What is religion and what is spirituality? How are they the same, how are they

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TravisH

Member
different? I would like you to cite sources.
I like the answers so far. Not homework pinkstealth I'm just learning what people think and why.
Nice answer Amy.
 
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MajorTrouble

New member
Spirituality: Recognition of a meaning to existence that transcends one's immediate circumstances, and/or the spirit in which we live our lives.

Religion: A doctrine which tries to define the above FOR you and makes you follow a set of rules.
 
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lindakflowers

New member
For a Christian to refer to themselves as "more spiritual than religious" implies relative deprecation of rules, rituals, and tradition while preferring an intimate relationship with God and/or talking to Him as one's best friend. Their basis for this belief is that Jesus Christ came to free man from those rules, rituals, and traditions, giving them the ability to "walk in the spirit" thus maintaining a "Christian" lifestyle through that one-to-one relationship with God. Some excellent resources that further explain the "spiritual Christian" are found in the Bible, Gospel of John 4:24 for example, and in the works of Watchman Nee.[2] Nee probes deeply into the building blocks of mankind and derives that we are Spirit, Body and Soul.

One can be religious and yet not have an intimate relationship with God.
 
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davan_ben_noach

New member
religion, depending upon how the individual cares to define it, can be any number of things......personally, i stick with the dictionary

religion - belief in super-human controlling power

the above as you can see has NOTHING at all to do with "a personal relationship verse the legalism of idiots" as many would say

people who try to deem their RELIGION as anything other then a RELIGION are morons, they are people with a stigma against the word, mainly because they have no clue as to the meaning of the word

generally speaking, these idiots will think of religion as something that as too much legalism, and spirituality is about the "individual relationship between you and your creator".....that is actually funny, because most of the people who espouse this stupidity, will espouse it about the God who spoke with Moses, yet that God COMMANDED legalism.........which is something they really hate

they do have one thing right, "spirituality" is about FEELINGS, the HEART of the matter, and God spares no opportunity to tell people that the heart is 100% evil ALWAYS, every product there of, is evil, un-ending..........but of course, they don't like that, because everyone wants to "just feel good"...............personally, not me......as i enjoy it, it is NOT something that i seek out as most do................i seek to abide by God's laws, even if that makes me unhappy, as, my happiness is not a concern of mine

in the end, my happiness will mean nothing, so i abide by the commandments, even to my detrement
 
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jonnua

New member
Spirituality is that you believe that there is a afterlife and/or that there is a Higher Being that Created Us...

Religion is a Belief in a Deity(God) and that in doing Certain things you will be allowed into "Heaven"

Like Norse people had to die in battle to go to heaven, etc..
 
A

Amy

Active member
religion: noun
Etymology:
Middle English religioun, from Anglo-French religiun, Latin religion-, religio supernatural constraint, sanction, religious practice, perhaps from religare to restrain, tie back — more at rely Date:13th century

1 a: the state of a religious <a nun in her 20th year of religion> b (1): the service and worship of God or the supernatural (2): commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance
2: a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices
3archaic : scrupulous conformity : conscientiousness
4: a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
spirituality: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural spir·i·tu·al·i·ties Date:15th century

1 : something that in ecclesiastical law belongs to the church or to a cleric as such
2 : clergy
3 : sensitivity or attachment to religious values
4 : the quality or state of being spiritual
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My vote is for definition 2 for religion and definition 4 for spirituality. Many people give these words their own meaning. I once met a woman on a forum who defined being spiritual as opposed to religious an believing in spirit guides instead of belonging to an organized church. For me ths biggest difference is organization and institutionalization.
 
D

davan_ben_noach

New member
religion, depending upon how the individual cares to define it, can be any number of things......personally, i stick with the dictionary

religion - belief in super-human controlling power

the above as you can see has NOTHING at all to do with "a personal relationship verse the legalism of idiots" as many would say

people who try to deem their RELIGION as anything other then a RELIGION are morons, they are people with a stigma against the word, mainly because they have no clue as to the meaning of the word

generally speaking, these idiots will think of religion as something that as too much legalism, and spirituality is about the "individual relationship between you and your creator".....that is actually funny, because most of the people who espouse this stupidity, will espouse it about the God who spoke with Moses, yet that God COMMANDED legalism.........which is something they really hate

they do have one thing right, "spirituality" is about FEELINGS, the HEART of the matter, and God spares no opportunity to tell people that the heart is 100% evil ALWAYS, every product there of, is evil, un-ending..........but of course, they don't like that, because everyone wants to "just feel good"...............personally, not me......as i enjoy it, it is NOT something that i seek out as most do................i seek to abide by God's laws, even if that makes me unhappy, as, my happiness is not a concern of mine

in the end, my happiness will mean nothing, so i abide by the commandments, even to my detrement
 
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