Comments on: spiritual, but not religious

By: Megan Jaure

Megan Jaure — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 21:57:55 +0000

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By: Your Religion Is False » Blog Archive » Good and Bad News for Supporters and Opponents of Interfaith Marriage

Sun, 06 Jun 2010 15:48:48 +0000

[...] people don’t even remember what religion they’re supposed to be and simply say “spiritual but not religious,” which inadvertently tricks their mates-to-be into believing that they’ve found [...]

By: JustMe001

JustMe001 — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 20:52:56 +0000

Definitions for myself… Religious indicates an association with a group of people many of which truly believe that their religion is and can be the only correct one and thus anyone not of that religion is NOT TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH!!!

I’ve seen friends dismiss each other simply because one found out that the other was catholic not mormon. I’ve seen families break up because of religion. To me, religion is often a dividing factor between people at least as much as the color of a persons skin.

Spiritual simply indicates that I believe in a higher power and even in Christ (though I’m still reflecting on my beliefs in Christ), but I do not limit my mind and belief structure to only one school of thought. I am willing to attend any church simply for the learning experience and am open to religious discussions without the seemingly inevitable outbursts that often come from single-minded believers.

By: Mickey

Mickey — Thu, 20 May 2010 15:13:24 +0000

I identify myself as spiritual but not Religious.

I was a saved, born again, fundamentalist Baptist. However over the last ten years of intense study of the Bible and its origins, I lost my religion. I have no religion. I don’t go to church anymore, (Oh and yes I have known many, many, many people who were very religious so to speak, but had no spirituality whatsoever. They just went through all the motions, said all the right things, did all the right things, and it was all for show, but had no idea what being in touch with your own inner spirit is all about.

I don’t believe God, in whatever form or force that may take, had anything to do with the Bible. The Bible and religion are constructs totally of man. The life force within you, however it came to be, you had nothing to do with, nor can it be explained, nor do you know what happens after death if anyting, other than decay. I now believe that if, and yes I say if, (which really makes me agnostic I suppose), if God, or whatever you want to call it, is there at all then he or it is simply the power of life within us all. Whatever thing it is that makes us Alive.

I say that I am spiritual in the sense that I don’t rule out the possibility that the force of Life within me and all living things could be what we commonly refer to as God. The term God may be a misnomer, or a least a misused name for this force of life.

Something it seems gave us all life, besides just the right chemicals coming together in the right amounts at the right time. I’m just saying.

So, I have no religion at all. However I do allow that the force of life wherever it comes form, however it formed, bonds us all together in a form of spirituality, which is nothing more than life itself. It is within us. Stop looking for God externally or through religion, because he/it has been there all along, inside of you. There is no heaven, there is no hell, and nobody came and died for me, or even need to.
God, or the force that gives you life is the Power of Now within you, to enjoy life now. You have everything you need to enjoy life, within you.

By: John

John — Tue, 11 May 2010 13:29:37 +0000

Religion and Spiritualism are the same thing in the way that a Rainbow Trout and a Yellow Tuna are the same thing, but very different. The salient point is this. Religions all claim to be in possesion of a written document authored by the creator of the universe. Spiritual people want to believe there is a higher power but do not buy the authenticity of the document.

By: JCPOP

JCPOP — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 23:55:08 +0000

I think religion in it self has its good points if the focus is to better ourselves as human beings and to practice the good things it has to teach us.
I am a Christian and no religion bring news of hope, faith and love to many people in spit of the hate people have toured its religious nature and past. It also help many people in need of food, shelter and rescues from natural disasters.
Government’s are just as oppressing as religions many people where kill in the name of Hitler’s so called perfect race. Just to name one out of many unjust people. I assure you that they wear not of Christian or Christ like in nature.
To be spiritual in itself is no great thing because we are all spiritual being, but if it’s was not for the lack of love in the human heart, life on earth would different.
If people stared to love, Jesus Christ rather then make religion, government or any intuition their focus their would be alot less war/suffering.
Jesus Christ, Price of peace.

By: NL

NL — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:05:28 +0000

Can I be religious but not spiritual, just to throw everyone off?

By: Sarah

Sarah — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 08:36:47 +0000

I hate it when people say the are spiritual and not religious. I think you’re right when you say that this is basically a political thing where people are afraid to say they are christian or whatever they are. Also, I am pretty sure this just another thing that only white people do that makes not sense at all. “Inner peace” and connected to a “higher power” is such BS, I almost think this has become more of a hipster fad than an actual belief to say that you are spiritual.

By: Patrick

Patrick — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:52:30 +0000

Though spiritual and religious may be synonyms in one sense, I think the phrase “spiritual but not religious” is the simplest way of describing a worldview that includes neither a set way to salvation nor an absence of otherworldliness. Can one say that he doesn’t believe in a God yet is religious? Can one say that he doesn’t believe in God yet is spiritual? My dictionary says no to the former and yes to the latter. By explaining a concept using two definitions that overlap in many ways but are not equal, I think it actually brings more clarity to the concept described.

However, I think I’ll have to explain myself in detail everywhere I go because of people like Tellie (no spite intended) who are Christian and spiritual but not religious (which confuses me to no end, by the way). I think it’s about time we started making up new words for these non-religious religions and these non-religious non-religions.

By: Ancel Gray

Ancel Gray — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 03:40:01 +0000

Let’s get down to the nitty gritty of this phrase! The religious institutions have BECOME VERY EMBARRASSING TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH! For example: Catholic pedophiles and Catholic anti-birth control in an overpopulated age. Jewish Rabbis in crime rings. Muslim terrorists. Fundamentalist preachers having affairs, challenging evolution and good science, etc., etc. Hence, many people don’t want to be associated with this hypocrisy and idiocy. So, “Spiritual but not Religious” really means, “I am religious but I am not associated with religious institutions.”