and connection to the Divine.

From this idea, then my religion and my spirituality are one and the same.
 

joe1776

Well-Known Member
...Any (serious) advice on how to do so within the context of the religion? My first step is to think of church teaching as food for thought, not binding on everyone. To take such teaching into consideration when discerning God's plan for my life.
In your Catechism you will find the Church teaching that the judgments of conscience are the products of reason. This is the basis for the Church's claim that your conscience can be informed by its teaching on moral issues because if they are right, morality can be taught and learned.

In recent years, though, social researchers are finding that our conscience is moral intuition. Our moral judgments emerge immediately from the unconscious. Before long, this science will challenge the Church's claim as a moral authority.

Looking ahead, I expect you to realize that morally you "can't serve two masters" and conscience (as your only moral authority) will be your choice. The wisdom of conscience is a remarkable thing. It can be thought of as the voice of God.

I suggest you consider the possibility that the purpose of life is to make moral progress and that trying to become a better human being can be thought of as a form of worship.
 
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sun rise

The world is on fire
Premium Member
What I see as religion is the rituals and traditions, the moral and ethical rules, the prescribed prayers and holy days. Generally speaking, I think of religion in terms of rules, obligations, and limitations.

...On the other hand, spirituality to me is about the inner experience of God.

You've nailed the distinction wonderfully as I see it.

Any (serious) advice on how to do so within the context of the religion?

There are spiritual threads in every religion. From a Christian perspective, perhaps "Practice the Presence of God"?

And you might look at the outstandingly luminous saints such as St. Francis of Assisi, Saint Theresa of Avila and Saint Catherine of Sienna.

St. Francis is my favorite. I found the wonderfully symbolic movie "Brother Sun, Sister Moon" to be inspiring. And this is not in the sense of emulating the material life of St. Francis but in his inner life. Here's the non-historical but inspiring "meeting" of Francis with the Pope that illustrates the difference between religious and spiritual:


I also have been a volunteer at events for children highlighting how St. Francis' life and message is still alive today Francis in the Schools
 

icehorse

......unaffiliated...... anti-dogmatist
Premium Member
FWIW, I've had the same tagline in my info-box for years: "spiritual anti-theist". I think that religion has largely tried to lay claim to spirituality, but that religion has no business being there. ;)
 

dybmh

דניאל יוסף בן מאיר הירש
There is a lot of Catholic theology. My advice is not to leave your religious group, but to prayerfully get online, read up, discover the conservative teachings and the refutations of it, and maybe a door will be more prone to open with the answer. My advice, anyway.
How do you feel about the Jesuit approach to theology? I've heard they're super deep and spiritual, but I haven't had a chance to research it yet.
 

julianalexander745

Active Member
Not sure where else to post this.
I'm making my peace with the fact that I'd be happier if I focused more on my spirituality than my religiosity. Truth be told, I consider myself both, but I'm disillusioned with my attempts to fit in religion-wise.

I'm coming from a Catholic background. What I see as religion is the rituals and traditions, the moral and ethical rules, the prescribed prayers and holy days. Generally speaking, I think of religion in terms of rules, obligations, and limitations.

On the other hand, spirituality to me is about the inner experience of God. Meditation, contemplation, reflection, and anything that induced deep thought and emotion, including scripture study and singing of hymns. Generally speaking, I think of spirituality as freedom, potential, and connection to the Divine.

I recognize the need (for my sanity) to focus much more on the Spiritual, but I am both, spiritual and religious, so I'm not prepared to abandon all religious expressions of my faith. However, I want to distance myself from the religion and draw closer to the spirituality.

Any (serious) advice on how to do so within the context of the religion? My first step is to think of church teaching as food for thought, not binding on everyone. To take such teaching into consideration when discerning God's plan for my life.

I will need to hold my tongue around other Catholics, and that's perhaps my biggest worry. I don't want to hear their dismay at my "apostasy", but I also don't have an alternative group of theists to go to for community.

The groups that come to mind come with their own set of traditions, and I don't want to replace traditions I'm already comfortable with. Other groups are so open that there's no guarantee the people even believe in God, and that's pretty central to my beliefs.

So I'm trying to make due where I am and work with what I've got. And I'm not really sure how to proceed, other than "with caution".

Thanks for hearing me out. I welcome advice for being a more spiritual but less religious Catholic (or just person in general).

I'd suggest listening less to what other people have to say about spirituality and rely more on your own intuition.
 

PoetPhilosopher

Veteran Member
How do you feel about the Jesuit approach to theology? I've heard they're super deep and spiritual, but I haven't had a chance to research it yet.

No idea. I really only have one or two stories in my life which directly relate to Catholics and Catholicism. I have a hard enough time determining what's original Hindu music and what's Western inspired.

So I made a short post covering what would likely help me, and what has helped me in my exploration of faiths.
 

MonkeyFire

Well-Known Member
I believe we're spirits in the midst of Heaven, as it is... and your either a spirit or a ghost... as a result of the emergence of war (good & evil)...
 

shunyadragon

shunyadragon
Premium Member
I believe there is very little or no difference nor ability to differentiate between religious and spiritual, except by those who want to put down being religious or believing in a religion.
 

dybmh

דניאל יוסף בן מאיר הירש
No idea. I really only have one or two stories in my life which directly relate to Catholics and Catholicism. I have a hard enough time determining what's original Hindu music and what's Western inspired.

So I made a short post covering what would likely help me, and what has helped me in my exploration of faiths.
It's supposed to be cool... maybe I'll read up on it one day.
 

Karolina

Member
I believe there is very little or no difference nor ability to differentiate between religious and spiritual, except by those who want to put down being religious or believing in a religion.
I disagree. The two words are not synonymous because they describe different aspects of faith. I know people who are one and not the other. My husband and I agree that we are both, however the religious aspect has been causing me quite a bit of grief lately, and so I'm focusing on the spiritual. But I'm not abandoning the religious entirely.
 

shunyadragon

shunyadragon
Premium Member
I disagree. The two words are not synonymous because they describe different aspects of faith. I know people who are one and not the other. My husband and I agree that we are both, however the religious aspect has been causing me quite a bit of grief lately, and so I'm focusing on the spiritual. But I'm not abandoning the religious entirely.

You are reinforcing the unfortunate tendency to make this distinction presenting religious in a negative light exemplified by the phony assertion "I am spiritual and not religious."

May not be absolutely synonymous, but the the overlap is too great to make the distinction a clear one. It is far to common to trash religion based on these personal assertions.
 

joe1776

Well-Known Member
You are reinforcing the unfortunate tendency to make this distinction presenting religious in a negative light exemplified by the phony assertion "I am spiritual and not religious."

May not be absolutely synonymous, but the the overlap is too great to make the distinction a clear one. It is far to common to trash religion based on these personal assertions.
What overlap?

People can believe in a Creator but have reason to believe that religions were created by men who were no more divinely-inspired than they are. They would fall into the broad classification of spiritual but not religious with no logical contradiction whatsoever.
 
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Karolina

Member
Clearly there are religious people who take offense to those who don't view faith the same way they do. Perhaps I should've mentioned I wasn't intending to debate the merits of the phrase "spiritual but not religious" but that I was actually looking for advice from people who understand where I'm coming from and what I'm talking about. I've already said twice now that I consider myself religious and yet I'm being accused of using it in a negative way. If I thought it was a bad thing to participate in rituals, keep traditions, impose limitations and rules onto oneself (in the form of virtues and ethics), or otherwise gather with people who each have their own individual experience of God (spirituality) but nonetheless come together to worship God jointly, then I wouldn't be asserting I'm religious nor would I be staying with the Catholic self-identity. I'm just saying I want it to have less influence on my life because it's contributing to my codependence issues. Peace.
 

osgart

Nothing my eye, Something for sure
Religion comes with a lot of historical baggage. Spirituality is more of an individual's journey from the inside out; free from dogmatic control.

The existence of virtues as one is affected by them is evidence to me that we are no illusion, and are literal beings with capacities for great things. This can be no
mistake. It leads me on a religious journey that has no answers for me and then I come full circle to myself again and wonder how inexplicable being has been.

It defies everything of human language and explanation. Yet there it is! Being! It can be very soulful, or you can reduce it's meaning to some chemical process. But language doesn't seem to capture the ability, and power of the soul.

I do not look for a God myself. I look toward a source of this enabled expression. And I myself am fine with not knowing. The mystery is greater than the stories told about it. Evident in how one experiences and is affected by the virtues one discovers.

Words don't do the spiritual journey any justice IMO.
 

Rakhel

Well-Known Member
I am not sure I know how to answer this question. I went to (Methodist) church most of my life and never felt the fulfillment those who believed in Christian faith did. I called my self agnostic because I didn't believe they way they did. I believed in A god but was he the same God they believed? I didn't think so.

I met and married my husband, proclaimed my faith in the Jewish God, and was satisfied. But I wasn't fulfilled. I still believed in God. He wasn't the Christian God(the father, son and holy spirit) but neither was he the God of Jewish belief. I stopped going to shul. My Jewish practices went the same way my Christian practices did.

Now my husband is on a journey to find his "spiritual fit," as he puts it. I will stand by him on his journey. I will help him on his way. But this is his journey. After all this time, I find that I am satisfied in my faith in God. I am satisfied in knowing where I stand, in my understanding, with him.

But this still doesn't answer your question.

You can be spiritual and not be religious. You can be religious and not spiritual. You can be both religious and spiritual. The decision is yours. It's in how much of your spirituality you wish to apply to your religious understanding and how much religion you wish to apply to your spirituality.

The final decision is yours
 

Jim

Nets of Wonder
Not sure where else to post this.
I'm making my peace with the fact that I'd be happier if I focused more on my spirituality than my religiosity. Truth be told, I consider myself both, but I'm disillusioned with my attempts to fit in religion-wise.

I'm coming from a Catholic background. What I see as religion is the rituals and traditions, the moral and ethical rules, the prescribed prayers and holy days. Generally speaking, I think of religion in terms of rules, obligations, and limitations.

On the other hand, spirituality to me is about the inner experience of God. Meditation, contemplation, reflection, and anything that induced deep thought and emotion, including scripture study and singing of hymns. Generally speaking, I think of spirituality as freedom, potential, and connection to the Divine.

I recognize the need (for my sanity) to focus much more on the Spiritual, but I am both, spiritual and religious, so I'm not prepared to abandon all religious expressions of my faith. However, I want to distance myself from the religion and draw closer to the spirituality.

Any (serious) advice on how to do so within the context of the religion? My first step is to think of church teaching as food for thought, not binding on everyone. To take such teaching into consideration when discerning God's plan for my life.

I will need to hold my tongue around other Catholics, and that's perhaps my biggest worry. I don't want to hear their dismay at my "apostasy", but I also don't have an alternative group of theists to go to for community.

The groups that come to mind come with their own set of traditions, and I don't want to replace traditions I'm already comfortable with. Other groups are so open that there's no guarantee the people even believe in God, and that's pretty central to my beliefs.

So I'm trying to make due where I am and work with what I've got. And I'm not really sure how to proceed, other than "with caution".

Thanks for hearing me out. I welcome advice for being a more spiritual but less religious Catholic (or just person in general).
Reading your post again, I see that maybe what you’re looking for is someone to talk to, who will encourage and support you in this, without trying to push or pull you in some direction where they want you to go.

My first step is to think of church teaching as food for thought, not binding on everyone. To take such teaching into consideration when discerning God's plan for my life.
Can you think of some examples of where you might go with that? If you’d like to know where I’m coming from, I’m a member of a non-Christian religion, but I believe in God, Jesus and the Bible in my own way. I’m practicing and promoting spiritual growth and community service as ways of helping to improve the lives of all people everywhere and helping to improve the world for future generations.

I think maybe you just need someone to talk to about what you’re trying to do, without them trying to push you or pull you in some direction you don’t want to go, and without stigmatizing either your religion or your divergences from it.
 
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