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Spiritual v. Religious?

Martin

Spam, wonderful spam (bloody vikings!)
What's the practical difference between being "spiritual" and being "religious"?

And when people say "I'm spiritual, but not religious", what do they actually mean? I assume they mean they're religious, but not part of an organised religion, but it's all so vague.
 

Eddi

Agnostic
Premium Member
When I use the term to describe myself I use it to mean that I have religious beliefs but I don't subscribe to any one religion

I see "spiritual" as being the opposite to "organised religion" - disorganised religion perhaps???
 

It Aint Necessarily So

Veteran Member
Premium Member
I've seen the phrase used in two ways. Sometimes its from a theist who doesn't like the word religion any more. At other times, it's from a person that has no religion - perhaps an atheist.

Spiritual, to me, means a certain orientation to daily life, a kind of mindful living with a sense of connection, but to others, I think it's synonymous with believing in gods and angels (spirits).

Some would use the word to describe a person who is detached from the world, as in not of the mundane world, as in eyes to scripture and heaven, but that's pretty much the opposite of the way I use the word.
 

1213

Well-Known Member
What's the practical difference between being "spiritual" and being "religious"?
...

I think religion is organized belief system. When one is religious, he belongs to some religion, or practices something religiously. Spiritual is more vague word, because spirit is not defined as clearly. But, perhaps it could be said that spiritual means that person believes in spirits and acts in a spirit.
 

PureX

Veteran Member
What's the practical difference between being "spiritual" and being "religious"?

And when people say "I'm spiritual, but not religious", what do they actually mean? I assume they mean they're religious, but not part of an organised religion, but it's all so vague.
I think it's important to understand what religion is, and isn't.

Religions are collections of ideas, images, stories, rituals, rules, habits and practices that people can use to help them live their lives according to their chosen theological view of existence. Some people feel they need these 'tools', or some of them, to maintain their chosen theological 'way of life', while others feel they do not need them. They feel they are able to maintain their chosen theological path without the use of all these religious aids.

And I think that is the crux of the difference between 'religion' and 'spirituality'. It is possible to be a very spiritual person without the aid of religion. While it is also possible to become so dependent on religiosity that we lose sight of the spirituality within us that it's supposed to be serving. Religions seem to have a tendency to want to become our masters rather than our servants. They can be, and very often are very helpful to a great many people. But they do have to be kept in their proper place in our hearts and minds, for them to have the positive effect that we seek from them.
 

F1fan

Veteran Member
I think "religion" as a word has gotten a bit of a tatted reputation. "Spiritual" implies a deeper approach.

I think there is a bit of overlap. Religious does suggest a person adopting an ideological framework and they connect to a community of believers through it.

I think spiritual can be defined as a set of practices and rituals that can help the body and mind be in balance. This can be yoga and meditation, but also prayer if it brings about a peace of mind.

I don't see a head full of irrational concepts as being a spiritual approach, such as promoting creationism. This seems to be a behavior that aims to create an illusory world that the person can understand is not true and real. This in effect will cause more stress and inner conflict.
 

stvdv

Veteran Member: I Share (not Debate) my POV
What's the practical difference between being "spiritual" and being "religious"?
I am a Spiritual Being, Spirit (Atma) is who I really am (not body, mind or emotions)

People follow a certain Religion
while
Spirit is inside, Religion is outside
 
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George-ananda

Advaita Vedanta, Theosophy, Spiritualism
Premium Member
What's the practical difference between being "spiritual" and being "religious"?

And when people say "I'm spiritual, but not religious", what do they actually mean? I assume they mean they're religious, but not part of an organised religion, but it's all so vague.
I agree with your take on vagueness.

It seems very few nowadays are card carrying mainstream members of a religious organization. But many many have personalized beliefs that we would call 'spiritual'.
 

Windwalker

Veteran Member
Premium Member
What's the practical difference between being "spiritual" and being "religious"?
A lot of the other posters already touched on what I would say, but I'll add that I see religion as a sort of object lesson, an externalized form that symbolizes an internal realization. I see religion as largely something which is external to one's self. It's something you conform yourself to through a system of fear of punishment, rewards, or social conformity.

It's "making clean the outside of the cup", as Jesus put it when speaking to the religious pious of the day who followed the rules to a T, but whose hearts within them were not transformed, still hating, envying, lusting, etc. That is like the rule/role stages of early moral development in children, who have not yet internalized the actual source of moral behaviors within themselves.

I see spirituality as "making clean the inside of the cup". It's about developing a perspective of the world and reality that is beyond the self as the center of all reality, beyond the egoic identity, and experiences life as a whole, and others as extensions of their own self. It's about love, and connection, and groundness within themselves in the world, as the source of all external actions.

"Love works no ill", or "Love is the fulfillment of the law", means that if we have a strong spiritual center of gravity, as opposed to the egoic needs as the center of gravity, we naturally would not do harm to anyone else, anymore than we would our own selves. That's quite different from externalize rule/role conformity. You don't choose to be good, you just are good.

But spirituality itself goes beyond actions, as above. Those are just the manifestations, the byproducts or the 'fruits'. Spirituality is about awakening that which is within us beyond the separate egoic self.

That's not to say we still don't have an ego, but it is to say that that is not the center of gravity in our life anymore. A young child identifies himself with his body, when asked to point to "me". Adults tend to point to all those things that define themselves socially, emotionally, and likes and dislikes as "me".

And it's those that are those mental constructs of the separate self that we call the ego. Spirituality, is the field of reality that we move into in transcending that. It's living life freed from the constraints and concerns of the separate egoic-self as the center of our self-identification.

And when people say "I'm spiritual, but not religious", what do they actually mean? I assume they mean they're religious, but not part of an organised religion, but it's all so vague.
I think SBNR (spiritual but not religious) best describes me. By saying I'm not religious, that means that I don't participate in any formal religious practices; codified beliefs, practices, ritual forms, group practices in any formal sense of the word.

That doesn't mean that I reject some of the principles they teach. But I see it for myself as the focus is much more upon integration and understanding internally. I suppose some of that would have to do with the fact that what I was part of I outgrew, and to echo one of the psalms, "I understand more than all my teachers".

That's not to say of course there aren't teachers out there I can learn from! Of course I can, and I do find those I can learn from in books, or videos, and so forth. But "going to church", has limited value for me. I developed a bit of an allergy to organized religions from my experience with them. Much more a hindrance, than a benefit. I see all of creation itself as "going to church". :)
 
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sun rise

The world is on fire
Premium Member
Others have expressed my thoughts. I'll add a note from traditional Islamic sufism:

The religion of Islam is about "shariat", the exoteric and is all about what people should and should not do and the consequences as spelled out in the Quran.

Sufism, the spiritual path, is about the esoteric, tariqat, the "path". Hazrat Inayat Khat defined it:

Sufism cannot be called a religion because it is free from principles, distinctions and differences, the very basis on which religions are founded; neither can it be called a philosophy, because philosophy teaches the study of nature in its qualities and varieties, whereas Sufism teaches unity. Therefore it may best be called simply the training of the view. The word Sufi implies purity, and purity contains two qualities. Pure means unmixed with any other element, or in other words that which exists in its own element, unalloyed and unstained. The second quality of purity is great adaptability.
 

Eyes to See

Well-Known Member
Being religious is having a form of devotion and reverence toward God and or another deity. Being spiritual is having a deep desire and a willingness to please God.

They may seem similar but are not necessarily so. A person can be religious for example and be a hypocrite, thus is not spiritual. James 1:26 says: “If any man thinks he is religious but does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he is deceiving his own heart, and his worship is futile.”

Spirituality comes from Jehovah God and is needed to have a relationship with him. Some think they can be spiritual apart from God, or without trying to please God but that is not possible.

So you can be religious without being spiritual. And you cannot be a spiritual person if you are not trying to please the true God Jehovah.

There is only one way to worship the true God. He is not a God of disorder but of peace, and has only one way of pure worship that he approves according to Ephesians 4:1-4. And throughout history God has always been organized and used organization in worship to him and gives us his statues and judicial decisions in the Bible. So a spiritual person would want to study God's word found in the Bible to draw close to God and find out what God's mind is on matters in order to please God, and that would include the person's form of worship and the religion he chooses. There is a true religion that offers pure worship to God, and its people are a holy people who are truly spiritual, wanting to please God, and live by his holy standards.
 
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`mud

Just old
Premium Member
Spiritualism: and when we die,
The Spirit is the remains of what we were, the memory to others still alive,

our cognizance gone and our `soul` revealed, wishing for the coming gate to heaven.

I wish you well, but I fear that you will never enjoy that pleasure.
 

TransmutingSoul

Veteran Member
Premium Member
What's the practical difference between being "spiritual" and being "religious"?

And when people say "I'm spiritual, but not religious", what do they actually mean? I assume they mean they're religious, but not part of an organised religion, but it's all so vague.

I see Religion is the practice of being Spiritual.

Spirituality is bringing out the capacity of virtue and morals from within, to practice them in this material world.

Religion is the guide and is built on Faith.

Regards Tony
 

Truthseeker

Non-debating member when I can help myself
It's My Birthday!
What's the practical difference between being "spiritual" and being "religious"?

And when people say "I'm spiritual, but not religious", what do they actually mean? I assume they mean they're religious, but not part of an organised religion, but it's all so vague.
There should be no difference in my opinion. They should not be mutually exclusive.

You can be religious, believe in a Prophet, but not belong to an organized body of people. Spiritual, but not religious to me means not believing in any divine source of infallible knowledge but trying to live ethically and morally and believing in some of the scriptures of some religions but not all of them, while striving to raise oneself to a higher spiritual level. There is a lot of merit to all that. It is better than being religious, but not spiritual. Or not being religious or spiritual either.
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
What's the practical difference between being "spiritual" and being "religious"?

And when people say "I'm spiritual, but not religious", what do they actually mean? I assume they mean they're religious, but not part of an organised religion, but it's all so vague.

I concur that it's vague, and have yet to have anyone explain it to my satisfaction. My best explanation is that it's the 'cool' or trendy thing to do right now. But yeah I groan when I hear it.

Personally, I say I'm religious and spiritual, and don't see much difference between the two at all.
 

Truthseeker

Non-debating member when I can help myself
It's My Birthday!
When I use the term to describe myself I use it to mean that I have religious beliefs but I don't subscribe to any one religion

I see "spiritual" as being the opposite to "organised religion" - disorganised religion perhaps???
Organized religion doesn't have to be the opposite of being spiritual. It depends. If a person values man-made dogma over spirituality or living a spiritual life then that's not good.
 

Truthseeker

Non-debating member when I can help myself
It's My Birthday!
I think religion is organized belief system. When one is religious, he belongs to some religion, or practices something religiously. Spiritual is more vague word, because spirit is not defined as clearly. But, perhaps it could be said that spiritual means that person believes in spirits and acts in a spirit.
I don't exactly see religion as a belief system. It's hard to put in words how I see that. The original reason for religion was to uplift people spiritually, and living a moral life. The two are complementary to each other. Beliefs are secondary.
 

mangalavara

सो ऽहम्
Premium Member
I concur that it's vague, and have yet to have anyone explain it to my satisfaction. My best explanation is that it's the 'cool' or trendy thing to do right now. But yeah I groan when I hear it.

Personally, I say I'm religious and spiritual, and don't see much difference between the two at all.

Same here. From my point of view, the 'spiritual but not religious' thing is a trendy thing. Like some of you, I find it vague. I think it would be similar to 'erotic but not sexual.'

If one is truly religious, one is certainly spiritual. If one is certainly spiritual but not at all religious, what then is the context of one's spirituality?
 

Truthseeker

Non-debating member when I can help myself
It's My Birthday!
But spirituality itself goes beyond actions, as above. Those are just the manifestations, the byproducts or the 'fruits'. Spirituality is about awakening that which is within us beyond the separate egoic self.

That's not to say we still don't have an ego, but it is to say that that is not the center of gravity in our life anymore.
Actions can be tainted by ulterior motives, but spirituality transcends that.

Yes, we never have no ego.
But "going to church", has limited value for me. I developed a bit of an allergy to organized religions from my experience with them. Much more a hindrance, than a benefit.
Yes, an organized religion can do that sometimes.
 

URAVIP2ME

Veteran Member
I don't exactly see religion as a belief system. It's hard to put in words how I see that. The original reason for religion was to uplift people spiritually, and living a moral life. The two are complementary to each other. Beliefs are secondary.
I would agree to uplift, to upbuild people spiritually and by living a moral life style.
Without a set belief system (teachings) then morals and spiritually can vary with the person.
I find the form of worship or religion is what is clean and undefiled from a biblical standpoint:
1) look after orphans
2) look after widows in their tribulation
3) to keep oneself without spot from the world
To be without spot from the world would mean to get out of practices not approved by God.
Friendship with a world that is alienated from God has different standards and principles from the Bible.

- James 1:26-27; James 4:4; Revelation 18:4
 
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